Preview - February 1990 - by Kenny Mathieson

The second Scottish Jazz Network tour brings together two Glasgow-born jazzmen who have made their living in the south for many years. Saxophonist Bobby Wellins is the senior by almost ten years, and moved into jazz from the dance band scene in the late 1950s, joining drummer Tony Crombie's Jazz Inc, where he first met up with pianist Stan Tracey. He joined Tracey's quartet in the early 1960s, and contributed his distinctive saxophone voice to Tracey's most famous record, the suite inspired by Dylan Thomas's "Under Milk Wood".

His career was eclipsed for almost a decade by what are politely referred to as "personal problems" in jazz circles, but he re-emerged in the mid-seventies with his own quartet, and a highly-regarded five-piece with Don Weller. When I heard him last year, playing with ex-Mingus trombonist Jimmy Knepper at London's Bass Clef, Wellins sounded in fine voice, an impression more than born out by his new recording "Birds of Brazil" (Sungai), an intricate suite arranged by Tony Coe, and inspired by a horrific oil spillage in Bognor Regis, where he now lives. "It brought home very directly the damage we are inflicting on ourselves and the creatures around us,' Wellins says, "and I felt I needed to express how I felt by composing a jazz suite.'

His partner, guitarist Jim Mullen, began his musical life as a bass player, coincidentally in Andy Park's band, who returned to the stage for the Network last month. Mullen switched instrument and moved to London, where he was involved in the progressive rock scene as well as jazz, but is best known for his partnership with saxman Dick Morrissey. Those two have begun playing together again after a temporary split, during which time Jim led a fine but economically impractical quintet; both players found that their public liked them better together than apart. Jim is accordingly well used to playing with a tenor saxophonist, which augers well for the tour, with Eddie Severn on trumpet, the excellent Brian Kellock on piano, Ronnie Rae on bass, and Tony McLennan on drums.

(c) Kenny Mathieson