Denny (Denys Justin) Wright (1924-1992) was an influential jazz and skiffle guitarist, born in Deptford and growing up in Brockley - at some point he apparently lived at 36 Brockhill Crescent.
Denny Wright played at various times with Stephane Grappelli and Lonnie Donegan (including on the latter's record, Cumberland Gap), and in 1945 opened London's first bebop jazz club, the Fullado in Old Compton Street. Check out Denny's fantastic guitar solo on Cumberland Gap (you can hear Lonnie Donegan shout 'Denny' just before it):
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Help for Philip
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Thank you for a fascinating website.
I have been researching the Wood family who lived in the area for many
generations and in doing so have been lookin...
16 hours ago
4 comments:
The guitarist is not Denny Wright on the clip shown on the tube. It's Les Bennets of Les Hobeaux fame and he's playing a Hofner Committee.
Thanks I will check this out and see if I can find some footage of Denny Wright - it's still my understanding though that it was Wright who played guitar on the record version of this song.
Hi, I have lots of video footage of Denny Wright. I am currently adding to my website footage from Ealing Jazz festival, BBC nightride sessions and IBM Jazz festival. The clips feature Denny with the Hot Club of London with Gerry Higgins on double bass Johnny Van Derrick on violyn and myself on the other guitar. Also there are clips of Steve Benbow. I hope you enjoy the clips. Denny and Johnny are in fine form. I miss them very much. http://www.rjsart.co.uk/music.html
go to this link and scroll down to the clips. check out hot canary. It's fantastic!
It was Denny Wright who played on the original version of Cumberland Gap in 1957. He was replaced by Jimmy Currie who in turn was replaced by Les Bennetts. It is Les who is featured in the clip which is taken from one of the Putting on the Donegan TV shows from around 1959/60. Denny Wright rejoined in 1961 but there is no known clips of him playing with Lonnie Donegan. If anybody finds one I know quite a few fans who would love to see it.
You may be interested in my memories of Lonnie at
http://www.p.griggsy.btinternet.co.uk/Untitled/Lonnie.html
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