Martin Drew has died

[Ted O'Reilly]

http://www.jazzwisemagazine.com/component/content/article/67-2010/11519-jazz-breaking-news-martin-drew-has-died

[king ubu]

Way too young - sorry to hear that!

[Hardbopjazz]

Damn, there just too many of these guys and girls leaving us. RIP Martin.

[B. Goren.]

Very sad news. RIP.

[A Lark Ascending]

A stalwart of the UK scene - behind a series of recent marvellous releases in the vein of the Jazz Couriers.

Look at this for a list of some of the people he played with:

Al Cohn - Al Haig - Alan Skidmore - Alec Dankworth - Andrew Cleyndert - Anita O’Day - Anita Wardell - Art Farmer - Arturo Sandoval - Barbara Dennerlein - Barney Kessel - Benn Clatworthy - Benny Carter - Benny Goodman - Bill Holman - Bill Perkins - Bill Watrous - Bobby Hutcherson - Bobby Shew - Bobby Wellins - Bob Wilber - Bosko Petrovic - Buddy Childers - Buddy DeFranco - Bud Shank - Carmen McRae - Charles McPherson - Charlie Mariano - Chet Baker - Chico Freeman - Chucho Valdes - Clark Terry - Conte Condoli - Count Basie - Dame Kiri Te Kanawa - Dave Green - David Gazarov - Davide Petrocca - Dexter Gordon - Dick Morrissey - Dizzy Gillespie - Eddie Daniels - Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis - Ella Fitzgerald - Frank Rossalino - Frank Wess - Freddy Hubbard - Gareth Williams - Gene Harris - George Coleman - Georgie Fame - Gil Evans - Hank Jones - Harold Land - Harry "Sweets" Edison - Herb Ellis - James Moody - James Morrison - Jim Hart - Jim Mullen - Jimmy Smith - Jimmy Witherspoon - J.J. Johnson - Joe Henderson - Joe Pass - Joe Temperley - John Altman - John Critchinson - Sir John Dankworth - John Lewis - John Pearce - John Taylor - Johnny Griffin - Julian Joseph - Junior Mance - Ken Peplowski - Kenny Davern - Kenny Werner - Kilian Forster - Laurence Cottle - Laurie Holloway - Lanny Morgan - Lee Konitz - Lew Soloff - Liane Carroll - Manny Albam - Marion Montgomery - Mark Murphy - Michael Brecker - Michel Legrand - Milt Jackson - Monty Alexander - Mornington Lockett - Mundell Lowe - Niels Pedersen - Nigel Hitchcock - Niki Haris - Oscar Peterson - Paul McCartney - Paul Morgan - "Peanuts" Hucko - Peter King - Phillipe Catherine - Phil Woods - Plas Johnson - Ralph Sutton - Randy Brecker - Ray Brown - Red Holloway - Robert Farnon - Robin Aspland - Roland Hanna - Ron Carter - Ron Mathewson - Roy Eldridge - Ruby Braff - Scott Hamilton - Simon Spillett - Stan Getz - Stanley Turrentine - Stephane Grappelli - Steve Melling - Terence Blanchard - Terry Gibbs - Tete Montoliu - Tommy Smith - "Toots" Thieleman - Ulf Wakenius - Vic Lewis - Warren Vache - Woody Herman - "Zoot" Sims.

http://www.martindrew.co.uk/

Though I'd add Ronnie Scott and Louis Stewart who along with Drew, Taylor and Mathewson make up one of my favourite discs with his playing - Scott's 'Serious Gold'.

Very sad.

Edited July 31, 2010 by Bev Stapleton

[JohnS]

This is terrible news. I was talking to him a few weeks ago when we booked him to perform at Portsmouth Jazz. A very fine drummer and a nice guy.

Edited July 31, 2010 by JohnS

[sidewinder]

Really shocked by this news - yes John, terrible sums it up. I saw him less than 2 weeks ago at Swanage, playing superbly as per usual in Peter King's Quartet (must have been his last gig I guess). My impression at the time was that he looked fine (Peter made some quip about him taking forever to set up his kit - but that was the mark of the technical perfectionist/master) - his playing if anything was even better than the previous time I'd seen him at Swanage and was typically precise and very driving (they played Chick Corea's 'Inner Space' to start things off, at a cracking pace).

It was stated by the festival host in the intro that he was the 'best time player in the UK' and there were no arguments whatsoever with that statement - spot on.

First time I saw him was in the late 70s in the Ronnie Scott Quintet, at Scotts, along with Dick Pierce, John Critchenson and Ron Mathewson. Saw that group quite a few times at the club.

RIP and my sympathies to his family - and many thanks for some great playing over the years.

Edited July 31, 2010 by sidewinder

[brownie]

Terribly sad news indeed!

A really reliable drummer. Enjoyed his playing with Oscar Peterson and also on the Al Cohn Pizza Express album with the Don Harper and Denny Wright quartet.

[BillF]

Very sad news. Big loss to the British jazz community. Saw him several times in recent years at Wigan. His weight gave me cause for concern.

[mikeos]

A stalwart of the UK scene - behind a series of recent marvellous releases in the vein of the Jazz Couriers.

I just posted the following on the Jazzwestcoast mailing list:-

Apparently it happened last Tuesday. ironically Martin was preparing to go to

the funeral of Harry Klein, but felt unwell after taking a shower. They called

an ambulance, which arrived within ten miutes. They took him to hospital and

worked on him for some time, but his heart was too weak and he did not survive

the procedure. The consultant happened to be a jazz fan and knew Martin from his

days at Ronnie Scott's. Martin's wife Tessa said that she could not fault the

attention he had, but it proved to be in vain.

A larger than life character in every way, Martin would frequently ring me, and

was always good for an hour on the phone. If my wife answered the phone he'd say

"Is Mike in, it's Martin Drew. My wife would laugh and say "It couldn't be

anyone else", with his deep bass voice.

Many condolences to his widow Tessa, and all his family. He leaves a large hole

on the London jazz scene. RIP Martin.

Mike

Edited August 12, 2010 by J.A.W.

[Randy Twizzle]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/07/arts/music/07drew.html?ref=obituaries

[BillF]

Thanks for that. Very sorry about Martin's passing; was there to hear him play many times.

[sidewinder]

Several weeks on - I'm still shocked by this. Martin's performance at Swanage was one of the best I've ever seen from him - absolutely first rate. Shocking how all of this can disappear so fast. Like you Bill, I saw Martin quite a few times over the years and he was alwaysa pleasure to hear.

Very informative/respectfull obituary appeared last week in The London Times - but thanks to Ol Rupe's Paywall we can't all share it.

Edited August 13, 2010 by sidewinder

[BillF]

Excellent obituary in today's Guardian:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/aug/12/martin-drew-obituary

Edited August 13, 2010 by BillF