Raymond Geoffrey Foxley (28 December 1928 – 6 July 2002) was a British

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. Foxley was born in Birmingham, England. He led his own bands from 1946, including the Gutbucket Six, the Gully Low Stompers and the Levee Ramblers. After settling in London in the 1950s he worked with Bobby Mickleburgh,

Mick Mulligan Peter Sidney "Mick" Mulligan (24 January 1928 – 20 December 2006) was an English jazz trumpeter and bandleader, best known for his presence on the trad jazz scene. Biography He was born in Harrow, Middlesex, England. Mulligan began playing ...

Chris Barber Donald Christopher "Chris" Barber OBE (17 April 1930 – 2 March 2021) was an English jazz musician, best known as a bandleader and trombonist. He helped many musicians with their careers and had a UK top twenty trad jazz hit with " Petite Fl ...

, Mike Daniels and

Ken Colyer Kenneth Colyer (18 April 1928 – 8 March 1988) was an English jazz trumpeter and cornetist, devoted to Dixieland, New Orleans jazz. His band was also known for skiffle interludes. Biography He was born in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England, but ...

during that decade. A further move to

Bromsgrove Bromsgrove is a town in Worcestershire, England, about northeast of Worcester and southwest of Birmingham city centre. It had a population of 29,237 in 2001 (39,644 in the wider Bromsgrove/Catshill urban area). Bromsgrove is the main town in the ...

in 1960 meant that he played more in the

Midlands The Midlands (also referred to as Central England) are a part of England that broadly correspond to the Kingdom of Mercia of the Early Middle Ages, bordered by Wales, Northern England and Southern England. The Midlands were important in the Ind ...

. In the 1960s he was part of Ken Ingram's Band and Eddie Matthews' Jump Band. In the following decade he freelanced, led his own quintet, and played in Europe with Rod Mason. Foxley returned to Colyer in 1986, and stayed with the Ken Colyer Trust Band until 1994, following the leader's death. In the same decade, he also freelanced and led his own band. He also gave solo performances throughout his career. Much of what he played was traditional jazz, but he "was also admired by avant-gardists like sopranoist

Lol Coxhill George Lowen Coxhill (19 September 1932 – 10 July 2012) known professionally as Lol Coxhill, was an English free improvising saxophonist. He played soprano and sopranino saxophone. Biography Coxhill was born to George Compton Coxhill ...

and percussionist Roger Turner". Foxley died in London on 6 July 2002.

Discography

*''Six for Two'', 1979, on the

Jeton Jetons or jettons are tokens or coin-like medals produced across Europe from the 13th through the 18th centuries. They were produced as counters for use in calculation on a counting board, a lined board similar to an abacus. They also found use ...

label *''Professor Foxley's Sporting House Music'', 1978, on the

label

References

External links

Jazzhouse.org - Ray Foxley
{{DEFAULTSORT:Foxley, Ray British jazz pianists 1928 births 2002 deaths 20th-century British pianists 20th-century British musicians