Kenrick Reginald Hijmans Johnson was a unique figure in the British jazz scene in the 1930s. He was born in Guyana and educated in the U.K. After leaving law school to pursue a career in dancing, Johnson spent time in New York City studying tap dancing styles and Harlem jazz.
Back in London in 1936, encouraged by Fletcher Henderson and inspired by Cab Calloway, Johnson began to recruit an all-black jazz band who could swing like the American big bands popular at the time.
Johnson was not a musician – so teamed up with trumpeter Leslie Thompson to help lead the band. The band’s name came from the fact that it was made up of members who were or were descendants from many parts of the British Commonwealth in the Caribbean – with members representing Guyana, Trinidad, and Jamaica. Interestingly – they had trouble finding black trombonists and ended up using white trombonists – who sometimes performed in blackface to maintain the band’s identity.
The band became very popular and influential due to a run of BBC broadcasts starting in 1938 and regular club appearances at Willerby’s and Café de Paris in London. The band made a number of recordings for Decca and HMV from 1938-1940 and the British Library Sound Archive has a sizeable collection of radio transcription discs from their BBC performances.
Johnson tragically was killed *during a performance* at the Café de Paris by a bomb dropped during a WWII London air raid by the German Luftwaffe. Thirty-four other jazz fans died in the bombing that night – and dozens more were injured.
Recorded in London, U.K. on September 22, 1938.
Released as Decca F.6958.
Credits
Ken Johnson – director
Dave Wilkins, Leslie “Jiver” Hutchinson, Wally Bowen – trumpet
Lad Busby – trombone
Carl Barriteau, Bertie King – clarinet, alto sax
George Roberts, David Williams – alto sax, tenor sax
Errol Barrow – piano
Joe Deniz – guitar
Pops Clare – bass
Tom Wilson – drums
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