British saxophonist, composer, and bandleader John Dankworth was born on this day in 1927. He wrote the original themes for The Avengers and Tomorrow’s World and for movies including Modesty Blaise, Darling, and Morgan: A Suitable Case For Treatment. He was married to singer Cleo Laine and was her music director. This performance of “Mark I” is from 1964.
The Sound of One Hand Typing 
Hi John – yes Johnny Dankworth was an excellent musician as well as both he and his wife, Cleo Lane, were great encouragers for aspiring jazz lovers … cheers Hilary
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Cleo Laine was an outstanding singer. We saw a lot more of her than him. I think he just got crowded out, because we had so many prominent alto sax players in the early ’60’s.
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I have never heard of him, which is a shame because I love that piece. It’s skillful but melodic and great to listen to. Thanks for sharing, John.
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I hadn’t heard much by him because he’s British and we don’t hear much from jazz players from there. Kind of a shame, because he was quite good, and his wife (Cleo Laine) was (and might still be) one of the best jazz vocalists around. Anyway, there’s plenty more on YouTube and whatever streaming service you might use. Enjoy!
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