Royal Garden Blues is a blues song composed by Clarence Williams & Spencer Williams in 1919. Popularised in jazz by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, it has since been recorded by numerous artists and has become a jazz standard. The song is considered one of the first popular songs based on a riff
Royal Garden Blues is a blues song composed by Clarence Williams and Spencer Williams in 1919. Popularised in jazz by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, it has since been recorded by numerous artists and has become a jazz standard. The song is considered one of the first popular songs based on a riff. Clarence Williams and Spencer Williams (no relation) collaborated on two other songs as well: "I Ain’t Gonna Give Nobody None o’ This Jelly Roll" and "Yama Yama Blues."
Clarence Williams (1893–1965) was an American jazz pianist,composer, promoter, vocalist, theatrical producer and publisher. Born in Plaquemine, Louisiana, he ran away from home at age 12 to join Billy Kersands' Traveling Minstrel Show, then moved to New Orleans. At first, Williams worked shining shoes and doing odd jobs, but soon became known as a singer and master of ceremonies. By the early 1910s, he was a well-regarded local entertainer also playing piano and was composing new tunes by 1913. Williams was a good businessman and worked arranging and managing entertainment at the local African-American vaudeville theatres as well as at various dance halls around Rampart Street. Williams started a music publishing business with band leader Armand Piron, which by the1920s was the leading African-American owned music publisher in the USA. He was also one of the primary pianists on scores of blues records recorded in New York during the 1920s.
Spencer Williams (1889–1965)was an American jazz and popular music composer, pianist, and singer. He is best known for his hit songs "Basin Street Blues", "I Ain't Got Nobody", "Royal Garden Blues", "I've Found a New Baby" and many others. He was born in New Orleans and was educated at St. Charles University in New Orleans. Williams was performing in Chicago by 1907, and moved to New York City about 1916. After arriving in New York, he co-wrote several songs for the Louisiana Five. Among those songs was "Basin Street Blues", which became one of his most popular songs and is still recorded by musicians to this day.
Jock McKenzie studied trumpet at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester where he was a joint recipient of the college’s concerto prize. From 1987 Jock based his musical career in Hampshire, working as a freelance trumpeter, conductor, composer, arranger and brass teacher. Jock is a former Professional Leader (Brass) for Hampshire Music Service and was the Director of the Hampshire County Youth Band from 2004 until 2020. It is the mix of all of these musical roles that has led to Jock establishing a reputation as a leading creator of brass music resources, particularly in the field of education and brass ensemble music. In 2020 Jock was awarded an “Honorary Fellowship of the University of Winchester” for services to music education. Currently Jock is working part-time for the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama; providing tuition for their Brass Teaching Module. In 2024 Jock was given the award for “Services to Youth” by Brass Bands England.
