Duncan Lamont, the Scottish saxophonist, died on Tuesday, hours after playing a sold-out gig at the 606 Club to celebrate his upcoming 88th birthday. Frank Griffith shared this with us:
Duncan Lamont (Photo: David Sinclair)
“I write to you to share the very sad news that Duncan Lamont has passed away. He was 87 and just two days away from his 88th birthday on 4 July. He was a great arrranger, composer, tenor saxophonist, and songwriter.
“I met Duncan when I arrived in the UK in 1996 and found him most welcoming as we hit it off immediately, talking about our favourite arrangers and composers, et al. He was eternally searching for that “right, wrong note”, as they say.
“We did several gigs together over the years and I very much enjoyed his appearances with all of Kenny Wheeler’s big bands up until Kenny’s passing in 2014.
“Duncan was a very generous man and often would give his time to coming along to Brunel University (where I taught from 1997-2017) to give masterclasses on improvsation and big band sessions.
“Duncan also contributed two string arrangments and a heartfelt tenor solo on his song Where Were You In April as well as Manhattan In The Rain on Tina May’s 2014 CD My Kinda Love on Hepjazz. I even managed to draft him into playing the tenor sax part on my arrangement of You’ve Come A Long Way From St Louis.
“May his music and legacy live on…”
LINK: Duncan Lamont interviewed by Duncan Lamont Jr for LJN in 2017
Categories: News
My happy memory of Duncan goes back to the 60s when he used to play with the Johnny Scott Quintet. The unique sound he brought to the saxophone is one that will not go away. Duncan was a warm person to talk to, and will be very much missed by those who had the pleasure of knowing him.
Millions of kids will remember fondly his theme and incidental music to Mr Benn (‘Don Warren’ a pseudonym). Not to mention his wonderful lead on the theme from Tales Of the Unexpected!
My mothers first cousin. She always talked about Duncan to us when we were children.
RIP to the man who gave a whole generation of Spongebob viewers an acquired taste for: FREE FORM JAZZ.