John William Frank Critchinson (24 December 1934 – 15 December 2017) also known as "Critch", was an English jazz pianist.

Biography

Critchinson was born in London in 1934. He worked as a part-time musician with

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 ...

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 ...

, and

Jimmy Deuchar James Deuchar (26 June 1930 – 9 September 1993) was a Scottish jazz trumpeter and big band arranger, born in Dundee, Scotland. He found fame as a performer and arranger in the 1950s and 1960s. Deuchar was taught trumpet by John Lynch, who lear ...

, among others. In 1979, at the recommendation of his mentor,

Bill Le Sage William A. Le Sage (20 January 1927 – 31 October 2001) was a British pianist, vibraphonist, arranger, composer and bandleader. Early life Le Sage was born in London on 20 January 1927. His father, William (1899-1951) was a drummer and his tw ...

, he was a member of Ronnie Scott's Quartet until it folded in 1995. During that time, he worked with many visiting American artists, including Chet Baker,

George Coleman George Edward Coleman (born March 8, 1935) is an American jazz saxophonist known for his work with Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock in the 1960s. In 2015, he was named an NEA Jazz Master. Early life Coleman was born in Memphis, Tennessee. He was ...

, James Moody, Joe Henderson and

Johnny Griffin John Arnold Griffin III (April 24, 1928 – July 25, 2008) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Nicknamed "the Little Giant" for his short stature and forceful playing, Griffin's career began in the mid-1940s and continued until the month of ...

."John Critchinson"
Woodville Records. Retrieved 5 September 2020. In the early 1980s, he was associated with the British jazz fusion duo

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 ...

, appearing on two of their albums. He recorded with

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 ...

and was a member of Martin Drew's Our Band, with

Ron Mathewson Rognvald Andrew Mathewson (19 February 1944 – 3 December 2020) was a British jazz double bassist and bass guitarist. During his career, Mathewson performed with Ronnie Scott, but also recorded with Stan Getz, Joe Henderson, Joan Armatrading, ...

Jim Mullen Jim Mullen (born 26 November 1945) is a Scottish, Glasgow-born jazz guitarist with a distinctive style, like Wes Montgomery before him, picking with the thumb rather than a plectrum. Biography Jim Mullen was guitarist with Pete Brown & Piblo ...

, and Dick Morrissey. In 1995, Critchinson formed a quartet with Art Themen on saxophone, Dave Green on bass and Dave Barry on drums. When Scott died in 1996, Critchinson formed the Ronnie Scott Legacy with Pat Crumly on saxophone and flute. Later in his life, he played and recorded with saxophonist Simon Spillett."John Critchinson..."
henrybebop.co.uk. Retrieved 5 September 2020.

Discography

* ''Summer Afternoon'' (Coda, 1982) * ''New Night'' (Coda, 1984) * ''Ulyssess & the Cyclops'' (Coda, 1984) * ''Where's the Tune, Johnny?'' * ''First Moves'' (Jazz House, 1995) * ''Excuse Me, Do I Know You: A Tribute to Ronnie Scott'' (Jazz House, 1999) * ''With a Song in My Heart'' (2002) * ''Introducing Simon Spillett'' (2007) * ''Remove All Cover'' (33 Jazz, 2007) * ''Sienna Red'', Simon Spillett (2008) * ''Square One'', Simon Spillett (2013)

References

External links

Official website
www.JohnCritchinson.com
John Critchinson biography by Jason Ankeny, discography and album reviews, credits & releases
at

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

John Critchinson Quartet biography, discography and album reviews, credits & releases
at AllMusic
John Critchinson discography, album releases & credits
at

Discogs Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the ...

John Critchinson albums to be listened
as stream on

Spotify Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active us ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Critchinson, John 1934 births 2017 deaths English composers English jazz pianists Musicians from London Morrissey–Mullen members