Having recently attended the funeral of yet another jazz colleague, I was looking at a photograph of myself playing with him in a traditional jazz band nine years ago. The photograph was taken in a Norfolk pub, here in England. There were seven musicians in the band.
Today I am the only musician in that photo who is still alive. The band itself no longer exists. It was impossible to find replacements for those who passed on.
I will leave you to imagine the memories, feelings and reflections that went through my mind as I looked at that photo.
Though I am still playing in other bands, they too are running out of players. Prospects in my part of the world for the future of our music are not looking good.
