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| Jack Parnell... |
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Jack Parnell was born in 1923 and his first job at the very beginning of the war was at Scarborough, in a concert party. That soon packed up because the expectation was that the country was going to be invaded so Parnell's next job was in the Rex ballroom in Cambridge where he worked with alto player Sammy Ash’s band. As soon as he could he volunteered for the Royal Air Force, passed an audition to become a musician and joined Buddy Featherstonhaugh, who was forming his RAF band. The RAF Sextet was recorded regularly from 1942 to 1944 and took over the BBC’s Radio Rhythm Club from Harry Parry’s sextet. (Details of the RAF Sextet records)... The RAF Sextet records led to Parnell’s first session under his own name. Vic Lewis joined the band on guitar. He wanted his own group to record, and Parnell wanted his group to record also so, the recording manager for EMI could not afford to record both groups so they joined forces and formed the Vic Lewis-Jack Parnell Jazzmen. The group made a lot of records in the period 1944 to 1946 playing Chicago-style jazz, and were very successful. After the war the group continued and did very well playing music halls and gigs. (Details of the Vic Lewis-Jack Parnell Jazzmen records are detailed under Vic Lewis)... By February 1944, though, Parnell was already working with the band that would make his name – Ted Heath... He joined at the same time as Kenny Baker and in the early days of the Heath band these were the two that put the life into the band. Jack Parnell, (through his uncle Val Parnell), was instrumental in setting up the legendary Palladium Swing Concerts which were the first residency for Ted Heath. A second residency at the Hammersmith Palais every Monday, in which Parnell was again involved, got the band started. Then the band started to take off with the public. It was a very good band. We had Kenny, Ronnie Scott, then Tom Whittle. Parnell stayed with Ted Heath until 1951, by which time the public knew precisely what a great band it was, as well as coming to regard its drummer as something of a singer as well, on numbers like Route 66. |
From 1944 to 1951 Jack Parnell was drummer and part time vocalist with the Ted Heath big band. Details of the recordings by Ted Heath and his Music during the 1940s are on a separate discography page...When he left Heath in 1951 Jack Parnell formed his own band known as Jack Parnell and his Music Makers. The programme detail from 'Fancy Free' at the Prince of Wales Theatre, London July 26th, 1951 gave the band lineup as: Jimmy Watson (tp), Harry Roche, Jimmy Wilson, Don Lusher (tb), Bob Burns, Ronnie Scott, Dave Shand, Pete King (saxes), Max Harris (p), Sammy Stokes (b), Jack Parnell (d) + 3 violins. This was their first booking and when the show closed Parnell decided to keep the band going although he changed the format to a more conventional dance band. This was the band that went on the road and started to record. (Details of Jack Parnell and his Orchestra and their records are shown on a separate web page)... With the start of Independent Television things changed again and as Val Parnell and the Grade brothers, also related to Jack Parnell, were involved with Associated TeleVision (ATV), the company that had won the London weekend and Midland weekday contracts, he was invited to come "off the road" and bring a band onto TV ending his jazz career for good. When the end came for ATV in 1982 Jack Parnell took the opportunity to retire from full-time music. Up until it was disbanded at the end of 2000, Parnell used to play (also sing and tell the jokes for which he has become known) with the revived Ted Heath orchestra under Don Lusher. His contribution to music was honoured in November 2004 when he received the Coda Club’s prestigious Burt Rhodes award. |
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Ted Heath and his Music - February 8th, 1944 (Decca) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - December 18th, 1944 (Decca) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - October 22nd, 1945 (Decca) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - December 17th, 1945 (Decca) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - January 28th, 1946 (Decca) - Ted Heath Jack Parnell and his Quartet - March 29th, 1946 (Decca) Reg Owen (cl), Ralph Sharon (p), Dave Goldberg (g), Charlie Short (b), Jack Parnell (d). Soft Noodles/Just You, Just Me/Too Marvellous For Words/Riffet. Ted Heath and his Music - April 29th, 1946 (Decca) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - May, 1946 (Broadcast for British Forces overseas) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - June, 1946 (Broadcast for British Forces overseas) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - July, 1946 (Broadcast for British Forces overseas) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - July 18th, 1946 (Decca) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - July 27th, 1946 (Decca) - Ted Heath Jack Parnell and his Quartet - July 29th, 1946 (Decca) Reg Owen (cl), Ralph Sharon (p), Dave Goldberg (g), Jack Fallon (b), Jack Parnell (d). Cant We Be Friends?/Stomping At The Savoy/On The Alamo/I'll Never Be The Same. Ted Heath and his Music - September 25th, 1946 (Decca) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - September 29th, 1946 (Broadcast for British Forces overseas) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - November 8th, 1946 (Decca) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - November 25th, 1946 (Decca) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - November, 1946 (Broadcast for British Forces overseas) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - November, 1946 (Decca) - Ted Heath Jack Parnell and his Quartet - December 29th, 1946 (Decca) Jack Parnell (vib), Ronnie Scott (ts), Dave Goldberg (g), Norman Stenfalt (p), Charlie Short (b). Scrubber Time*/On the Sunny Side of The Street*/September In The Rain (unissued). (*Giant Steps Records CD - Great Scott) (*Proper Records 4CD Box set - Ronnie Scott "Boppin' With Scott") Ted Heath and his Music - January 2nd, 1947 (Decca) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - March, 1947 (Broadcast for British Forces overseas) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - April 8th, 1947 (Decca) - Ted Heath Jack Parnell and his Quartet - April 21st, 1947 (Decca) Tommy Whittle (ts), Norman Stenfalt (p), Dave Goldberg (g), Charlie Short (b), Jack Parnell (d,vcl). Sweet Lorraine (vcl JP)/Old Man Rebop*. (*Hep CD - Ted Heath "Listen to my Music vol 3 1947/48") Ted Heath and his Music - April 22nd, 1947 (Decca) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - September 16th, 1947 (Decca) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - September, 1947 (Broadcast for British Forces overseas) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - October 24th/25th/27th, 1947 (Decca) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - October, 1947 - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - October, 1947 (Broadcast for British Forces overseas) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - November 22nd, 1947 (Decca) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - December 2nd, 1947 (Decca) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - December 23rd, 1947 (Decca) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - Late, 1947 (Broadcast) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - April 7th, 1948 (Decca) - Ted Heath Jack Parnell and his Quartet - April 9th, 1948 (Decca) Tommy Whittle (ts), Norman Stenfalt (p), Pete Chilver (g), Charlie Short (b), Jack Parnell (d,vcl). Hide Parker (unissued)/You've Got What It Takes (unissued). Ted Heath and his Music - April 19th, 1948? (London) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - April 21st, 1948 (London/Decca) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - April 22nd, 1948 (London/Decca) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - August/September, 1948 (First issued on Hep CD69) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - October 5th or 6th, 1948 (Decca) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - October 22nd, 1948 (Decca) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - October 26th, 1948 (Decca) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - November 4th, 1948 (Decca) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - December 16th, 1948 (Decca) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - February 5th, 1949 (Decca) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - March 1st, 1949 (Decca) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - April 11th, 1949 (Decca) Ted Heath and his Music - May 4th, 1949 (Decca) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - May, 1949 (London) Ted Heath and his Music - September 2nd, 1949 (London/Decca) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - October 7th, 1949 (Decca) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - October 20th, 1949 (Decca) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - October 27th, 1949 (Decca) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - November 3rd, 1949 (Decca) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - November, 1949 - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - January 2nd, 1950 (Decca) - Ted Heath Jack Parnell and his Quartet - February 2nd, 1950 (Decca) Bobby Pratt (tp), Tommy Whittle (ts), Frank Horrox (p), Sammy Stokes (b), Jack Parnell (d,vcl). Jukebox Jumba*/Quickie*. (*Hep CD - Ted Heath "Listen to my Music vol 4 1949/50") Ted Heath and his Music - February 8th, 1950 (Decca) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - April 3rd, 1950 (Decca) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - May 25th, 1950 (Decca) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - Summer, 1950 (Decca) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - September 19th, 1950 (Decca) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - October, 1950 (Decca) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - Late, 1950 (Decca) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - November, 1950 (Decca) - Ted Heath Ted Heath and his Music - January, 1951 to Spring 1951 (Decca) - Ted Heath Jack Parnell and his Orchestra - September 26th, 1951 (Coral) Personnel: No details. White Suit Samba/Go Go Go Go. Jack Parnell and his Quartet - September 26th, 1951 (Decca LF1065) Personnel: Jack Parnell (d, vocal*), rest unknown. Quickie/Juke Box Jumba/Old Man Rebop/Sweet Lorraine*/Scrubber Time/On The Sunny Side Of The Street/On The Alamo/I'll Never Be The Same. Ted Heath Band - December 4th, 2000 (The Farewell concert - Avid) - Ted Heath |
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