Jim Douglas (born Robert James Elliot Douglas, 13 May 1942) is a Scottish

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

guitarist, banjoist, and author born in

Gifford, East Lothian } Gifford is a village in the parish of Yester in East Lothian, Scotland. It lies approximately south of Haddington and east of Edinburgh. It groups around the Colstoun Water (locally called Gifford Water) at the junction of the B6369 and B ...

, Scotland. He is best known for his work with the Alex Welsh band, which saw him playing with musicians such as

Red Allen Henry James "Red" Allen Jr. (January 7, 1908 – April 17, 1967) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist whose playing has been described by Joachim-Ernst Berendt and others as the first to fully incorporate the innovations of Louis Armst ...

Earl Hines Earl Kenneth Hines, also known as Earl "Fatha" Hines (December 28, 1903 – April 22, 1983), was an American jazz pianist and bandleader. He was one of the most influential figures in the development of jazz piano and, according to one source, " ...

, and

Ruby Braff Reuben "Ruby" Braff (March 16, 1927 – February 9, 2003) was an American jazz trumpeter and cornetist. Jack Teagarden was once asked about him on the Garry Moore television show and described Ruby as "the Ivy League Louis Armstrong". Bra ...

. His membership of the band ran from 1962 until the group disbanded in 1981. Douglas wrote and self-published a semi-autobiographical book, ''Tunes, Tours and Travel-itis - Eighteen years of Facts, Faces and Fun with the Alex Welsh Band''. in which he cites several humorous encounters with legends of the business, as well as recounting the band's many strange and bizarre misadventures. He followed this up three years later with ''Teenage to Travel-itis - Growing Up in a World of Jazz''. The sequel chronicles his adventures in the Jazz world before and after his time with the Alex Welsh Band. He played drums in his youth before switching to guitar. In his teens he accompanied clarinettist Pete Kerr. As part of a Dixieland band, he performed in Germany in 1960. Soon after, he began play with

Alex Welsh Alex Welsh (9 July 1929 – 25 June 1982) was a Scottish jazz musician who played cornet and trumpet and was also a bandleader and singer, Biography Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Welsh started playing in the teenage Leith Silver Band and wi ...

. In 1971 he appeared on the album ''Freddy Randall and His Famous Jazz Band''. Other than Kerr and Welsh, he worked with

Alan Elsdon Alan Elsdon (15 October 1934 – 2 May 2016) was an English jazz trumpeter and flugelhornist. Biography Elsdon was born in London on 15 October 1934. He studied trumpet under Tommy McQuater. His early professional work included time with Cy Lau ...

Lennie Hastings Leonard "Lennie" Hastings (5 January 1927 – 14 July 1978) was an English jazz drummer. Biography Hastings started out playing in military bands during World War II in the 1940s, which included Micky Bryan's Rug Cutters in 1942. He then play ...

Ed Polcer Ed Polcer (born February 10, 1937, in Paterson, New Jersey, United States) is an American jazz cornetist, bandleader, festival director, club owner, and mentor of young musicians. He has been described as a "melodic mellow-toned cornetist with an ...

, and Keith Smith.

References

Swing guitarists Scottish jazz guitarists Swing banjoists 1942 births Living people {{UK-jazz-musician-stub