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| Stan Reynolds Photo courtesy of Help Musicians UK |
Sebastian writes:
UPDATE 17 April: Stan’s funeral will be at Mortlake Crematorium on Thursday 3 May. For more details email – johnsergeant868 (at) btinternet.com
Sad to report the death, peacefully in Kingston Hospital, of Lincoln-born trumpeter and bandleader Stan Reynolds at around midnight on 14 April/15 April 2018 at the age of 92.
Stan told the story of his career in brief to Elizabeth Charlesworth of Help Musicians UK in 2014:
“I started playing when I was fourteen, on the road at fourteen and half probably. After the war, I joined a band called The Tommy Sampson Orchestra, which was a really up and coming band. Ted Heath was the big band in those days and that was the best, in my era. Ted rang me up and I got the job with him and stayed there three and a half years and then I left and I went with Rick Lewis to Spain. I came back and Ted offered me the job again so I re-joined his band for another three and a half/four years. And then I went with Geraldo which was the biggest radio band of the time and I did a lot of work with Gerry and freelance, including the Judy Garland show. And then at the end I ran my own band. I did six tours with Tony Bennett and all the American acts that used to come over. I used to back them with a big orchestra; we did the first half and they did their act which was good fun.”
An illustrious moment in his career was playing a trumpet solo on Martha My Dear on the Beatles’ White Album.
He has directed a rehearsal band in Barnes for many years and I feel immensely privileged to have been a part of it, and to have celebrated his 90th birthday in 2016 and his 92nd birthday with him three months ago. He was still running the band just two weeks ago. In sadness.
LINK: Interview with Rob Pronk from 1967
Stan Reynolds’ Tribute to Bobby Pratt
Report of the Tommy Sampson band reunion in 2001
Categories: miscellaneous
Stan was a wonderful trumpeter. I have memories of his Octet on Music While You Work, Band Call, Morning Music and other programmes. I had the pleasure of meeting him on two occasions and presented him with a recording of one of his broadcasts.
On the swivel LP stand in a Woolworths store in Sheffield in the late sixties/early seventies there was a LP Album called Stan Reynolds Christmas Brass. On the front cover there was a pretty lady dressed in a Santa outfit. On the back, titles of the songs and a small picture of Stan Reynolds in his younger days holding a trumpet.
My dad bought this album and brought it home. At that point I think we had a sterogramme built into a cabinet. Ever since the year my dad brought that album home, my ears have delight in this wonderful collection of Christmas songs adapted for orchestral brass. I think there as only been one year where I have not played this album. Sadly I do not have the original LP anymore, but I have a tape recording of it. When that wears out I have lost this album forever. There will be a master tape stored somewhere of this. I think it was on a Decca label.
It is a fantastic work played by very experienced musicians with the predominant sound of brass in it, in particular the trumpet. Which Stan obviously was a gifted player, arranger and orchestral leader. It is so well put together. It has brought me so much enjoyment I cannot begin to tell you. If it was say 1971 when my dad bought this album I would have been 10 years old. I’ve grown up with it. I am now 62.
I always thought Stan Reynolds was American for some reason who learned his craft with the big bands of New York when in fact he grew up much closer to home.
It sounds like Stan has had a great life. I do not know much about him.
I hope this comment jogs the memory of anyone else. Maybe someone else has that original album. It is a high quality production.