An Introduction
by Bob Sinfield
When I first saw George Chisholm in 1963, he was in a striped jersey, tight trousers and a George Robey hat. His face was grey and grey - it was meant to be black and white but that's 405 lines for you.
When I first met him in 1989, the jersey had gone but mercifully the trousers remained. It was a BBC producer's idea (they do occasionally have them) for George to tell his life story and for me to write it down for posterity - or, more to the point, for prosperity. The result, "Gentleman of Jazz" has yet to make it into the bookshops, so you - yes you, dear reader! - are the first to set eyes on the finished work.
George died in 1997 at the age of 82, but the Gentlemen of Jazz continued to play his compositions and arrangements, under the direction of Don Morgan and featuring the vocal talents of George's daughter Carole. Their CD, "Tribute To A Jazz Legend", is available on the Upbeat label (phone 020 8773 1223 or e-mail info@upbeat.co.uk).
I'd like to thank Carole and Don for their help with the photo gallery, Erika Forni-García for spinning the website with such a fine silken thread, trumpeter and friend Digby Fairweather for his constant encouragement and moustache, and Graham Pass (that BBC producer) for having the idea in the first place.
This book is dedicated to the memory of George Chisholm and his wife Etta. Viewing is free but your donations to Cancer Research would be much appreciated by George and Etta's family.
BOB SINFIELD
Freelance waster
April 2001
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