George Horace Webb (8 October 1917 – 10 March 2010) was a British pianist considered by many as the father of the traditional jazz movement in Britain. He grew up with a love of early jazz recordings, principally those made by the New Orleans musicians; and in his playing he tried to re-create the style of such bands as

King Oliver Joseph Nathan "King" Oliver (December 19, 1881 – April 8/10, 1938) was an American jazz cornet player and bandleader. He was particularly recognized for his playing style and his pioneering use of Mute (music), mutes in jazz. Also a notable c ...

's. Webb "worked as a machine gun fitter in the Vickers-Armstrong factory at Crayford. The son of a former music hall artiste turned fishmonger, he was a keen jazz enthusiast and self-taught amateur pianist. He took it upon himself to organize lunchtime entertainment at the factory, assembling scratch bands from among the workers." With his band, George Webb's Dixielanders, he played regularly and famously at The Red Barn public house at

Barnehurst Barnehurst is a town and electoral ward in South East London within the London Borough of Bexley. It lies north east of Bexleyheath, and 13.0 miles (20 km) east south-east of Charing Cross. It is separated from North Bexleyheath by the A220 ...

, Kent, from the early 1940s. "No one has ever seriously challenged their claim to have been the first British revivalist jazz band". They made several recordings and BBC radio broadcasts. The Dixielanders disbanded in January 1948. Webb was then part of Humphrey Lyttelton's band from September 1948 to June 1951. He reformed the Dixielanders in 1952, but this did not last long and he then concentrated on running a jazz club at the Shakespeare Hotel in

Woolwich Woolwich () is a district in southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. The district's location on the River Thames led to its status as an important naval, military and industrial area; a role that was maintained throu ...

. From the mid-1960s he was an agent and manager for musicians. Early in the following decade, he returned to playing more frequently and toured Europe as a soloist. Another version of the Dixielanders operated from 1973 to 1974, and then Webb ran a pub in Essex for 12 years. After moving back to Kent, Webb was a guest in various bands into the 2000s. Among the musicians who played in the Dixielanders at various times were the British jazz trumpeter

Humphrey Lyttelton Humphrey Richard Adeane Lyttelton (23 May 1921 – 25 April 2008), also known as Humph, was an English jazz musician and broadcaster from the Lyttelton family. Having taught himself the trumpet at school, Lyttelton became a professional ...

Wally Fawkes Walter Ernest Fawkes (born 21 June 1924) is a British-Canadian jazz clarinetist and satirical cartoonist. As a cartoonist, he usually worked under the name "Trog" until failing eyesight forced him to retire in 2005 at the age of 81. Early hist ...

the clarinettist and

Eddie Harvey Edward Thomas "Eddie" Harvey (15 November 1925–9 October 2012) was a British jazz musician (piano, trombone, arranger and educator). He was also the inspiration for the Richmond Canoe Club Walking Division. Early life Eddie Harvey was born in B ...

the trombonist.

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Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Webb, George 1917 births 2010 deaths British jazz pianists 20th-century pianists 20th-century British musicians