A Pianist who played modern jazz as opposed to trad jazz. Starting in the world of the 1940’s Big Band he moved to Nottingham in the early fifties. He had his own band and also played in the Riverside Jazz Band. In later years he led and played in the Nottingham Jazz Orchestra.

I have used a few quotes that Tommy made on a questions and answers forum online in 2017 where appropiate. He is described as “Former Leader1990–2016” and this must mean the Nottingham Jazz Orchestra. How his memory correlates with the info I have found I’m not sure but it will illuminate the story further nevertheless.

Born 2024 in Warrington, Tommy learnt the piano aged six. He became a jazz convert at the age of 12 when he heard Fats Waller and by the time he was 14 he could play reasonable impressions of Fats Waller and Count Bassie. He formed a quintet with school pals and toured local dance halls.

“Looking back, was the piano hard to play at first?
No. I was 6 years old and had a very good teacher. Kept at it, and 14 years later, I was recording and broadcasting in a big name band in London.“

“How did you feel the first time you heard jazz?
I was 12 when I heard Fats Waller and was amazed at the wonderful joy that resulted. I’be loved all types of jazz ever since – if it’s played well !“

His first semi-pro engagement was with Nat Bookbinder and the Six Chapters and in the early 1940’s. In 1943 he followed up an ad for Les Thorpe’s Band at the Palais, Nottm, working for him for 3 months. Geraldo who visited Nottm NAAFI in the same year and heard Tommy playing suggested he should try out for Harry Leader’s band in London.

He was successful and joined, opening at the London Astoria and working with the big names of the day. The Astoria’s second string band had the likes of Don Rendell, Ronnie Scott and Johnny Dankworth in their ranks. Tommy was mixing with big stars like George Shearing. He made many TV and radio broadcasts and many club appearances alongside Oscar Rabin and Tommy Whittle. Tommy was involved with up to 50 recordings with Harry Leader. He worked with Duncan Whyte and with saxophonists Don Rendell and Ronnie Scott. He maintained a working relationship with Ronnie Scott often making part of his rhythm section. In 1949 his father died and he returned to Cheshire retiring from professional dance band circuit.

“What is the best tip that made you a better jazz pianist?
Basically, I was advised to learn the fingering of every scale, so that whatever jazz phrase came into m,y mind, I could play it. Secondly, you need a good “ear, combined with the ability of being able to remember the chord changes of which tune you are improvising on. And thirdly, the ability to swing mentally (which is truly a gift !).“

“Have you made enough money playing jazz to buy a house?
Yes, in the early 1940s I was on piano in London (Yes, despite the bombing of WW2, life continued) in a name band (records and broadcasts) and in 2 night[clubs. Aged 20, I wasn’t married, and I earned £60–90 a week. At that time, £10 weekly could be enough to be comfortable and raise a family. Moved to the Midlands in 1946, got married, and bought a bungalow for £2,800.“

Les Thorpe and his band were the house band at the Palais, Nottingham throughout the 1940’s.

Harry Leader. From the website Masters Of Melody.

“Harry Leader was born in the East End of London on 28th January 1906. He was the son of a Russian trumpeter in the Tsar’s Army who became a Professor of Music at St Petersburg Conservatoire. Anglicising the family name, Harry’s father set up a grocery store after arrival in this country around the turn of the 20th century. Harry learned to play the violin from his father and, when not assisting in the family business, could be found playing for silent movies.

With the coming of jazz, Harry taught himself to play the saxophone at the age of 14. He later acquired valuable experience playing in clubs in the West End of London, as well as touring. In 1928 he was invited to join Sid Phillips’ Melodians, and even took over the direction of the band during a tour of Italy when Sid Phillips had to return to London. No doubt this inspired him to form his own band, which he soon did. Initially it was essentially a combination for recording purposes and Harry made hundreds of records (often under pseudonyms) for Decca’s Panachord label as well as Broadcast, Eclipse, HMV and various EMI labels. His biggest hit (recorded on Eclipse 729) was ‘Little Man You’ve Had a Busy Day’, which sold 375,000 copies. Indeed, so keen was Harry for this record to be a success he even stood in the streets of London selling it himself!

In the early thirties, Harry Leader played for Teddy Brown as well as for a character known as ‘Jack de Yanke’ at the Café de Paris. He made his first broadcast with his own band in 1934, commencing a broadcasting career spanning nearly 50 years, during which time his ‘line-up’ included such famous names as Norrie Paramor, Billy Amstell, Billy Bell, Freddie Gardner, George Chisholm, Nat Temple, Tommy McQuater, Steve Race, Phil Green, Kenny Baker, Johnny Gray, Bert Weedon, Ray Davies and Stanley Black.

Harry Leader’s first residency was at the Hammersmith Palais from around 1939 to 1942, after which he moved to the Astoria, playing opposite Jack White until 1955. There followed seasons at Butlin’s Holiday Camps until a residency was available at the Regent Ballroom in Brighton, where he stayed until well into the sixties. Harry’s original signature tune was ‘Memories of You’, but this was later changed to ‘Music Maestro Please’. During his extensive broadcasting career, Harry contributed to many series that featured dance bands, as well as having his own ‘Harry Leader Show’ on television in 1947″.

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NOTTINGHAM DAYS

Moving to Nottingham in the early 1950’s Tommy bought a house and opened a successful pet store in Beeston (Tom C. Saville Ltd., Beeston) but the call of jazz was never far away. In 1954, along with Bob Taylor, he formed the Mellow D Jazz Club, his own Tommy Saville Seven often playing. The Mellow D Jazz Club was dedicated to Modern Jazz whereas Bill Kinnell’s Jazz Club and Ken Allsop’s Rhythm Club were primarily dedicated to Trad Jazz.

From 1954 through to 1956 The Mellow D Jazz Club used the Test Match in West Bridgford as their base, the same venue that Bill Kinnell was running his Jazz Club from. Tommy’s band would also play at the Commodore in Asply, Nottingham where a youny Roy Taylor (later to become Vince Eager) would play with his Vagabond Skiffle Group. Tommy also played in the Notts, Derbyshire region. The Mellow D Jazz Club folded but the Downbeat Jazz Club at the Boat and Horses, Beeston kept the modern jazz flag flying. Bill Kinnell moved his operations to the Dancing Slipper on Central Avenue. Despite illness Tommy found himself supporting Sandy Brown at the Slipper in 1959 and in 1961 formed a group at the Rising Sun in Derby for a year.

By 1962 Tommy had a trio “Tommy Saville Trio” with Les Shaw (drums) and Geoff Pearson (bass). The Riverside Club and house band was at the Town Arms on Trent Bridge, inniated by John Crocker, and having many of the budding local modern jazz proponents appear there.They once played as rhythm section for Tubby Hayes. They started nights at the “Riverside” playing to silent films. Tommy wrote a tune called “The Truth”. The full band was Les, Geoff, Johnny Marshall (reeds), Mel Thorpe (reeds), Dave Shepherd (club organisor), Richard Castledine (club organisor and projector).

In 1964 the Riverside Club moved to the TBI (known then as the Trent Bridge Hotel) where Ken Allsop’s Rhythm club was also situated. Tommy bought a Hammond Organ getting it shipped over from America. Plans were made to record a live album and press a private album. Alan Gilmore was going to make the recording. He had worked for years alongside Bill Kinnell recording many concerts from te “Jazz Club”. Some riverside sessions were held at the Boat – July 4th Stan Robinson Quintet, July 11th Don Rendell and quintet. Tommy wrote another tune called “Barbados” as they were still doing silent features at the Riverside Club.

In 1966 the Riverside Jazz band disband after playing Bill Kinnell’s Gallery club for a while. In 1967 Mel Thorpe formed his own band and Tommy formed a different one with Barry Whitworth on trumpet. The Riverside Club reconveed at the Milton’s Head, Tommy, Les Shaw, Gerry Marshall (tenor), Mel Thorpe and Geoff Pearson. However, with dwindling audiences both bands fall apart by end of 1967.

In the late sixties Tommy would still play out with a trio and by the early seventies he was playing the Hammond organ regularly at the Old General, Radford Road in a trio.

In the 50’s and 60’s some of the musicians Tommy knew and played alongside were:
Eric White (Trumpet)
Johnny Croker (Clarinet)
Richard Hallam
Geoff Pearson (double bass)
Les Shaw (drums)
Mel Thorpe (Tenor and Alto Sax)
Bob Wilson
John Marshall (Tenor sax)
Ray Crane (Trumpet)
Peter Cooke (Baritone)
Nolly Buck (Drums)