Bobby Lamb
Encyclopedia
Robert "Bobby" Lamb is an Irish jazz
trombonist.
Lamb started on euphonium
at age 11 before settling on trombone. He moved to London
in the early 1950s, playing with Teddy Foster (1952), Jack Parnell
(1953-55), and Ted Heath. He spent part of the 1950s in the U.S., working with Charlie Barnet
, Stan Kenton
, and Woody Herman
(1956-57). After returning to England he played in the BBC Show Band with Cyril Stapleton
and then in the BBC Radio Orchestra
and BBC Big Band
until 1968. He and Ray Premru co-led an orchestra from the late 1960s, in which they worked with Buddy Rich
, Louie Bellson
, and Kenny Clare
, among others. He toured with Frank Sinatra
on his European tours from the 1960s into the 1980s, and also toured Europe with Ella Fitzgerald
and Peggy Lee
. He toured Scandinavia
with Buddy Rich late in the 1970s.
Outside of jazz, Lamb wrote several works for orchestra, including an arrangement of Porgy and Bess
. He also worked extensively for film and television across Europe. He taught at Trinity College of Music
(from 1980) and Detmold Hochschule in Germany
(1990s).
In June 2010 he was conferred with an Honourary Doctorate in Music by University College Cork http://www.ucc.ie/en/mandc/news/fullstory,101899,en.html
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
trombonist.
Lamb started on euphonium
Euphonium
The euphonium is a conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument. It derives its name from the Greek word euphonos, meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced"...
at age 11 before settling on trombone. He moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in the early 1950s, playing with Teddy Foster (1952), Jack Parnell
Jack Parnell
John Russell Parnell was an English bandleader and musician.-Biography:Parnell was born into a theatrical family in London....
(1953-55), and Ted Heath. He spent part of the 1950s in the U.S., working with Charlie Barnet
Charlie Barnet
Charles Daly Barnet was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, and bandleader.His major recordings were "Skyliner", "Cherokee", "The Wrong Idea", "Scotch and Soda", "In a Mizz", and "Southland Shuffle".-Early life:...
, Stan Kenton
Stan Kenton
Stanley Newcomb "Stan" Kenton was a pianist, composer, and arranger who led a highly innovative, influential, and often controversial American jazz orchestra. In later years he was widely active as an educator....
, and Woody Herman
Woody Herman
Woodrow Charles Herman , known as Woody Herman, was an American jazz clarinetist, alto and soprano saxophonist, singer, and big band leader. Leading various groups called "The Herd," Herman was one of the most popular of the 1930s and '40s bandleaders...
(1956-57). After returning to England he played in the BBC Show Band with Cyril Stapleton
Cyril Stapleton
Cyril Stapleton was an English violinist and jazz bandleader.Born in Mapperley, Nottingham, Stapleton began playing violin at age 7, and played on local radio at the age of 12. He performed on the BBC Radio often in his teenage years, and played in film orchestras accompanying silent films...
and then in the BBC Radio Orchestra
BBC Radio Orchestra
The BBC Radio Orchestra was a broadcasting orchestra based in London, maintained by the British Broadcasting Corporation from 1965 until 1991....
and BBC Big Band
BBC Big Band
The BBC Big Band, originally known as the BBC Radio Big Band is a British big band run under the auspices of the BBC. Widely regarded as the UK’s leading and most versatile jazz orchestra, the band broadcasts exclusivley on BBC Radio, particularly on BBC Radio 2's long running series Big Band Special...
until 1968. He and Ray Premru co-led an orchestra from the late 1960s, in which they worked with Buddy Rich
Buddy Rich
Bernard "Buddy" Rich was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. Rich was billed as "the world's greatest drummer" and was known for his virtuosic technique, power, groove, and speed.-Early life:...
, Louie Bellson
Louie Bellson
Luigi Paulino Alfredo Francesco Antonio Balassoni , better known by the stage name Louie Bellson , was an Italian-American jazz drummer...
, and Kenny Clare
Kenny Clare
Kenneth 'Kenny' Clare was an English jazz drummer. He should not be confused with Kenny Clarke, whose band he played in....
, among others. He toured with Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
on his European tours from the 1960s into the 1980s, and also toured Europe with Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...
and Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress in a career spanning six decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local radio to singing with Benny Goodman's big band, she forged a sophisticated persona, evolving into a multi-faceted artist and...
. He toured Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
with Buddy Rich late in the 1970s.
Outside of jazz, Lamb wrote several works for orchestra, including an arrangement of Porgy and Bess
Porgy and Bess
Porgy and Bess is an opera, first performed in 1935, with music by George Gershwin, libretto by DuBose Heyward, and lyrics by Ira Gershwin and DuBose Heyward. It was based on DuBose Heyward's novel Porgy and subsequent play of the same title, which he co-wrote with his wife Dorothy Heyward...
. He also worked extensively for film and television across Europe. He taught at Trinity College of Music
Trinity College of Music
Trinity College of Music is one of the London music conservatories, based in Greenwich. It is part of Trinity Laban.The conservatoire is inheritor of elegant riverside buildings of the former Greenwich Hospital, designed in part by Sir Christopher Wren...
(from 1980) and Detmold Hochschule in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(1990s).
In June 2010 he was conferred with an Honourary Doctorate in Music by University College Cork http://www.ucc.ie/en/mandc/news/fullstory,101899,en.html