The Songs Of Duncan Lamont
‘Gorgeous. Just the right tone. You hit it just right, what I call playful seriousness. Not easy to do.’
Marc Myers, Jazzwax
Tracklist and personnel:
I Told You So (D Lamont) – Sarah Moule voice; Duncan Lamont Snr sax; Simon Wallace piano
Pretty People (D Lamont) – Esther Bennett voice; Duncan Lamont Snr sax; John Crawford piano; Simon Little bass; Mark Fletcher drums
Stark Reality (D Lamont) – Sarah Moule voice; Duncan Lamont Snr sax; Simon Wallace piano
There Ain’t Nothin’ Like The Blues (D Lamont) – Esther Bennett voice; Duncan Lamont Snr sax; John Crawford piano; Simon Little bass; Mark Fletcher drums
A Great Day In Harlem (D Lamont) – Sarah Moule, Esther Bennett, Daniela Clynes voice; Simon Wallace piano; Duncan Lamont Jnr sax.
Duncan Lamont
Born in Greenock, Scotland, was a legendary saxophone player and composer. He played trumpet with Kenny Graham’s Afro Cubists, changed to tenor sax and then became a jazz studio player. He played with almost everyone in show business. He has worked (often as a featured soloist) with Henry Mancini, Robert Farnon, Benny Goodman, Gil Evans, Bill Holman, Nelson Riddle, Peggy Lee, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Bing Crosby, Count Basie, Fred Astaire, Benny Carter, Mel Torme, Paul McCartney…the list is endless.
It was in the 606 Club bar that I bumped into saxophonist & composer Duncan Lamont again. After a long chat about jazz and singers he suggested that I sing some of his songs. This sewed the seed for what was to become almost a decade of touring a project I performed in and ran called “The Duncan Lamont Songbook”.
Duncan sadly passed away in 2019, but I am continuing the project with his son Duncan Lamont Jnr.
The EP
The first four songs on this EP were the last recordings made by saxophonist and composer Duncan Lamont Snr, who passed away in July 2019. Duncan’s career spanned 60 years and led him from Greenock in Scotland to New York working with Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Paul McCartney, Count Basie, Peggy Lee, Sammy Davis Jnr, Blossom Dearie, Cleo Laine, Norma Winstone and many more along the way. His song ‘I Told You So’ was included on Natalie Cole’s Grammy nominated album ‘Ask A Woman Who Knows’ (2002) and won Jazz Song Of The Year in America. Duncan also wrote extensively for television including for the childrens’ series Mr Benn.
For ten years singer Esther Bennett and Duncan had been touring The Duncan Lamont Songbook in the UK with guest vocalists including Tina May, Norma Winstone, Sarah Moule, Daniela Clynes and Beverley Beirne. In November 2018 they recorded ‘Pretty People ’ and ‘There Ain’t Nothin’ Like The Blues’ at London’s 606 Club with pianist John Crawford, bassist Simon Little and drummer Mark Fletcher.
When Duncan met up with long-time friends singer Sarah Moule & pianist Simon Wallace for a recording date in October 2017 he was writing a song a day and wrote ‘Stark Reality’ especially for Sarah to record.
In November 2019 Esther, Sarah and Daniela Clynes got together with Simon Wallace to record Duncan’s celebration of Art Kane’s iconic 1958 photo for Esquire Magazine of 57 jazz greats, A Great Day In Harlem, with Duncan Lamont Jnr guesting on saxophone.