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Roy Plummer - 1919 -1983
Guitarist and 50's Session Musician
 
Roy Plummer (Right) - playing on the
left is Terry Usher tutor to ‘Jack’ Duarte, later John W Duarte. Who could be the 3rd Guitarist -
Curly Clayton? or Jack?
This was taken in the late 40s or very early 50s.
Roy was born 18 July 1919
 Recorded with
Annie Ross (vcl), Bob Burns (cl), Tony Crombie (p), Roy Plummer (g), Lennie
Bush
(b). Recorded in London, on August 24 & 28, 1956.
Encounters
The Pioneer Corps Dance Band was stationed in
Bradford, with Nat Gonella on trumpet. We followed them all over the city. It was a bit
comic because the band was conducted in full military style by the band
Sergeant Major, a strict disciplinarian who allowed improvisations only
very occasionally, in 'suitable' numbers. Being a military man, he
worked regulation hours and when his duty was finished he'd pack up and
go. Whereupon the band would let rip. The
guitarist was Roy Plummer, who taught me guitar for 2/6d a lesson. He is
now forgotten although in fact he had the first band on Radio
Rhythm Club - for four weeks, after which Harry Parry took over. For me, his
eternal claim to fame is that he had played with Django Reinhardt.
 Roy
(Right) and ‘Curly’ Clayton
Roy Plummer was a good friend of my late father
who played bass for him in the 50s in lots of bands, but Dad never took
the step of going professional, having four kids to support. In
fact we always called Roy, "Uncle Roy", and used to stay at his house in
Chislehurst, Kent, but then lost touch after he emigrated to Australia
with his second wife and new family. However my parents kept in
touch with Roy's first wife. I remember going to see her with them when
I was about 15, and she put on a jazz guitar record, (Joe Pass, For Django by the way), which I loved on first hearing, and aspiring player
that I was it turned me towards playing that style, along with raiding
my Dad's collection, and even buying a few records of my own!
Later on I was thinking of going to live in Australia, and was
determined that if I did I would track down Roy, who Dad said was the
best player in Britain, but I never made it there, so didn't realise
that little plan of mine. I notice that in the poll featured Roy got
many more votes than Bert Weedon- well there's a thing!!! My older
brother is still in touch with Roy's son Max Plummer, and even went to
see him recently. I once briefly got my hands on a record by
Kenny
Graham's Afro-Cubists with Roy on guitar, so actually got to hear him.
Very post-bop, cool sort of style- quite unusual for a British guitarist
in the 50s I should think. Some of the other guitarists on the web
site who I saw were Dave Goldberg, who did very occasional jazz gigs in
London in between his session work. I saw him with Phil Seaman just
before he died- he was great. Judd Proctor was a great be-bopper
as well. Oddly enough I know of Tony Marshall, because he lives in
Brittany, where I spend several months a year, and saw him play at a
Jazz festival there backing a singer, whose name escapes me. I didn't
get to speak to him, but may come across him again, as I go to the
festival every year, usually with my guitar to join in the jam sessions
they have. Nick Powell
Curly Clayton, was an
'old school' session guitarist who owned a small 3-track studio in
Highbury. He produced some early demo tracks by the Rolling Stones
-
Curly Clayton Sound Studios, Highbury, London, England
– Soon Forgotten (James Oden) -unverified
– Close Together (Jimmy Reed) -unverified
– You Can’t Judge A Book By The Cover (Willie Dixon)
We went to see a Record producer called Curly Clayton. he had a
studio in Highbury London, and was a great rival of Joe Meek – who had a
studio just up the road.
|
BMG - Magazine - Back Issue - 1949 - 09 |
Curly Clayton |
Ralph Sharon
Sextet -
June 6th, 1952 (Melodisc)
Jimmy Skidmore (ts), Alan Graham (vib), Ralph
Sharon (p), Roy Plummer (g), Joe Muddel (b), Harvey Bard (d).
 Tracks
08, 09, 12 and 13
Jo Hunter - trumpet
Kenny Graham - tenor
Joe Temperley - tenor
Eddie Mordue - tenor, clarinet
Norman Fantham - tenor
Don Honeywill - baritone
Dill Jones - piano
Roy Plummer
- guitar
Sammy Stokes - bass
Phil Seamen - drums
Donaldo - bongoes
Judy Johnson - vocal and maracas
23 October 1953
Kenny Graham's Afro-Cubists -
June 4th, 1951 (Esquire)
Jo Hunter (tp), Kenny Graham (ts), Ralph Dollimore (p),
Roy Plummer (g), Cliff Ball (b), Dickie Devere (d) + maracas and conga
Chloe*/Over The Rainbow*/Skylon*/Dome Of Discovery*
"The original front line had been enriched by the addition of
Roy
Plummer, while the replacement of Jack Honeyborne by Ralph Dollimore had
added a second writing talent to the band as well as strengthening its
solo potential. The percussion department too had been organised to a
high degree of efficiency ; the departure of Guy Warren had reduced the
number of Afro-Cuban percussionists to two men though extra men often
featured in sessions at the 51 on an irregular basis, and this relaxing
of the barrage of cross rhythms, which at times threatened to engulf the
entire band, allowed the splendid work of of the band's splendid
orthodox drummer, Dickie Devere, to be heard to much better advantage".
Roy's Guitar
 
Roy Plummer played a Hofner Committee
THE HOFNER COMMITTEE
 Top of the regular range of
Hofner archtops, the Committee was designed to
impress. It was introduced as a UK-only model around 1953/54.
The Committee
sported the over-large "frondose" headstock up to 1963, when this was
replaced by a President size headstock, but still retaining the the
impressive "tulip" style mother of pearl inlays in the facia. Birds eye
maple veneer was almost exclusively used for the body back and sides, with
carved solid spruce body tops, although these seem to have been replaced
with laminated tops during the 1960's, particularly on the electric version.
As with the President, a full depth body electric version was available from
about 1957, with a thinline model appearing in late 1959. Twin pickups were
fitted on these, with four rotary controls plus a large three-way selector
switch taking over from the Hofner consul in 1963. This arrangement changed
to three rotary controls plus selector switch in 1967. The Committee
retained its single Venetian (rounded) body cutaway throughout its
production span, which ended around about 1969.
The guitars name is
derived from the Committee of six top British guitarists of that time who were
consulted by Selmer/Hofner during the design process, and who helped with the
introduction of the instrument onto the 50's music scene.
There are varying
accounts of whom the members of the Committee were, but if you choose any six
out of the following, you won't be far out: Bert Weedon,
Ike Isaacs, Denny
Wright, Roy Plummer, Judd Proctor,
Frank Deniz, Jack Llewellyn, and
Freddie
Phillips.
 
Ike Isaacs
Jack Llewellyn and Bert Weedon holding a
Personal Logo Golden Hofner Electric C1960 with original Black Bar Pickups
http://www.vintagehofner.co.uk/hofnerfs/myguitars/com.html
Jack may have a Grimshaw fitted with a DeArmond Pickup.
 Various
members of our family have just become aware of you wonderful website and
articles about Dad so I though I would make contact and say thank you! I am
Rosamund , eldest child of Roy's second family and I have have played Principal
Piccolo in the Sydney Symphony for 26 years now....no jazz flowing through my
veins alas. I have been a fairly regular visitor to the UK for many years now,
having studied flute with Peter Lloyd , the then Principal in the LSO and since
, on tour with the SSO including the proms last year. I see Max every time I
visit...he now lives in Petersfield having retired from a
long career at United Music publishers...and Roy's gorgeous grand-daughter Nikki
who works as a free-lance Art Director in London with her partner Kelly. Max's
sister ( and my lovely half-sister) Diane now lives in Spain with her husband
Neil and next-door is my cousin Alain, Roy's nephew...as you can see , we
are spread all over the world but keep in very close contact and see each-other
regularly. My brother Alan is a classical guitarist living and working in
the mountains just outside Sydney with his wife Annie ( a flute player) and son
Eugene who is studying piano. My youngest brother Ted( who also found you on
the internet) is not a musician but was a good pianist when he was a child...his
son Oliver (11) is a great little bass player and looks eerily like Roy in a
favourite photo of him playing....same hands and facial expression. Another of
Roy's grandchildren, my son Andrew, is about to move to London to study
Composition at the Royal College on a full scholarship...Roy would have been
very proud don't you think? My 15 year old daughter Edwina plays piano and
sings but writes stories , and wants to be the JK Rowling...yes please.
Anyway , just to say how much we have all enjoyed reading what you wrote about
Dad and learning much more about him and the musical world in which he lived,
especially my Mum Julie, who lives nearby in Bondi. Would love to come and hear
you play next time I am in your hemisphere! All the best,
Rosamund Plummer 2011
 The
sound of the Billy Burton Orchestra filled the rooms of legendary Sydney
nightclubs such as Chequers and The Chevron Silver Spade Room. Billy
Burton, a world-class trumpet player, left England in 1958. After he
arrived
in Sydney, he and his orchestra provided music for visiting international
artists such as Stevie Wonder, Dusty Springfield, Tom Jones and Tony Bennett.
Roy Plummer was a member of the band
The Chevron Hotel in Sydney was the city's first major Hotel in the
International Style. Opened in September 1960 as the Chevron-Hilton, the hotel
played host to most of the celebrities and dignitaries visiting Sydney through
the 1970''s. Its Silver Spade Room was a popular dining room and music show
room. The hotel was demolished in 1985.
Melody Maker Jazz
Polls - Guitar
1957 Guitar
1. Ken Sykora (1923 votes)
2. Dave Goldberg (1234)
5. Ivor Mairants (410)
6. Ike Isaacs (324)
10. Cedric West (40)
11. Roy Plummer (31)
1958 Guitar
1. Ken Sykora (49.4%)
4. Dave Goldberg (6.7)
5. Ike Isaacs (6.4)
6 Ivor Mairants (4.2)
10. Roy Plummer (0.7)
Roy
with Hofner Committee Acoustic Guitar Circa 1957
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PAUL
VERNON CHESTER
