Le Dejeuner Sur L’herbe

The NJO was the offspring of a popular weekend jazz club, the “Jazz house” which had it’s home at the Green Man pub on Blackheath Hill (demolished to make way for Allison Close) where the “house” band was the Ian Bird Quintet[1] (initially comprising Ian Bird, tenor sax; Clive Burrows,[2] baritone sax; Johnny Mealing, piano; Tony Reeves, bass and Trevor Tomkins, drums – Mealing and Tomkins left to join the newly formed Rendell-Carr Quintet and were succeeded by Paul Raymond and Jon Hiseman respectively. The ensemble featured many London-based jazz musicians, such as Harry Beckett, Jack Bruce, Ian Carr, Dave Gelly, Michael Gibbs, Dick Heckstall-Smith, Jon Hiseman, Henry Lowther, Don Rendell, Frank Ricotti, Paul Rutherford, Barbara Thompson, Trevor Tomkins, Michael Phillipson, Les Carter, Tom Harris, Trevor Watts and Lionel Grigson. Ardley, Gibbs, Carter, Rutherford, Michael Garrick, and composer Mike Taylor all contributed pieces and arrangements. Bass – Jack Bruce Directed By – Neil Ardley Drums – Jon Hiseman Producer – Tony Reeves Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet – Dave Gelly Tenor Saxophone, Flute, Clarinet – Jim Philip Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Dick Heckstall-Smith Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Flute – Barbara Thompson Trombone – Derek Wadsworth, John Mumford, Michael Gibbs, Tony Russell Trumpet – Derek Watkins, Harry Beckett, Henry Lowther Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Ian Carr Tuba – George Smith Vibraphone, Marimba – Frank Ricotti.