James Anthony Richardson (born 16 February 1941,

Tottenham Tottenham () is a town in North London, England, within the London Borough of Haringey. It is located in the ceremonial county of Greater London. Tottenham is centred north-northeast of Charing Cross, bordering Edmonton to the north, Waltham ...

, London) is 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 ...

and rock bassist and

session musician Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a ...

. He was a member of the progressive rock band If.

Career

An original member of pioneering British jazz-rock band, If (1969–1973), he went on to undertake session and studio work. Around 1975–76 he was also a member of

Pip Pyle Phillip "Pip" Pyle (4 April 1950 – 28 August 2006) was an English-born drummer from Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, who later resided in France. He is best known for his work in the progressive rock Canterbury scene bands Gong, Hatfield an ...

's The Weightwatchers, with

Elton Dean Elton Dean (28 October 1945 – 8 February 2006) was an English jazz musician who performed on alto saxophone, saxello (a variant of the soprano saxophone) and occasionally keyboards. Part of the Canterbury scene, he featured in, among oth ...

and

Keith Tippett Keith Graham Tippetts (25 August 1947 – 14 June 2020), known professionally as Keith Tippett, was a British jazz pianist and composer. According to AllMusic, Tippett's career "..spanned jazz-rock, progressive rock, improvised and contemporary ...

and leading his own group, Jim Richardson's Pogo Revisited which also featured Alan Barnes. In the late 1970s, his quartet featured

Bobby Wellins Robert Coull Wellins (24 January 1936 – 27 October 2016) was a Scottish tenor saxophonist who collaborated with Stan Tracey on the album ''Jazz Suite Inspired by Dylan Thomas's "Under Milk Wood"'' (1965). Biography Robert Coull Wellins was ...

. In 1981 he appeared on the

Hoagy Carmichael Hoagland Howard Carmichael (November 22, 1899 – December 27, 1981) was an American musician, composer, songwriter, actor and lawyer. Carmichael was one of the most successful Tin Pan Alley songwriters of the 1930s, and was among the first ...

tribute album ''

In Hoagland ''In Hoagland'' is an album by Georgie Fame, Annie Ross and Hoagy Carmichael, featuring a band of leading UK jazz musicians and arrangements by Harry South. Originally released under the title ''In Hoagland '81'', it was recorded in London and re ...

''. In the mid-1980s he reunited with former If band member

Dick Morrissey Richard Edwin Morrissey (9 May 1940 – 8 November 2000) was a British jazz musician and composer. He played the tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone and flute. Biography Background He was born in Horley, Surrey, England. Dick Morrissey emerg ...

Morrissey–Mullen Morrissey–Mullen were a British jazz-funk/fusion group of the 1970s and 1980s. Considered one of the most popular jazz groups in London, the band was led by Dick Morrissey on tenor and soprano saxes and flute, and Jim Mullen on guitar, who joi ...

. He worked with

Dexter Gordon Dexter Gordon (February 27, 1923 – April 25, 1990) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, bandleader, and actor. He was among the most influential early bebop musicians, which included other greats such as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gi ...

and

Chet Baker Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker Jr. (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist. He is known for major innovations in cool jazz that led him to be nicknamed the "Prince of Cool". Baker earned much attention and ...

and was a member of the Jack Honeyborne Quintet with

Derek Wadsworth Derek Wadsworth (5 February 1939 – 3 December 2008) was an English jazz musician, composer and arranger. Early life Wadsworth was born in Cleckheaton, Yorkshire on 5 February 1939. His first instrument was the cornet and he started playing the ...

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 ...

, and

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 ...

. Richardson released the album ''Chapter One'' on 15 October 2009. His album ''2 Plus 2'' was released on 22 April 2010. He was one of the guest speakers for the launch of the Princess Royal Trust for Carers Out of Hospital report held on 21 July 2010 at the

London Medical Society The Medical Society of London is one of the oldest surviving medical societies (being organisations of voluntary association, rather than regulation or training) in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1773 by the Quaker physician and philanthrop ...

. He had been a carer for his partner, Maggie, before she died of cancer. Richardson provided a carers perspective to the gathered professionals, on behalf of the PRTC, to help campaign for more consideration by hospitals, to the needs of carers during patient discharge planning.

Discography

As leader

* ''Don't Get Emotional'' (Spotlite, 1988)

As sideman

With

* '' Rendez-Vous'' (Bingow, 1980) * ''Live in London Vol. 2'' (Ubuntu Music 2018) * ''Live in London'' (Ubuntu Music 2016) With If * ''If'' (Island, 1970) * ''If 2'' (Island, 1970) * ''If 3'' (United Artists, 1971) * ''If 4'' (United Artists, 1972) * ''Waterfall'' (Metromedia, 1972) * ''Europe '72'' (Repertoire, 1997) * ''Fibonacci's Number: More Live'' (Repertoire, 2010) With others *

, Georgie Fame, Annie Ross, ''In Hoagland 1981'' (Bald Eagle 1981) * Frank Evans, ''Mark Twain'' (77 Records 1970) * Rachel Gould, Chet Baker, ''

All Blues "All Blues" is a jazz composition by Miles Davis first appearing on the influential 1959 album ''Kind of Blue''. It is a twelve-bar blues in ; the chord sequence is that of a basic blues and made up entirely of seventh chords, with a VI in the t ...

'' (Bingow, 1979) *

Barbara Jay Barbara Jay (born 14 August 1937) is a British jazz singer. Barbara Jay grew up in a musical family, her father playing trumpet with many of the leading bands of the time. She took naturally to singing and by the 1960s she was working with top B ...

, Lee Gibson, Tina May, ''The Ella Fitzgerald Songbook Revisted'' (Spotlite, 2000) * Lloyd Ryan, ''Jazz 4 New Directions'' (Playback) *

Helen Shapiro Helen Kate Shapiro (born 28 September 1946) is a British pop and jazz singer and actress. While still a teenager in the early 1960s, she was one of Britain's most successful female singers. With a voice described by AllMusic as possessing "th ...

, ''Straighten Up and Fly Right'' (Dureco 1983) *

Tommy Whittle Tommy Whittle (13 October 1926 – 13 October 2013) was a British jazz saxophonist. Biography Tommy Whittle was born in Grangemouth, Scotland. He started playing clarinet at the age of 12 before taking up tenor saxophone at 13, guided by A ...

, ''Grace Notes'' (Spotlite, 2003) * Tommy Whittle, ''The Tenor Connection'' (Spotlite, 2010)

References

*'' The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz'' (2000) p. 64

*''The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music'' (1992) p. 1222 *''Who's Who in Rock Music'' (1978) p. 119 *''Who's Who of British Jazz'' (2004) p. 256 {{DEFAULTSORT:Richardson, Jim 1941 births Living people British jazz double-bassists Male double-bassists British male jazz musicians English jazz musicians People from Tottenham Musicians from London If (band) members 21st-century double-bassists 21st-century British male musicians