A Tribute To Sir John Dankworth - 40 Years of The Stables

Radio 2 remembers Sir John Dankworth with highlights of the 40th anniversary concert recorded at The Stables on the day he passed away (6 February 2010). John Dankworth was a pioneer of modern jazz in Britain; a superb instrumentalist; a leading composer of film music; a champion of musical education; and the husband of Dame Cleo Laine, with whom he founded The Stables in Milton Keynes. The first performance at The Stables took place on 6 February 1970 and and through its 40 year history, Sir John provided ongoing support for the genre-spanning music venue and its educational programmes. On the day of the anniversary concert, John was in hospital but it was hoped that he would have recovered sufficiently to appear as part of the celebrations. Sadly, John passed away the same afternoon but it was decided, in true Dankworth tradition, that the show should go ahead without him. The anniversary concert featured Dame Cleo Laine, son Alec Dankworth, daughter Jacqui Dankworth and granddaughter Emily Dankworth; as well as performances from Rod Argent, Iain Ballamy, Lorna Dallas, Emma Johnson, Dominic Miller, Paul O'Grady, Martin Taylor, Sarah Watts and the National Youth Music Camps Choir.