Lecture
Alyn Shipton
Wednesday 11.02.2026
Alyn Shipton
The Traditional Jazz Revival in Britain and Europe, Part 1
Wednesday 11.02.2026
How to watch
This lecture starts on 11 February at 5:00pm (UK).
Summary
Hard on the heels of American developments, a revivalist movement began in Europe. The focus here starts in Britain, with George Webb’s Dixielanders, which developed into the pioneering band of trumpeter Humphrey Lyttelton. This is followed by musicians who looked to New Orleans for inspiration including Ken Colyer, Chris Barber (with the great Irish singer Ottilie Patterson), Acker Bilk, and Kenny Ball. Alyn Shipton also looks at parallel developments in France with Claude Luter and other musicians who played with the veteran US soprano saxophonist Sidney Bechet.
Alyn Shipton
Alyn Shipton has worked in music for many years as a writer, editor, and player. He was the publisher of the New Grove Dictionary series in the 1980s. His own books include numerous biographies, mainly of jazz musicians, including Fats Waller, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, Ian Carr, and Cab Calloway. His other books include the award-winning life of singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson, and a study of the relationship between visual arts and jazz. His New History of Jazz (2001, revised 2007) won awards on both sides of the Atlantic and is now well established as one of the standard works on the subject. Since 1989 he has presented and produced programs on music and history for BBC Radio. As a double bassist, he has played with many leading British jazz groups, and he currently co-leads the Buck Clayton Legacy Band.