James Brian Gordon Hastings (12 May 1938 – 18 March 2024) was a British musician associated with the Canterbury scene who played saxophones, flute and clarinet.[1]

Early life

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Hastings was born in Aberdeen, Scotland. He started playing the saxophone at aged 16 after having started playing piano. He auditioned unsuccessfully to play tenor saxophone with Leslie Thorpe's band at the Beach Ballroom in Aberdeen and later with Humphrey Lyttelton. He then worked as a musician on ships.[1]

Career

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On returning to England he played first tenor saxophone with the Ken Mackintosh band. After 2 years he joined the BBC Radio Orchestra. He played with the Bill Le Sage trio at The Bull's Head, Barnes. He left the BBC after four years to become a freelance musician.[1]

He played with his brother Pye Hastings in Caravan, with Soft Machine, Hatfield and the North, National Health, Bryan Ferry, Trapeze, Chris Squire, among others.[2] He played alto saxophone, clarinet and flute with Humphrey Lyttelton's eight-piece jazz band. With the other members of the Lyttelton band, he performed on the 2001 Radiohead album Amnesiac.[3][4] Hastings died on 18 March 2024, at the age of 85.[5][6]

Discography

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John Horler & Jimmy Hastings
  • Point of Intersection (1986)
Caravan
Hatfield and the North
  • The Rotters' Club (1975)
National Health
Soft Machine
Todd Dillingham
  • The Wilde Canterbury Dream (1992)
Trapeze

References

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  1. ^ a b c "RIP Jimmy Hastings 1938-2024". Way Out West. 2024. Archived from the original on 26 March 2024.
  2. ^ Biography at calyx-canterbury.fr the Canterbury website]
  3. ^ Reynolds, Simon (April 2001). "Radiohead recruit new member". Q. Archived from the original on 24 November 2010. Retrieved 27 March 2012.
  4. ^ Amnesiac (booklet). Radiohead. Parlophone. 2001.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  5. ^ "So sad to hear Jimmy Hastings has passed". Graham Russell on Facebook. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  6. ^ "Addio a Jimmy Hastings, fiatista chiave del Canterbury sound". ondarock. 21 March 2024. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
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