Southend Jazz Club hosts the best of British traditional jazz at the EKCO Social & Sports club in Thornford Gardens, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea on Monday evenings. The music playing on this site was recorded live at the Southend Jazz Jamboree on 27th August 2007.
The club is run by former professional musician, bass player and vocalist Garry Gleed. Garry first started his musical career when, rather than attending mathematics class, he opted to take music lessons where he studied the cello! He then went on to become lead cello player for the short lived East London Schools Orchestra. He then went on to play in various skiffle groups on double bass. Garry become one of the youngest professional musicians in the country, when he received his union card at the age of 15, after leaving school at 14. He was doubling on guitar and string bass. For 9 years as a professional, Garry played with some of the most popular musicians and bands at the time including: Joe Brown, Judge Dredd, Mike Cotton, The Jazz Professors, The Carol Carr Trio, and also doing session work for various other artists.
Garry left the jazz scene in 1967 to train as a steeple jack. After several years of concentrating on his business, he teamed up with an old friend, singer/songwriter Harry James. They collaborated on many songs together and wrote songs for the likes of artists Mike Reed and Michael Barrymore. Unfortunately Garry had an accident in 1994, which hospitalised him for over 2 years and curtailed his playing abilities. Even so, he re-appeared on the scene with his own band The Romping Stompers.
Regretfully Garry realised that his injuries were affecting his playing, so he concentrated on forming the Leigh-On-Sea Jazz Club at The Ship, which became a very popular venue for visiting bands and Jazz fans. As the audience got larger the club had to be moved to a larger venue and the EKCO Social and Sports Club in Southend was the perfect place. Changing the name to Southend and Leigh Jazz Club, it has become one of the most successful traditional jazz clubs in Essex.
