English jazz double bassist, producer, engineer, studio owner, author, and painter.
Born: 20th July 1928, Uxbridge, Middlesex, England
Died: 20th August 2021
Started playing piano but swapped to bass as he felt his piano technique wasn’t good enough. Professional bassist from 1947. In 1949, while playing in the ocean liner Queen Mary house band, he first met Lennie Tristano, whom he took lessons from now and then, while in New York. He moved to New York City in 1951 and started touring with Lee Konitz in 1953. From 1956, he owned the [l457143] located in New York City. In 1966, he and his family relocated to the UK. In the 1970s and 1980s he owned the [l130255] jazz label and the London [l277898] until, in 1984, he opened the London nightclub Bass Clef, later known as Blue Note.

Among the jazz artists he played with are Lee Konitz, Lennie Tristano, Buddy Rich, Warne Marsh, Paul Bley, Kenny Barron, Tommy Flanagan, Mal Waldron and Jutta Hipp