Nub News goes UP CLOSE with musical legend George Double who tells Robert Carr how he is looking at getting the good times rolling again on the Felixstowe jazz scene

When I met up for a chat with George Double, he was excited about the prospect of the resumption of jazz nights at the Two Sisters in Trimley, starting next month. I was also keen to hear about what he had been doing during Lockdown, and his upcoming plans. But before that, I asked him to relate his early musical life and his career to date.

George has an engaging personality, and over coffee at a cafe he took me through his musical life, from when his mum, Hazel, bought him his first drum kit for Christmas at the age of eleven. At Ipswich School he became a member of a newly formed traditional Dixieland jazz band, Trak 7. They went on to win the East Anglian section of The Daily Telegraph Young Jazz '89 Competition, for which they were rewarded by being part of the celebrations at the Royal Northern College of Music. He was a member of both the Suffolk Youth Jazz Orchestra and the Suffolk Youth (Symphony) Orchestra, which played at London's South Bank Centre, and with whom he undertook foreign tours.

Following all the success of his school days, he went on to read for a BA in Music at the University of Nottingham. After graduating, he launched himself into the world of professional music-making as a member of The Mendez Report, a London based funk band, with all the group living together in one East End house. The band had a couple of releases on the Acid Jazz Records label, but George quipped that: "We didn't make any money but had a lot of fun!"

Following his initial experience of life in the Capital, George's next move was to join a jazz band which specialised in the John Barry repertoire. A residency at the Café de Paris in Leicester Square ensued, and the band were given a bar tab of £40, which sounded good at the time (1996). However, as George recalled rather ruefully: "At £6.00 a pint, it didn't go very far."

He then performed at the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival, the North Sea Jazz Festival, and toured Germany with a small group. More touring ensued up to 2001, when he and his wife, Susan, moved back to Suffolk where his son Fred, a brother to their daughter Isobel, was born.

Now based back in his home county, George began touring in musical theatre, and he fondly recounted his years on the road playing in productions for many stars such as Angela Rippon, Bonnie Langford, Darius Danesh (Pop Idol winner) and Shaun Williamson (East Enders).

When on tour with Jack Jones, it became apparent to George that the American crooner was having trouble with memorising the names of his support band and had to resort to notes as an aide-memoire. At the London Palladium show, with George performing on congas and percussion, when Jack came to name-checking the band, in a moment of confusion the star hesitatingly introduced him as: "George Doo–Blay on CONCUSSION."

More recently, he has backed Mica Paris - "forceful and took no prisoners" - and Marc Almond - "a joy to work with". A career highlight was in 2018, when he was a member of an orchestra flown out to Austria to accompany Dame Shirley Bassey, who was performing at a private birthday party for a reclusive billionaire.

The band was met at the airport by security guard 'heavies' in dark suits; then driven in plain black vans for four hours up into the Alps until they arrived at their hotel accommodation. Shirley was only due to perform seven songs, including Goldfinger, but the diva was "exacting" in rehearsals, giving George a "bit of a hard time" on one the numbers. Nevertheless, all came good in the performance, where she was every inch the superstar, looking immaculate in her skin-tight gold dress.

By now, I was interested to hear about George's major drumming influences. Among the consummate performers he listed were Ronnie Verrell, Steve Gadd, Jeff Hamilton and Joe Morello. However, in his opinion: "Nobody has come near to Buddy Rich for his force, attitude, spectacle and virtuosity."

One can imagine that the combination of his formal music education, together with the rubbing off of the talents of the stars he admires, is what has enabled him to pen several published instructional books. His 2010 book, Introducing Drum Kit, for the very beginner has sold 30,000 copies, and since then he has written two sequels, the latest having been published during Lockdown.

Associated with his books is his work as an examiner and syllabus contributor for the Trinity College Examination Board; employment which has taken him all over the world, as well as the UK. He is keen to pass on his skills, and tuition lessons can be booked with him.

Another important chapter in George's life commenced in 2012, when he launched the highly popular Hadleigh Jazz Club, with its home being in Hadleigh Town Hall. Over the years, the club has hosted performances by many jazz luminaries, including Alan Barnes, Art Themen, Julian Marc Stringle, John Etheridge, Digby Fairweather and Derek Nash, but the list of talented musicians who have thrilled the Club's audience is endless.

As well as promoting the always packed gigs, George is a member of the talented 'house' band, the Chris Ingham Trio, which also performs far and wide around the UK, including regular slots at the world-renowned Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London's Soho.

The success of the Hadleigh Club inspired George to branch out his promotional activities, and in 2016 he launched the Southwold Jazz Club which has been met with enthusiasm up the Suffolk coast. Then, at the beginning of last year, came the terrible pandemic, resulting in venues being closed and live performances being impossible to host.

Never being one to stand still, George used the period to good affect. He built a recording studio in his garden at home. He completed his latest instructional book and wrote and composed all the audio components for it. He also streamed several live gigs and planned the opening of two new Jazz clubs - in Cambridge and Aldeburgh.

Additionally, he worked on the production of a new themed show, Cheek to Cheek, which showcases the music of Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. The show will feature Enrico Tomasso on trumpet and HJC favourite songstress Joanna Eden, with the launch at Ronnie Scott's later this month.

However, to cap it all, George told me that he was thrilled about it being possible to re-open Hadleigh Jazz Club on Saturday 10 July.

He has lined up Polly Gibbons, a British singer who incorporates jazz, soul and blues influences into her dynamic live act. She was acclaimed for her performances at the Royal Albert Hall, where she opened for George Benson and Gladys Knight. She will be accompanied by the outstanding pianist James Pearson, who is the musical director at Ronnie Scott's Club and is the leader of Ronnie Scott's All Stars Band.

To find out more about Hadleigh Jazz Club and George's other activities, go to: www.georgedouble.com

*George Double was in conversation with Robert Carr.

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