Alan Branscombe (4 June 1936 – 27 October 1986) was an English

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

pianist,

vibraphonist The vibraphone is a percussion instrument in the metallophone family. It consists of tuned metal bars and is typically played by using mallets to strike the bars. A person who plays the vibraphone is called a ''vibraphonist,'' ''vibraharpist,' ...

, and alto saxophonist.

Biography

Branscombe was born in Wallasey, Cheshire (now

Merseyside Merseyside ( ) is a metropolitan county, metropolitan and ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North West England, with a population of List of ceremonial counties of England, 1.38 million. It encompasses both banks of the Merse ...

), in 1936. His father and grandfather were also professional musicians. He played drums with

Victor Feldman Victor Stanley Feldman (7 April 1934 – 12 May 1987) was an English jazz musician who played mainly piano, vibraphone, and percussion. He began performing professionally during childhood, eventually earning acclaim in the UK jazz scene as ...

in a

talent show A talent show is an event in which participants perform the arts of singing, dancing, lip-syncing, acting, martial arts, playing an instrument, poetry, comedy or other activities to showcase skills. Many talent shows are performances rather ...

as a child. He began on alto sax at age six, and played in the army with

Jeff Clyne Jeffrey Ovid Clyne (29 January 1937 – 16 November 2009) was a British jazz bassist (playing both bass guitar and double bass). He worked with Tubby Hayes and Ronnie Scott in their group the Jazz Couriers for a year from 1958, and was part ...

in 1954–56. He toured and recorded with

Vic Ash Victor "Vic" Ash (9 March 1930, in East London – 24 October 2014) was an English jazz saxophonist and clarinetist. He was of Jewish ancestry. Biography Ash began playing professionally in 1951 when, with Tubby Hayes, he joined the band o ...

in 1958, recorded with

Tony Kinsey Cyril Anthony Kinsey (born 11 October 1927) is an English jazz drummer and composer. Early life Kinsey was born in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, England. He held jobs on trans-Atlantic ships while young, studying while at port with Bill West i ...

in 1959, and toured Japan with Stanley Black in 1960. He worked with

John Dankworth Sir John Phillip William Dankworth, CBE (20 September 1927 – 6 February 2010), also known as Johnny Dankworth, was an English jazz composer, saxophonist, clarinettist and writer of film scores. With his wife, jazz singer Dame Cleo Laine, he ...

as pianist and vibraphonist intermittently between 1960 and 1972, including in the 1963 film ''

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''. He joined

Harry South Harry Percy South (7 September 1929 – 12 March 1990) was an English jazz pianist, composer, and arranger, who moved into work for film and television. Career South was born in Fulham, London. He came to prominence in the 1950s, playing ...

's band at

Ronnie Scott Ronnie may refer to: * Ronnie (name), a unisex pet name and given name * "Ronnie" (Four Seasons song), a song by Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe *"Ronnie," a song from the Metallica album '' Load'' *Ronnie Brunswijkstadion, an association football stadiu ...

's club in the mid-1960s, and played as a sideman with

Tubby Hayes Edward Brian "Tubby" Hayes (30 January 1935 – 8 June 1973) was an English jazz multi-instrumentalist, best known for his tenor saxophone playing in groups with fellow sax player Ronnie Scott and with trumpeter Jimmy Deuchar. Early life ...

(1964),

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(1966–68), Paul Gonsalves (1969),

Ben Webster Benjamin Francis Webster (March 27, 1909 – September 20, 1973) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Career Early life and career A native of Kansas City, Missouri, he studied violin, learned how to play blues on the piano from ...

(1965, 1970), and

Albert Nicholas Albert Nicholas (May 27, 1900 – September 3, 1973) was an American jazz clarinet player. Career Nicholas's primary instrument was the clarinet, which he studied with Lorenzo Tio in his hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Late ...

(1973). Branscombe toured in Europe with Stan Getz in 1970, and played with the Lamb-Premru group around 1971.Alan Branscombe Biography
''www.henrybebop.co.uk''. Retrieved 26 May 2020. Branscombe also recorded as a leader with

and

Tony Coe Anthony George Coe (born 29 November 1934) is an English jazz musician who plays clarinet, bass clarinet, flute as well as soprano, alto, and tenor saxophones. Career Born in Canterbury, Kent, England, Coe started out on clarinet and was self- ...

as sidemen on the album ''The Day I Met the Blues'' (

EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British Transnational corporation, transnational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in March 1 ...

, 1977). As a session musician, he played tenor saxophone on

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

song "

Got to Get You into My Life "Got to Get You into My Life" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, first released in 1966 on their album ''Revolver''. It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The song is a homage to the Motown Sound, wit ...

Discography

As leader

* ''The Day I Met the Blues'' (EMI, 1977)

As sideman

With

* ''What the Dickens!'' (Fontana, 1963) * ''Shakespeare and All That Jazz'' (Fontana, 1964) * ''The Zodiac Variations'' (Fontana, 1965) * ''The $1,000,000 Collection'' (Fontana 1967) * ''Full Circle'' (Philips, 1972) With

Georgie Fame Georgie Fame (born Clive Powell; 26 June 1943) is an English R&B and jazz musician. Fame, who had a string of 1960s hits, is still performing, often working with contemporaries such as Alan Price, Van Morrison and Bill Wyman. Fame is the on ...

* ''Sound Venture'' (Columbia 1966) * ''The Two Faces of Fame'' (CBS 1967) With

Don Harper Don Harper (192130 May 1999) was an Australian composer. Born in Melbourne in 1921, Don Harper showed an interest in music from an early age, learning to play the violin as a child. His formal study began at the New South Wales Conservatorium ...

* ''Homo Electronicus'' (Columbia 1974) * ''On the Fiddle'' (Polydor, 1975) * ''Combo: Duo, Trio, Quartet, Sextet'' (1978) With

* ''Tubbs' Tours'' (Mole Jazz, 1981) * ''England's Late Jazz Great'' (IAJRC, 1987) * ''200% Proof'' (Master Mix, 1992) With

Harold McNair Harold McNair (5 November 1931 – 7 March 1971) was a Jamaican-born saxophonist and flautist. Early life McNair was born in Kingston, Jamaica. He attended the Alpha Boys School under the tutelage of Vincent Tulloch, while playing with Jo ...

* ''Affectionate'' (1965) * ''The Fence'' (1970) With

* ''Webster's Dictionary'' (Philips, 1970) * ''In a Mellow Tone'' (Magnum, 1995) With

Kenny Wheeler Kenneth Vincent John Wheeler, OC (14 January 1930 – 18 September 2014) was a Canadian composer and trumpet and flugelhorn player, based in the U.K. from the 1950s onwards. Most of his performances were rooted in jazz, but he was also active i ...

* '' Windmill Tilter'' (Fontana, 1969) * '' Song for Someone'' (Incus, 1973) With others *

Neil Ardley Neil Richard Ardley (26 May 1937 – 23 February 2004) was a prominent English jazz pianist and composer, who also made his name as the author of more than 100 popular books on science and technology, and on music. Early years Neil Ardley ...

, ''A Symphony of Amaranths'' (Regal Zonophone, 1972) *

Lionel Bart Lionel Bart (1 August 1930 – 3 April 1999) was a British writer and composer of pop music and musicals. He wrote Tommy Steele's " Rock with the Caveman" and was the sole creator of the musical ''Oliver!'' (1960). With ''Oliver!'' and his wor ...

, ''Isn't This Where We Came In?'' (Deram, 1968) * George Chisholm, ''George Chisholm'' (Gold Star, 1974) * Roger Cook, ''Meanwhile Back at the World'' (Regal Zonophone 1972) *

Elaine Delmar Elaine Delmar (born 13 September 1939) is a British singer and actress, with a long career in stage acting, music recording and concert performances. Born in Harpenden, she is the daughter of Jamaican jazz trumpeter Leslie "Jiver" Hutchinson. A ...

, ''Elaine Delmar and Friends'' (Polydor, 1980) * Paul Gonsalves, ''Humming Bird'' (Deram, 1970) *

Ted Heath Sir Edward Richard George Heath (9 July 191617 July 2005), often known as Ted Heath, was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1970 to 1974 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1965 to 1975. Heath a ...

, ''Big Band Themes Remembered Vol. II'' (Decca, 1974) *

Jackie Lomax John Richard Lomax (10 May 1944 – 15 September 2013) was an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. He is best known for his association with George Harrison, who produced Lomax's recordings for the Beatles' Apple record label in the late 1 ...

, ''Is This What You Want?'' (Apple, 1969) *

Don Lusher Don Lusher OBE (6 November 1923 – 5 July 2006) was an English jazz and big band trombonist best known for his association with the Ted Heath Big Band. In a career spanning more than 60 years, he played trombone with a number of jazz orchestras ...

, ''Lusher & Lusher & Lusher'' (1973) *

, ''Let Me Tell You'' (EMI, 1974) * Ken Rattenbury Featuring Shirley Franklin and David Stevens, ''Storytime'' (EMI, 1965) * Johnny Scott, ''London Swings'' (Columbia, 1966) *

Labi Siffre Claudius Afolabi Siffre (born 25 June 1945) is a British singer, songwriter and poet. Siffre released six albums between 1970 and 1975, and four between 1988 and 1998. His best known compositions include " It Must Be Love" which reached number 1 ...

, ''Remember My Song'' (EMI, 1975) * Jimmy Skidmore, ''Skid Marks'' (Silverline, 1972) *

Dakota Staton Dakota Staton (June 3, 1930 – April 10, 2007) was an American jazz vocalist who found international acclaim with the 1957 No. 4 hit "The Late, Late Show". She was also known by the Muslim name Aliyah Rabia for a period due to her conversion to ...

, ''Dakota '67'' (London, 1967) *

, ''The Latin-American Caper'' (Columbia, 1969) * John Williams, ''The Height Below'' (Cube, 1973)

References

*Skrimshire/Kernfeld, "Alan Branscombe". Grove Jazz online. {{DEFAULTSORT:Branscombe, Alan 1936 births 1986 deaths People from Wallasey 20th-century English musicians 20th-century British male musicians 20th-century British pianists 20th-century saxophonists British jazz vibraphonists British male pianists British male saxophonists English jazz alto saxophonists English jazz pianists British male jazz musicians