Bill Le Sage
Encyclopedia
Bill Le Sage, born William A. Le Sage, born 20 January 1927 London - died , London, was a British pianist, vibraphonist
, arranger, composer and bandleader. His credits include the score for the 1960 film The Tell-Tale Heart
.
A self-taught musician, after working with several small combos, he joined "Geraldo
's Navy" and played on Cunard's transatlantic liner, the Queen Mary
sailing to New York, where he worked with Lennie Tristano
.
In 1950, Le Sage became the pianist in the Johnny Dankworth Seven, also becoming a member of Dankworth's big band in 1953. He left in 1954 to join the various small groups led by the drummer Tony Kinsey
, another founder-member of the Dankworth Seven and with whom he would stay until 1961. He then joined baritone sax player Ronnie Ross
, with whom he would co-lead various line-ups until 1966. During this period, Le Sage also played with Kenny Baker
's Dozen. He began writing music for television and films.
During the Sixties Le Sage also played with Jack Parnell
's orchestra, the Chris Barber
Band and his own group, Directions in Jazz, which included four cellos. He also accompanied visiting American musicians such as Benny Goodman
, Dizzy Gillespie
and Ben Webster
, amongst others.
In 1969, he formed the Bebop Preservation Society quintet, featuring alto saxophone player Peter King
and trumpeter Hank Shaw
, and which he later re-formed to include trumpeter Steve Waterman
and alto saxophonist Gilad Atzmon
.
Other musicians and bands Le Sage played with include the Charlie Watts
Big Band, Johnny Scott
and Barbara Thompson's Jubiaba
as well as with saxophonists Dick Morrissey
, Spike Robinson
, Jimmy Hastings
, Art Themen
and Andy Panayi
.
Vibraphone
The vibraphone, sometimes called the vibraharp or simply the vibes, is a musical instrument in the struck idiophone subfamily of the percussion family....
, arranger, composer and bandleader. His credits include the score for the 1960 film The Tell-Tale Heart
The Tell-Tale Heart (1960 film)
The Tell-Tale Heart is a 1960 British horror film directed by Ernest Morris. The screenplay by Brian Clemens and Eldon Howard is a loose adaptation of the 1843 short story of the same title by Edgar Allan Poe.-Plot:...
.
A self-taught musician, after working with several small combos, he joined "Geraldo
Gerald Bright
Gerald Walcan Bright, better known as Geraldo was a British bandleader....
's Navy" and played on Cunard's transatlantic liner, the Queen Mary
RMS Queen Mary
RMS Queen Mary is a retired ocean liner that sailed primarily in the North Atlantic Ocean from 1936 to 1967 for the Cunard Line...
sailing to New York, where he worked with Lennie Tristano
Lennie Tristano
Leonard Joseph Tristano was a jazz pianist, composer and teacher of jazz improvisation. He performed in the cool jazz, bebop, post bop and avant-garde jazz genres. He remains a somewhat overlooked figure in jazz history, but his enormous originality and dazzling work as an improviser have long...
.
In 1950, Le Sage became the pianist in the Johnny Dankworth Seven, also becoming a member of Dankworth's big band in 1953. He left in 1954 to join the various small groups led by the drummer Tony Kinsey
Tony Kinsey
Cyril Anthony 'Tony' Kinsey is an English jazz drummer and composer.Kinsey held jobs on trans-Atlantic ships while young, studying while at port with Bill West in New York City and with local musician Tommy Webster in Birmingham. He had a close association with Ronnie Ball early in his life; the...
, another founder-member of the Dankworth Seven and with whom he would stay until 1961. He then joined baritone sax player Ronnie Ross
Ronnie Ross
Albert Ronald "Ronnie" Ross was a jazz baritone saxophonist.Ross moved to England in 1946 and began playing tenor saxophone in the 1950s with Tony Kinsey, Ted Heath, and Don Rendell. During his tenure with Rendell he switched to baritone saxophone...
, with whom he would co-lead various line-ups until 1966. During this period, Le Sage also played with Kenny Baker
Kenny Baker (trumpeter)
Kenny Baker was born on 1 March 1921 in Withernsea, East Riding of Yorkshire and died 7 December 1999. He was an accomplished player of jazz trumpet, cornet and flugelhorn, and a composer.-Biography:...
's Dozen. He began writing music for television and films.
During the Sixties Le Sage also played with Jack Parnell
Jack Parnell
John Russell Parnell was an English bandleader and musician.-Biography:Parnell was born into a theatrical family in London....
's orchestra, the Chris Barber
Chris Barber
Donald Christopher 'Chris' Barber is best known as a jazz trombonist. As well as scoring a UK top twenty trad jazz hit he helped the careers of many musicians, notably the blues singer Ottilie Patterson, who was at one time his wife, and vocalist/banjoist Lonnie Donegan, whose appearances with...
Band and his own group, Directions in Jazz, which included four cellos. He also accompanied visiting American musicians such as Benny Goodman
Benny Goodman
Benjamin David “Benny” Goodman was an American jazz and swing musician, clarinetist and bandleader; widely known as the "King of Swing".In the mid-1930s, Benny Goodman led one of the most popular musical groups in America...
, Dizzy Gillespie
Dizzy Gillespie
John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie was an American jazz trumpet player, bandleader, singer, and composer dubbed "the sound of surprise".Together with Charlie Parker, he was a major figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz...
and Ben Webster
Ben Webster
Benjamin Francis Webster , a.k.a. "The Brute" or "Frog," was an influential American jazz tenor saxophonist. Webster, born in Kansas City, Missouri, was considered one of the three most important "swing tenors" along with Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young...
, amongst others.
In 1969, he formed the Bebop Preservation Society quintet, featuring alto saxophone player Peter King
Peter King (saxophonist)
Peter John King is an English jazz saxophonist, composer, and clarinettist.- Early life :Peter King was born in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, on August 11, 1940. He took up the clarinet and saxophone as a teenager, entirely self taught...
and trumpeter Hank Shaw
Hank Shaw
Henry Shalofsky, better known as Hank Shaw was an English bebop jazz trumpeter.Shaw played with Teddy Foster's band during World War II at the age of 15...
, and which he later re-formed to include trumpeter Steve Waterman
Steve Waterman
Steve Waterman is a producer for both movies and television.He was co-producer for Casper and executive producer for Stuart Little and Stuart Little 2.He is currently producing the upcoming live-action/CGI animated Alvin and the Chipmunks movie....
and alto saxophonist Gilad Atzmon
Gilad Atzmon
Gilad Atzmon is an Israeli-born British jazz saxophonist, novelist, political activist and writer.Atzmon's album Exile was BBC jazz album of the year in 2003. Playing over 100 dates a year, he has been called "surely the hardest-gigging man in British jazz." His albums, of which he has recorded...
.
Other musicians and bands Le Sage played with include the Charlie Watts
Charlie Watts
Charles Robert "Charlie" Watts is an English drummer, best known as a member of The Rolling Stones. He is also the leader of a jazz band, a record producer, commercial artist, and horse breeder.-Early life:...
Big Band, Johnny Scott
John Scott (composer)
John Scott , also known as Johnny Scott and Patrick John Scott, is a British composer and conductor. Scott has worked with some of the world's foremost producers and directors including Richard Donner, Norman J...
and Barbara Thompson's Jubiaba
Jubiabá
Jubiabá is a Brazilian modernist novel written by Jorge Amado in 1935. It was the basis for the 1986 motion picture of the same name, written and directed by Nelson Pereira dos Santos....
as well as with saxophonists Dick Morrissey
Dick Morrissey
Richard Edwin "Dick" Morrissey was a British jazz musician and composer. He played the tenor sax, soprano sax and flute.- Background :...
, Spike Robinson
Spike Robinson
Henry Berthold "Spike" Robinson was a tenor saxophonist. He began playing at age twelve, making recordings with famous jazz and bop musicians on several labels including Discovery, Hep and Concord. However, he sought an engineering degree and followed that profession on a fulltime basis for nearly...
, Jimmy Hastings
Jimmy Hastings
James Brian Gordon 'Jimmy' Hastings , is a British professional musician associated with the Canterbury scene....
, Art Themen
Art Themen
Arthur Edward George 'Art' Themen is a British jazz saxophonist .Themen was born on 26 November 1939 in Manchester. In 1958 he began his medical studies at the University of Cambridge, going on in 1961 to complete his studies at St Mary's Hospital Medical School in London, qualifying in 1964...
and Andy Panayi
Andy Panayi
Andy Panayi is a current jazz musician, skilled in performance, composition and arranging. He plays all the flutes and all the saxophones and leads a selection of jazz and classical groups...
.
Discography
- Presenting The Bill Le Sage - Ronnie Ross Quartet (April 1963) - Le Sage (piano, vibes); Ross (baritone sax); Spike HeatleySpike HeatleySpike Heatley, born North London, February 17, 1933, is a British jazz bassist.Heatley was with Vic Ash's sextet in 1958, together with Ian Hamer , Johnny Scott , and Alan Branscombe and had then joined The Jazz Couriers some weeks before they disbanded...
(bass); Allan GanleyAllan GanleyAllan Ganley was a respected English jazz drummer and arranger, who played with many famous names....
(drums)
- Cleopatra's Needle (1968) - Ronnie Ross (baritone sax); Spike Heatley (bass); Art Elefsen (tenor sax); Les Condon (trumpet); Bill Le Sage (vibes and piano); Tony Carr (drums).
- Live at the Bull - Tribute Vols. 1-2Live at the Bull - Tribute Vols. 1-2Live at the Bull - Tribute Vols. 1-2 is a 2-CD tribute album released in 2007 featuring tenor saxophonists Dick Morrissey and Spike Robinson accompanied by Bill Le Sage, Bill Eyden, Alec Dankworth, John Pearce and Simon Morton...
(2007) Dick MorrisseyDick MorrisseyRichard Edwin "Dick" Morrissey was a British jazz musician and composer. He played the tenor sax, soprano sax and flute.- Background :...
, Spike RobinsonSpike RobinsonHenry Berthold "Spike" Robinson was a tenor saxophonist. He began playing at age twelve, making recordings with famous jazz and bop musicians on several labels including Discovery, Hep and Concord. However, he sought an engineering degree and followed that profession on a fulltime basis for nearly...
, Bill Le Sage, Bill EydenBill EydenBill Eyden was a renowned English jazz drummer....
and Alec DankworthAlec DankworthAlec Dankworth is an English jazz bassist and composer.Dankworth was born in London, the son of John Dankworth and Cleo Laine. He grew up in the villages of Aspley Guise and Wavendon, living at the Old Rectory, Wavendon, where his parents established the Wavendon All-Music Plan which includes the...
. (Recorded live at The Bull's HeadThe Bull's HeadThe Bull's Head, Barnes, often referred to as "The Bull", is a London jazz club that was one of the first and most important jazz venues in Britain...
, Barnes, London in 1987 and 1988.)