Early years Dankworth was born in
Walthamstow, then in
Essex (registration district
West Ham) in 1927, the son of William Henry Dankworth (1890–1972), sales manager for an electrical insulator works, and Alice Elizabeth (1897–1981), née Houchen. He grew up, within a family of musicians, in Hollywood Way,
Highams Park, near
Chingford, and attended Selwyn Boys' (Junior) School in Highams Park and later
Sir George Monoux Grammar School in
Walthamstow. He had violin and piano lessons before settling eventually on the
clarinet at the age of 16, after hearing a record by the
Benny Goodman Quartet. Soon afterwards, inspired by
Charlie Parker, Dankworth learned to play the
alto saxophone. He began his career on the British
jazz scene after studying at London's
Royal Academy of Music (where his jazz interests were frowned upon) and then
national service in the
Royal Air Force, during which he played
alto sax and
clarinet for
RAF Music Services. By now,
Cleo Laine's singing was a regular feature of Dankworth's recordings and public appearances.
The New York Times critic said of this appearance "Mr. Dankworth's group ... showed the underlying merit that made big bands successful many years ago – the swinging drive, the harmonic colour and the support in depth for soloists that is possible when a disciplined, imaginatively directed band has worked together for a long time. This English group has a flowing, unforced, rhythmic drive that has virtually disappeared from American bands". More succinctly, Gerard Lascelles of
The Tatler, noted that 'The Dankworth orchestra blew magnificently'. The band performed at the
Birdland jazz club in New York City, and shortly afterwards shared the stage with the
Duke Ellington Orchestra for a number of concerts. Dankworth's band also performed at a jazz event at New York's Lewisohn stadium where
Louis Armstrong joined them for a set. In 1959, Dankworth became chair of the
Stars Campaign for Inter-Racial Friendship, set up to combat the fascist
White Defence League. Around this time, he had also refused to travel to
South Africa to perform to all-white audiences during
Apartheid. Dankworth's friendship with trumpeter
Clark Terry led to Terry's being a featured soloist on Dankworth's 1964 album
The Zodiac Variations, together with
Bob Brookmeyer,
Zoot Sims,
Phil Woods,
Lucky Thompson and other guests. Other Dankworth recordings during this period featured many other respected jazz names. He appeared in the film
All Night Long (1962) with
Dave Brubeck and
Charles Mingus – playing himself – and played on the theme to the satirical
BBC show
The Frost Report in 1966. Dankworth was commissioned to write a piece for the 1967 Farnham Festival; and produced "Tom Sawyer's Saturday"; written for full orchestra and narrator: "a sort of 'Peter and the Wolf' which could be played by most reasonably competent youth orchestras". During this active period of recording, the Dankworth band nevertheless found time for frequent live appearances and radio shows, including tours in Britain and Europe with
Nat King Cole,
Sarah Vaughan and
Gerry Mulligan, and concerts and radio performances with
Lionel Hampton and
Ella Fitzgerald.
1970s and 1980s Dankworth's friendship with Duke Ellington continued until the latter's death in 1974. He recorded an album of symphonic arrangements of many Ellington tunes featuring another Ellingtonian trumpet soloist Barry Lee Hall. Dankworth also retained his Ellington links by performing with the Ellington Orchestra under the direction of Duke's son,
Mercer Ellington. Dankworth recorded various symphonic albums with
Dizzy Gillespie and the
Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and others. Other jazz musicians with whom Dankworth performed include
George Shearing,
Toots Thielemans,
Benny Goodman,
Herbie Hancock,
Hank Jones,
Slam Stewart and
Oscar Peterson. He always had an enthusiasm for jazz education, for many years running the Allmusic summer schools at
the Stables in
Wavendon near
Milton Keynes, a theatre that Laine and he created in January 1970 in their back garden. From 1984 to 1986, Dankworth was professor of music at
Gresham College, London, giving free public lectures. In 1982, Dankworth was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music from
Berklee College of Music.
Later work He appeared with
Craig David on
Later with Jools Holland on
BBC Two. He set up his own record label, Qnotes, in 2003, to reissue some of his old recordings as well as new ones. They include a number with
Julian Lloyd Webber,
Dudley Moore and members of his family. Dankworth and Laine's two children are both jazz musicians:
Alec Dankworth is a
bassist who was also a member of his father's band, and
Jacqui Dankworth is a singer. Dankworth was made a
Knight Bachelor in the 2006
New Year's Honours List. He and Dame Cleo Laine were one of the few married couples where both partners held titles in their own right. He remained an active composer into later life, and he wrote a jazz violin concerto for soloist Christian Garrick to play. This work had its world premiere at the
Nottingham Royal Concert Hall on 3 March 2008, in partnership with the
Nottingham Youth Orchestra. In October 2009, at the end of a US tour with his wife, Dankworth was taken ill. His death occurred on the afternoon before a show celebrating the 40th anniversary of the foundation of The Stables. His funeral took place on 1 March 2010 at
Milton Keynes Crematorium, followed by a memorial service held at The Stables the same day. ==Discography==