Jimmy Mann

Died: March 22, 2015.

FRANK James Mann, who has died 78, was a talented trombone player who earned a notable reputation among his peers over many decades playing at jazz venues in Glasgow, Edinburgh and beyond.

Known to most as Jimmy, he moved to Glasgow from his native Kent in the 1960s when the city enjoyed a booming ballroom dancing scene that ensured there was no shortage of opportunities for a budding young musician.

Born at Finsbury Park Hospital, City Road, London, he was the third and youngest child of Robert Mann, a builder's labourer, and Dorothy Brunskell Mann, nee Lodge. He spent his formative years in the family home on Woolwich Road, Bexleyheath, along with older siblings Dorothy and Doug whose ever increasing record collection played a big part in nurturing his little brother's life-long passion for music.

He attended the nearby Uplands School before finishing his formal education at Bexleyheath Secondary Modern with no qualifications, a fact that always prompted a typically healthy dose of self-deprecation. Reflecting on his school days, he would often say: "They never fooled me; I never learnt a thing."

He may not have been an academic sensation but he enjoyed a happy childhood even though his earliest memories were set against the backdrop of the Second World War which broke out when he was three years old and ended one month after his ninth birthday.

The family home in the south east of London was on the bomber flightpath from mainland Europe and they would regularly see and hear the allied and enemy aircraft passing overhead. It was most dangerous when German bombers were on retreat from the city and wanted to shed their load on the return leg. The town was heavily bombed and the family, like most others at the time, had to cope with personal tragedy. His uncle Charlie died in Belgium and his father, who operated as a fire warden, was lucky to survive an explosion at a bombed out house that left him badly injured.

After the war the teenage Jimmy became a keen cyclist and would regularly pedal the 100 mile round trip to the coast with his friends. His bike was his pride and joy and when he was not cycling he would spend much of his spare time tinkering with it or planning his next adventure.

He left school in 1951 aged 15 and went to work at the Woolwich Arsenal. He needed to wait a year to start an apprenticeship and so worked as a message boy for the pay office.

However, he decided the factory life was not for him and did not make it as far as his apprenticeship, instead taking on a job in the Bexleyheath Co-op, working in an electrical shop on the main street. He later moved on to work in the electrical shop in Woolwich but that was not his cup of tea either.

During this period his older brother Doug was amassing a sizeable record collection and Jimmy became hooked on the burgeoning 1950s jazz sound. That would eventually lead to an impulse buy in a junk shop in Woolwich that would send his life in a whole new direction.

He spotted an old beaten-up ex-Salvation Army trombone in the window and purchased it for £5. He thereafter set about learning the basics with about three lessons at Phil Porter's brass studios before going on to teach himself using tutoring books and a lot of trial and error.

He was due to sign up for national service, when he spotted an advert in the Melody Maker magazine. There was an opportunity to join the military band, on condition that he served three years, instead of the mandatory two.

His luck was in and he joined the Queen's 7th Hussars at 17, completing his basic training at Catterick barracks in Yorkshire before sailing half way round the world to serve two and a half years in the military band based in Hong Kong.

He grasped the opportunity to hone his skills as a musician with daily practice, drilling and performing at state engagements. But he also polished his technique as a jazz musician often playing in the officers' mess in the evenings.

He returned home a confident player with his sights set on establishing a musical career, all the more so given that his hopes of taking part in the Tour de France had been dashed by his mother who, in Jimmy's absence and to his dismay, had given away his precious bike to one of the neighbourhood children.

His first break as a jobbing musician took him to Butlins holiday camp in Scarborough and later Wales before he moved north to Scotland where he set up home in a caravan near Hoganfield Loch in Glasgow. He took advantage of the thriving Glasgow ballroom scene and was a regular in bands playing at The Locarno in Sauchiehall Street and the Plaza on Victoria Road, to name but a few.

It was during this time that he first encountered his future wife Maggie Mercer, an aspiring jazz vocalist who would go on to make her mark playing with many well-known acts including Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen, Tony Brooks Band, Louis Freeman's Orchestra and latterly for many years with Kit Carey Jazz Band.

They married in 1969 in Clarkston before music commitments took them south to Sheffield and Burnley for a year until Jimmy was invited to put together a quartet to play at the Bruce Hotel's King's Room in East Kilbride where they set up home in the St Leonards area.

Maggie was a star turn in the Jimmy Mann Band for the next five years and together she and Jimmy shared the limelight with cabaret acts such as Brook Benton, Michael Bentine, Clinton Ford, Selina Jones and the incomparable Les Dawson.

Sons Clifford and Graham came along in the early seventies and a few years later with the need to secure a more steady income Jimmy gained employment as a musical instructor, working at various schools in Cumbernauld and Kilsyth.

During a 25 year career until his retirement at 65 he taught and inspired hundreds of high school pupils to play brass instruments, including his son Clifford who became an accomplished trumpet player and granddaughter Abigail who is making good progress with the cornet.

His commitment to education became his primary focus but that did not stop his involvement in the jazz scene. Indeed, many of his happiest years were playing with Edinburgh-based Fat Sam's Band which presented Jimmy and Maggie with the opportunity to travel to many festivals in the US, Canada and Europe, taking in countries like Finland, Germany, Holland and Jersey.

When Maggie died in January 2006 it hit Jimmy hard and despite several attempts he could not find the strength to play music again. He experienced a few tumultuous years but eventually found some stability and contentment again thanks to the support of his sons and family, along with his beloved trombone. He is survived by sons Clifford and Graham, sister Dolly, brother Doug and grandchildren Abigail and Oliver.