The London Jazz Archive top 10
During the 1960s, London became the global centre of jazz music. One HLF-supported project has saved some unique recordings from that time from being lost forever.
Gearbox Records’ London Jazz Archive project drew on a collection of live 1960s recordings from London clubs, including the famous Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in Soho.
The archive was collated by Les Tompkins, a jazzophile who worked at Ronnie Scott’s. Gearbox Records was able to release 15 rare and never-heard-before recordings in both digital and vinyl formats, including tracks by jazz legends such as Blossom Dearie, Sonny Stitt and Yusef Lateef.
Listen to the recordings on the London Jazz Archive website.
Key stats from the project:
- £79,000 - grant from HLF
- 242 - live recordings made by Les Tompkins
- 35 - restorations of recordings made by Gearbox (20 vinyl, 15 tape)
- 8 volunteers plus one part-time project manager
- 1 apprentice trained in conservation, remastering and vinyl production techniques
- 20 vinyl copies of each recording given to archives including the British Library
- 3 listening sessions held with young people; 2 interpretation sessions with music education organisation Tomorrow’s Warriors – plus 1 performance at Ronnie Scott’s
- 10 online courses in vinyl production created
- 1959 - the year Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club opened; 2009 - the year Gearbox Records was founded
- 100 - number of people at London Jazz Archive launch party at Ronnie Scott’s
Find out more on the London Jazz Archive website.
