Damian Robinson (3)

British jazz pianist and songwriter. Born in 1928. Died 1994. He worked in Manchester from 1949 to 1950 before moving to London, working with trumpeter Terry Brown in 1951. Over the next few years he worked briefly with Ivor Kirchin, Teddy Foster and Jimmy Walker's Quintet before going to India with Harry Parry and Victor Feldman from 1953 to 1954. He then joined Don Rendell in 1954, arranging and writing for the group. When the Rendell Six broke up he had a short spell with Tony Crombie before joining the dance band of Harry Roy for three years to 1959. He then joined Ray Ellington for several spells through the 1960s, and freelanced extensively in London through to the 1980s, before his death in 1994. He had a powerful two-handed style of playing and is heard to advantage on the Rendell records as well as the few trio sides he recorded.