George Melly R.I.P.

[sidewinder]

Veteran UK blues shouter and surreal art expert George Melly has sadly passed away today after a brave fight against cancer - he was still performing only very recently.

George Melly

A vital presence on the UK scene whose influence and profile transcended jazz - and a unique and well loved character - he will be truly missed.

[Tony Pusey]

Sad news.

George was a member of the English Surrealist Group based around the London Galery of Gearge Mesens just after the war. As a later day surrealist i met him, and he was a hoot!

He was truly a larger than life character. A Queer Surrealist Blues shouter!

Read his autobiographical books- Owning Up and Rum, Bum and concertina.

Today the world is diminished by his absence.

[Tony Pusey]

Atlas press have recently published a small collection of the longrunning cartoon Flook which was published in the conservative Daily Mail. Melly smuggles in to the strip numerous pataphysical observations ( King Ubu please note!) A case of anarchic subversion and detournement.

[sidewinder]

There was also a good BBC4 TV documentary broadcast a few years back (during the 'Jazz Britannia' seasons) called 'Melly's Dives' in which George went on tour revisiting some of his old haunts of the 50s around the country - old basement bars, various B&B dives and the Manchester Free Trade Hall. Fascinating stuff.

[Tony Pusey]

In his book Owning up, he writes of getting knee tremblers on the tow path at the Cooks Ferry Inn on the river Lea. I used to go the Ferry myself a lot in the early 70s to listen to various english blues bands. Even had a couple of knee tremblers there myself! Serendipity.

Edited July 6, 2007 by Tony Pusey

[robertoart]

  Tony Pusey said:

In his book Owning up, he writes of getting knee tremblers on the tow path at the Cooks Ferry Inn on the river Lee. I used to go the Ferry myself a lot in the early 70s to listen to various english blues bands. Even had a couple of knee tremblers there myself! Serendipity.

Sorry to hear about George Melly. He had a real presence here many years ago, through the wonderful documentaries that he made for the BBC about early jazz video-jukebox tunes. His funny, queer, cockney(?) persona came across as never endingly knowing and engaged. One of these programmes that featured Slim Gaillard really sticks in my memory. I guess Slim and Surrealism were fellow travellers. Old George and Slim really seemed to hit off, if I recall correctly.

Edited July 6, 2007 by freelancer

[Alexander Hawkins]

  sidewinder said:

There was also a good BBC4 TV documentary broadcast a few years back (during the 'Jazz Britannia' seasons) called 'Melly's Dives' in which George went on tour revisiting some of his old haunts of the 50s around the country - old basement bars, various B&B dives and the Manchester Free Trade Hall. Fascinating stuff.

Yeah! That was a nice programme.

[sidewinder]

  freelancer said:

cockney(?) persona

Originally from Liverpool. Scouser !

[sidewinder]

  freelancer said:

I guess Slim and Surrealism were fellow travellers. Old George and Slim really seemed to hit off, if I recall correctly.

Slim was a pretty surreal act himself. He's another one who did a few programmes for the BBC - I've got one of them taped somewhere. Wish they would repeat them !

[Brownian Motion]

“As a surrealist, I quite enjoy having dementia,” he said in an interview with Time Out London last month.

[robertoart]

  sidewinder said:

  freelancer said:

cockney(?) persona

Originally from Liverpool. Scouser !

'scuse my dreadful faux par, fancy confusing someone that came from the town that produced 'The Beatles' as coming from someplace else.