UPDATE: RIP Eddie Harvey (1925-2012), posted on 10th Oct 2012

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Eddie Harvey, the founding father of British jazz education, was presented with a lifetime award by London College of Music , for his work there, at a gala dinner last night. (For a fuller write-up of the evening, including some fine student bands and a guest appearance by Gwilym Simcock – and some great food ( hic) – check back on LondonJazz later.)

Harvey was the winner of the first ever Parliamentary Award for jazz education in 2005, but his work at LCM goes back decades. As he reminisced when he collected the award (photo above- anyone got a better one?!) , his association with the college goes back to the “old place” in Great Marlborough Street, before the college decanted to Ealing in 1991. It is now part of Thames Valley University,

Eddie Harvey’s extraordinary biography is HERE.

But, for the unfailingly generous and modest 84-year old Harvey, the energy is undimmed. Teaching continues to be the work of every day of his life. At the end of the evening last night, I saw him greet young LCM piano student Jack Fisher in the corridor with a friendly “See you tomorrow then?” An inspiration.