News

Yes! The 25th anniversary of the band’s first ever gig is coming up on 3rd March 2009 and the band are thinking about how best to celebrate this remakable milestone. Many of the venues which they played in their early years no longer exist but one possibility is a mini-tour revisiting some of the venues that have managed to survive as long as the band. It’s also hoped that many former members can be tempted back to sit in with the band during this period. Watch this space and the Gigs page for more news!

Founder member of the band that became One Jump Ahead (originally the Kit Packham Band) pianist Jon Goble died of pancreatic cancer on 1st November. His funeral service was held at East London Crematorium a week later where numerous friends and family members gathered to pay tribute. Remarkably, all the rest of the band members from Jon’s period with the band were not only found, but were able to attend and pay their respects. It spoke volumes that the chapel was packed out for the service and many mourners were obliged to stand. As well as readings and reminiscences from friends and family, saxophonist Raymond Hardy played 3 of Jon’s original compositions and a recording of Jon performing part of Keith Jarrett’s La Scala was played. At the conclusion of the service Jon’s 12 year old son Joey led a tribute to Jon with the release of scores of black and white helium filled balloons (representing the black and white piano keys that Jon spent so much time using to make music). Please visit Jon’s MySpace page at www.myspace.com/jongoble to hear some of his work and find out more about him.

Guitarist Brian Bull now plays gypsy jazz and Brazilian music with several bands. Drummer Alan Savage runs and plays with jive band Oo-Bop Sh’Bam, who have just released a new live album. Bass guitarist Glynn Evans plays mainly in theatre pit bands these days - and with One Jump Ahead when they’re at the Oval, Croydon. Saxophonist Bulman Reed now plays with Bill Haley tribute band Razzle Dazzle and - on accordion - with Straubenzee. See below for news of Jon Goble...

Bandleader Kit Packham finally did something that he’s been threatening to do for about the last 20 years - bought himself a zoot suit. Combined with the snappy shoes that he bought last year he now cuts quite a dash. However, a picture speaks a thousand words so here’s the finished result. There’s another couple of photos with the new suit on our photo page, so check them out too.

As the full band play so many private engagements these days, we like to give our clients the opportunity to have “their song” included in our performance. Wherever possible we work out how to play these requests and as a result our playlist keeps expanding. (However, some songs don’t get added to the list we publish on this site since we’d rather not have to play them again!) Recent additions include Fats Domino’s “Let the Four Winds Blow”, Sinatra’s “The Best is Yet to Come” and, slightly out of left field, Queen’s “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”. To see what’s currently on the list click here or on the “playlist” link on the top left of each page.

One Jump Ahead bandleader Kit Packham has served on the London Regional Committee of the Musicians Union for the last 2 years and attended the Union’s last three biennial conferences. He helped to staff the MU stand at the Ealing Global Festival in July this year and is standing for re-election to the Regional Committee and also for the Jazz Section Committee.

Members of the Regional Committees assist in the recruitment, retention and organisation of members, maintain communication between members and the Union, oversee Regional budgets and operations, help maintain a Regional Music Map, liaise with other music industry organisations, statutory bodies and Trade Unions, and generally oversee the Region’s activity in all areas of the music industry.

All these duties are voluntary and unpaid (although expenses are re-imbursed). If anyone has any questions or issues with relevance to the Musicians Union (which means pretty much anything that affects musicians!) that they would like to raise with Kit, they can use this link to send him an e-mail. E-mail Kit.