Wally Fawkes

[BillF]

Wally Fawkes, trad clarinettist and cartoonist, died on March 1st at the age of 98.

I recall hearing him in 1958 at a Manchester club called The Bodega, where I also saw at much the same time the Jazz Couriers.

[sidewinder]

I think I might have seen him once in the Swanage ‘Trad’ tent - but maybe I am thinking of someone else.

Certainly remember his Trog cartoons. Must be something about Trad jazz and cartoons, with Humph also being very proficient. RIP.

Edited March 4, 2023 by sidewinder

[adh1907]

RIP. An interesting and long life. Used to see him playing in our local on Sunday nights many moons ago before he moved out of London.

Anthony

London

[adh1907]

Ps I will ask my 90 year old Dad about the Bodega. He used to frequent the Manchester jazz clubs in the 50s and 60s, and was a Club 43 member. To prompt him, where was the Bodega, Bill? 

[BillF]

It was in Cross Street, Manchester, quite close to the offices of the then Manchester Guardian, before its move to London.

[sidewinder]

I think Bill Birch’s book even has a street map showing where the place was !

[Big Beat Steve]

1 hour ago, sidewinder said:

I think Bill Birch’s book even has a street map showing where the place was !

Just pulled out my copy ...

The are street maps showing the locations of various clubs on p. 37, 53, 69, 141, 197, 215, 236 but none indicate the Bodega.

The map on p. 197 covers Cross Street but does not identify the Bodega Club. But on page 51 it says the club was on 15 Cross Street. And pictures of and from the Bodega are on p. 113, for example.

Club 43 is listed on p. 37 and (at its final site) on p. 236.

 

 

[BillF]

My only other Bodega memory is of asking Lenny Felix to play "My Monday Date" to which he exclaimed ,"You've been listening to Earl!" and launched into the tune.

Yes, I was a precocious 18 year old! 😀

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lennie_Felix

[Steve Gray]

I only saw him once, about 20 years ago

Playing in a duo with a pianist (on a very out of tune piano) in a pub in Holborn.

Big fan of Wally and Humph here.

RIP Wally

[sidewinder]

I have the feeling that I caught him live as part of a group led by trombonist Campbell Burnap.

Also a proficient cricketer. Here he is as part of the ‘Ravers XI’, a team drawn from the jazz world in the UK back in the day (when batters were still called batsmen).

In the centre of the lineup is Frank Parr, a county (Lancashire) and international standard player I.e. the team ringer. Ray Smith of ‘Rays Jazz’ fame is on the far left (looking like a Pepper Adams doppelgänger). Wally Fawkes is in the centre back smoking.

Edited March 5, 2023 by sidewinder

[BillF]

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2023/mar/07/wally-fawkes-obituary