Phil Seamen

Seamen began playing drums at the age of six, turning professional at the age of 18 by joining Nat Gonella and his Georgians in 1944.[1] In 1946, aged 20, he spent a year with Gordon Homer at the Coronation Ballroom in Ramsgate. Brian Fahey, composer, stated, "This was a very good big band. I wrote a lot of scores for it. I did my first broadcast with Gordon. Phil Seamen, only 20 then, was the drummer and it was obvious to me that he was destined to become one of the most exciting drummers in the world." He joined the Tommy Sampson Orchestra in 1948, and by 1949, Seamen and tenor saxist Danny Moss had formed a bebop quintet from within the ranks and which was featured on a radio broadcast by the orchestra in September 1949.[2]

He then went on to play in the Joe Loss Orchestra for about 14 months.[1] Then the top job with Jack Parnell from 1951 until midway 1954.[1] Seamen was much sought after during the 1950s, also playing in Kenny Graham's Afro-Cubists projects from 1952 to 1958, from 1954 onwards with the Joe Harriott Quartet, the Ronnie Scott Orchestra and Sextet, and an ever extending list including Dizzy Reece, Victor Feldman, Jimmy Deuchar, Kenny Baker, Vic Ash, Don Rendell, Stan Tracey, Laurie Johnson, as well as blues stars Big Bill Broonzy and Josh White, countless sessions.[1]

He married the young West End dancer Leonie Franklin in 1956, whom he had met while with Parnell, working together in the show Jazz Wagon.[1] On 8 February 1957, Seamen was finally on his way to America, about to fulfil a lifelong dream.[1] The Ronnie Scott Sextet were going over on the Queen Mary to do a tour as part of a Musicians' Union exchange deal.[1] But going through customs in Southampton prior to boarding, custom officiers took him aside and he was found to be in possession of drugs; he never visited the States.[1] In 1958, the West End production of West Side Story opened with him - Leonard Bernstein reputedly specifically asked for him and the producers hired him.[3]

During the first half of the 1960s, he worked often with Tubby Hayes, and Joe Harriott.[1] In 1962, he played a couple of nights with Dexter Gordon at Ronnie Scott's, recorded with Carmen McRae, in 1963 played R&B with Alexis Korner and 1964 with Georgie Fame. He started teaching in 1962, one of his pupils being Ginger Baker, who went on to influence a whole generation of rock drummers. However, his heroin addiction meant his health was deteriorating, and increasingly many bandleaders would no longer hire him; his employment was limited to occasional sit-ins at Ronnie Scott's.[1] Notable exceptions were with Freddie Hubbard in 1964 and Roland Kirk in 1967 (followed by a UK tour).[3]

In the 1960s, Phil Seamen made appearances at the Midland Jazz Club in Birmingham at Digbeth Civic Hall. He can also be heard from this time on the album "Clarinet Jamboree" with clarinet players Acker Bilk, Terry Lightfoot, Sandy Brown and Archie Semple. He accompanies Sandy Brown, and plays in a remarkable modern jazz style in "The Last Western".[4][5]

A photograph of Seamen is included in the collection at the National Portrait Gallery.[6]

Phil Seaman died in October 1972 in his sleep at his home in Old Paradise Street Lambeth, South London, at the age of 46.[1]

• Phil Seamen discography at Discogs
• Memories of Phil Seamen
• Seamen backs Roland Kirk in 1966 on YouTube