Incredibly sad to report that the news has just reached me that Johnny Parker has passed away. For those of you not fortunate enough to have heard John play, I can't tell you what a treat you missed. For those who don't know, John was a wonderful pianist who was supremely inventive - taking a tune and putting into a different style (blues into ragtime for example) and, the time when we got to record together I can vividly remember wondering how in the heck we were going to do something with the tune About A Quarter to Nine - John kicked it off with a piano intro and it became a boogie. He was so inspirational to play with and certainly brought out the best in me.
I was, coincidentally, listening to some tracks to try to figure out a setlist and, in there, was one of the sides from the cd that he and I made together. I remember thinking what a pleasure and honour it was to play with him and also wondering how he was doing. A couple of hours later, I heard that he had passed away.
Johnny had been in bad health for a couple of decades and so the younger members of the jazz scene in the UK have probably never heard him play. All I can say is that you truly missed something really special... And I feel truly grateful that I did manage to hear him and, what's more, play with him for one glorious afternoon's recording session and on a Sunday afternoon in a pub near Old Street.
RIP dearest John. May you enjoy the reunions with old pals and not another frustration with your health.
