Ike Isaacs (guitarist)
Encyclopedia
Ike Isaacs was a jazz
guitarist born in Rangoon, Burma, best known for his work with Stephane Grappelli
.
Isaacs was an autodidact, and started playing professionally while he was a chemistry
student at university. In 1946 he moved to England
, where he freelanced for many years; he played in the BBC
Show Band, as well as with George Chisholm
(1956) and Barney Kessel
(1968). In the 1960s and 1970s he played with Stephane Grappelli
extensively, including with Diz Disley
's Hot Club of London. Isaacs played with Digby Fairweather
, Len Skeat
, and Denny Wright
in the group Velvet in the 1970s as well.
Isaacs moved to Australia
in the 1980s, where he taught at the Sydney Guitar School.
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
guitarist born in Rangoon, Burma, best known for his work with Stephane Grappelli
Stéphane Grappelli
Stéphane Grappelli was a French jazz violinist who founded the Quintette du Hot Club de France with guitarist Django Reinhardt in 1934. It was one of the first all-string jazz bands....
.
Isaacs was an autodidact, and started playing professionally while he was a chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
student at university. In 1946 he moved to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, where he freelanced for many years; he played in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Show Band, as well as with George Chisholm
George Chisholm (musician)
George Chisholm OBE was a Scottish jazz trombonist.Born in Glasgow to a family of musicians, Chisholm's musical career began in the Glasgow Playhouse orchestra. In the late 1930s he moved to London, where he played in dance bands led by Bert Ambrose and Teddy Joyce...
(1956) and Barney Kessel
Barney Kessel
Barney Kessel was an American jazz guitarist born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, USA. Generally considered to be one of the greatest jazz guitarists of the 20th century, he was noted in particular for his vast knowledge of chords and inversions and chord-based melodies...
(1968). In the 1960s and 1970s he played with Stephane Grappelli
Stéphane Grappelli
Stéphane Grappelli was a French jazz violinist who founded the Quintette du Hot Club de France with guitarist Django Reinhardt in 1934. It was one of the first all-string jazz bands....
extensively, including with Diz Disley
Diz Disley
Diz Disley was an Anglo-Canadian jazz guitarist and graphic designer. He is best known for his jazz guitar playing, strongly influenced by Django Reinhardt, and for his collaborations with the violinist Stéphane Grappelli....
's Hot Club of London. Isaacs played with Digby Fairweather
Digby Fairweather
Digby Fairweather is a British jazz cornettist and broadcaster.-Biography:Fairweather has been a professional jazz musician since 1 January 1977, but worked for seven years previously with several local jazz bands in the Essex area and recorded his first album in 1975...
, Len Skeat
Len Skeat
Len Skeat is an English jazz double-bassist born in east London, perhaps best-known for his work with the Ted Heath band and younger brother of Bill Skeat ....
, and Denny Wright
Denny Wright
Denny Wright was a jazz and skiffle guitarist, who performed with Stephane Grappelli, Lonnie Donegan, Johnny Duncan , Digby Fairweather, Ella Fitzgerald, Billy Eckstine, Fapy Lafertin and many other musicians, including young rising stars such as Bireli Lagrene and Nigel Kennedy...
in the group Velvet in the 1970s as well.
Isaacs moved to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in the 1980s, where he taught at the Sydney Guitar School.
Album discography
- Autumn Leaves 'London Guitars - Paris Fashion' - 1968 - (World Record Club, Stereo, st 782 )
- Fourteen Great TV Themes - 1972 - Decca EclipseDecca RecordsDecca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
- Lutes and Flutes - 1973 - Rediffusion
- Intimate Interpretations - 1991 -