Possibly, that was the only occasion when a trumpet player became a leader of a rock band but Alan Bown, who passed away on December 16th after long illness. was no ordinary musician. His ensembles, THE ALAN BOWN SET and ALAN BOWN, came well-versed in jazz and rhythm-and-blues on the records such "Listen" and "Stretching Out" and featured strong musicians including, at various times, singers Jess Roden and Robert Palmer. Before that Alan had played in Hamburg clubs and performed as part of THE JOHN BARRY SEVEN; after that, he joined JONESY and became an A&R for CBS Records.
Shy and never willing to be photographed alone or at the front of his ensemble, Bown’s legacy is difficult to underestimate and he will be missed by many.
