Outstanding Clarinetists in the History of Jazz – Part 11
The English Revival Influence – Monty Sunshine, Ian Wheeler, John Crocker, Acker Bilk
A series by József Fritz
December 4, 2023
If we have given our series such an ambitious title, we must also mention those artists who had a significant influence on musicians in our own country and who were active in Europe.
The most tangible period of this influence – at least in terms of recordings accessible to us – was the English revival dixieland movement of the 1950s and 1960s.
The most important representatives of this style were the so-called “Three Bs”:
Chris Barber, Acker Bilk, and Kenny Ball.
All three represented different instruments (Barber – trombone, Bilk – clarinet, Ball – trumpet), but in keeping with the style, the clarinet played a central role in dixieland music.
Their work was strongly influenced by the revival of traditional jazz in America, associated with figures such as Eddie Condon, to which the English musical scene responded almost immediately.
The style was further enriched by the diversity characteristic of Europe, incorporating elements from French and Italian musical traditions as well.
From this era, I would highlight four musicians, three of whom emerged from the same band and went on to influence generations of European clarinetists.
Monty Sunshine performed in the band of trombonist Chris Barber. His most significant recording with the group was Sidney Bechet’s evergreen “Petite Fleur.”
The original version was recorded by the composer on soprano saxophone, but the English musicians adapted it for clarinet and recorded it in 1956.
For reasons that remain unclear, the recording was only released in 1959, but it immediately took the European pop scene by storm.
At a time when rock and roll and early beat music dominated the charts, a purely instrumental piece topped the charts for nearly ten weeks. 
To this day, the piece remains a standard work in the repertoire of almost every clarinetist.
During the same period, Monty Sunshine also recorded another successful piece with the band, “Wild Cat Blues,” which became a favorite among dixieland clarinetists.
Around this time, Ian Wheeler also joined – or alternated within – the band.
From a Hungarian perspective, his role was particularly significant, as he appeared on recordings released by the Qualiton label (Chris Barber Jazz Band, featuring Ottilie Patterson).
Due to the limited flow of information at the time, both listeners and musicians often assumed that the clarinet parts of the band were performed by a single individual – Wheeler himself.
Personally, my favorite among this “trio” of the band is John Crocker, who debuted as a clarinetist and saxophonist at a Berlin concert in 1960.
He represented a much more modern approach to clarinet playing, and at that concert he delivered three outstanding solos, recordings of which were also available in Hungarian record stores.
Later, all three musicians released solo albums, which are highly valued by collectors and remained accessible even into the CD era.
Finally, we must mention Acker Bilk. 
Following American influences, he formed his band called Paramount, initially just one among many English dixieland groups.
However, he wrote a piece for his daughter, which he recorded with an ensemble expanded by string instruments, and with this he repeated the success of Petite Fleur:
“Stranger on the Shore” became a chart-topping hit for several weeks.
Bilk performed frequently in Hungary, and even released a full album with strings on the Hungarian Hungaroton label.
Through this, he made a significant contribution to Hungarian dixieland clarinetists – and clarinetists in general – who were able to draw inspiration from his artistry.