Stan Robinson (13 April 1936 in Salford,

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

– 9 April 2017) was an English jazz

tenor saxophonist The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (while th ...

and

flautist The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...

Carr, Ian Ian Carr (21 April 1933 – 25 February 2009) was a Scottish jazz musician, composer, writer, and educator. Carr performed and recorded with the Rendell-Carr quintet and jazz-fusion band Nucleus, and was an associate professor at the Guildhall ...

; Digby Fairweather,

Brian Priestley Brian Priestley (born 10 July 1940)Many sources list Priestley's year of birth as 1946, but this is inaccurate. See Priestley's entry in ''The Rough Guide to Jazz'' anon his revised Charlie Parker study. is an English jazz writer, pianist and a ...

br>''The Rough Guide to Jazz'', p. 659. Rough Guides, 2004.
''Google Books''. Retrieved 29 November 2014. Robinson started playing professionally at Manchester's Club 43 before travelling to London and appearing at

Ronnie Scott's Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club is a jazz club that has operated in Soho, London, since 1959. History The club opened on 30 October 1959 in a basement at 39 Gerrard Street in London's Soho district. It was set up and managed by musicians Ronnie Sco ...

Club in the early 1960s, often in a quartet featuring the young drummer Peter "Ginger" Baker. In an article in ''Jazz News'' magazine in September 1960,

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 H ...

was cited as saying that he believed Robinson to be among the most promising new British tenor saxophonists to have emerged during the late 1950s. Robinson would work with Hayes in several different line-ups and was present on the final public appearance of Hayes's big band at Ronnie Scott's club in February 1973. During 1960-61, Robinson was a member of the third incarnation of the Jazzmakers, co-led by drummer Allan Ganley and trombonist

Keith Christie Keith Ronald Christie (6 January 1931 – 16 December 1980) was an English jazz trombonist. He was the brother of Ian Christie. Career Christie began playing at age 14 and attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He formed a band with ...

which also included pianist

Colin Purbrook Colin Thomas Purbrook (26 February 1936 – 5 February 1999) was an English jazz pianist and Songwriter. He also played double-bass and, occasionally, trumpet. Early life Purbrook was born in Seaford, East Sussex and learned piano from the ...

and bassist Arthur Watts. This group recorded an as yet unissued album at IBC Studios in London in December 1960, which had it been released would have marked Robinson's debut recording. During the 1960s he played with various prominent UK jazz groups including the Phil Seamen Quintet, The Downbeat Big Band,

’ Big Band, John Burch's Octet,

Long John Baldry John William "Long John" Baldry (12 January 1941 – 21 July 2005) was an English musician and actor. In the 1960s, he was one of the first British vocalists to sing the blues in clubs and shared the stage with many British musicians including t ...

, Sandy Brown's band (also featuring Al Fairweather, Malcolm Cecil and

Brian Lemon Brian Lemon (11 February 1937 – 11 October 2014) was a British jazz pianist and arranger. Biography Lemon was born in Nottingham, England. After leaving school in the 1950s, he began playing professionally at Nottingham's Palais de Danse and ...

), Humphrey Lyttelton (in both a big band and small group setting),

The Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band The Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band was a jazz big band co-led by American drummer Kenny Clarke and Belgian pianist François "Francy" Boland. They were one of the most noteworthy jazz big bands formed outside the United States, featuring top ...

and the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...

Radio Orchestra. Together with fellow tenors

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 Al Gay, baritone sax Paul Carroll, and trumpets Ian Carr, Kenny Wheeler and

Greg Bowen Gregory Bowen (''né'' Gregory Emmanuel Cole Bowen, May 3, 1943) is a Welsh trumpet player. His primary work was done in London before relocating to Berlin, Germany in 1976. Since 1961, Bowen has performed and recorded with jazz, pop artists and ...

, he formed part of ( Eric Burdon and) The Animals's Big Band that made its one-and-only public appearance at the 5th Annual British Jazz & Blues Festival in Richmond (1965). In the early 1970s, he was a member of the

Don Rendell Donald Percy Rendell (4 March 1926 – 20 October 2015) was an English jazz musician and arranger. Mainly active as a tenor saxophonist, he also played soprano saxophone, flute, and clarinet. Career Rendell was born in Plymouth, England, an ...

Quintet, with drummer

Trevor Tomkins Trevor Ramsey Tomkins (12 May 1941 – 9 September 2022) was a British jazz drummer best known for his work in a number of British bands in the 1970s, including Gilgamesh. Biography Tomkins was born in London and studied music at the Guildhall ...

and multi-instrumentalist Peter Shade, appearing on Rendell's albums ''Change Is'' (1969) and ''Space Walk'' (1972). He remained associated with Rendell intermittently until the 2000s. During 1970-1973 Robinson was a member of trumpeter

Maynard Ferguson Walter Maynard Ferguson CM (May 4, 1928 – August 23, 2006) was a Canadian jazz trumpeter and bandleader. He came to prominence in Stan Kenton's orchestra before forming his own big band in 1957. He was noted for his bands, which often served ...

's big band, then based in the United Kingdom and comprising British musicians. Robinson can be heard on the albums ''MF Horn 2'' and ''Alive and Well in London'', an album on which he and Alan Skidmore share the (uncredited) saxophone solos. During the late 2000s, former Ferguson manager and sideman Ernie Garside authorised the release of two volumes of previously unissued Ferguson recordings dating from the 1970s, on which Robinson is also prominently featured, although sadly his contributions are often misattributed to other players. Widely recognised for his full-toned delivery, agile technique and harmonic detail, Robinson's style during the 1960s and 1970s reflected the influence of several leading American jazzmen, including

Sonny Rollins Walter Theodore "Sonny" Rollins (born September 7, 1930) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist who is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. In a seven-decade career, he has recorded over sixty albums as a ...

and

Joe Henderson Joe Henderson (April 24, 1937 – June 30, 2001) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. In a career spanning more than four decades, Henderson played with many of the leading American players of his day and recorded for several prominent l ...

, whose work he closely echoes on the album ''Space Walk''. He also made effective use of the flute, clarinet, alto and soprano saxes. Robinson was also regarded as an authority on saxophone mouthpieces, in particular in adapting and altering their internal dimensions to suit a particular player's style and requirements. The US stars he toured with include King Curtis,

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...

Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy Eldridge but addi ...

Andy Williams Howard Andrew Williams (December 3, 1927 – September 25, 2012) was an American singer. He recorded 43 albums in his career, of which 15 have been gold certified and three platinum certified. He was also nominated for six Grammy Awards. He hos ...

and Tony Bennett. In 1987, he toured the United States with Rolling Stones drummer

Charlie Watts Charles Robert Watts (2 June 1941 – 24 August 2021) was an English musician who achieved international fame as the drummer of the Rolling Stones from 1963 until his death in 2021. Originally trained as a graphic artist, Watts developed an i ...

’ Orchestra, in a saxophone section also including fellow tenorists

Alan Skidmore Alan Richard James Skidmore (born 21 April 1942) is an English jazz tenor saxophonist, and the son of saxophonist Jimmy Skidmore. Career He was born in London, England. Skidmore began his professional career in his teens, and early in his care ...

, Danny Moss, Bobby Wellins, Don Weller and Evan Parker.Zentgraf, Nico
1987.
The Complete Works Website. Retrieved 29 November 2014. Robinson has also led his own quartets, sometimes including long-term colleague, pianist

Brian Dee Brian Colin Dee (born 21 March 1936, London, England) is an English jazz pianist and former musical director. Biography Dee's musical career started in 1956 after his service with the Royal Air Force was finished. He came to prominence in 1959, ...

. During the 2000s he continued to co-lead a trio with ex-

Nucleus Nucleus ( : nuclei) is a Latin word for the seed inside a fruit. It most often refers to: *Atomic nucleus, the very dense central region of an atom *Cell nucleus, a central organelle of a eukaryotic cell, containing most of the cell's DNA Nucle ...

keyboardist

Geoff Castle Geoffrey, Geoffroy, Geoff, etc., may refer to: People * Geoffrey (name), including a list of people with the name * Geoffroy (surname), including a list of people with the name * Geoffrey of Monmouth (c. 1095–c. 1155), clergyman and one of the ...

, often working with veteran vocalist Frank Holder.

Selected discography

*''The Allan Ganley-Keith Christie Jazzmakers'' (Unissued) – 1960 *''Change Is'' –

/ Ian Carr Quintet (Columbia/Lansdowne reissued by Vocalion) – 1969 *''Greek Variations'' – Neil Ardley (Columbia/Lansdowne reissued by Universal) – 1969 *''Space Walk'' – Don Rendell Quintet (Columbia/Lansdowne reissued by ReDial) – 1972 *''Maynard Ferguson – Alive and Well In London'' (CBS reissued by BGO) – 1971 *''Maynard Ferguson – MF Horn 2'' (CBS reissued by BGO) – 1972 *''Maynard Ferguson – The Lost Tapes: Volume One'' (Sleepy Night Records) – 2007 *''Maynard Ferguson – The Lost Tapes: Volume Two'' (Sleepy Night Records) – 2008 *''Ourselves'' *''Jazz in the Dungeon'' – 1999

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Robinson, Stan 1936 births 2017 deaths English jazz saxophonists British male saxophonists Jazz tenor saxophonists British male jazz musicians 20th-century saxophonists