Phil Seamen - Seamen's Mission [CD]

Few, if any, British jazz musicians gained the legendary status that Phil Seamen gained. Certain aspects of the make-up of Phil Seamen contributed strongly to this exalted position. First of all there was his great talent as a drummer. During the 1950's and 60's, Phil Seamen was generally regarded as the greatest European Jazz Drummer. Phil arrived on the British jazz scene with the advant of the bebop movement , although his abilities transcended this music. He was equally at home in the very first European free-jazz combo of Joe Harriott, the traditional jazz groups of Nat Gonella, on The Rhythm And Blues of Alexis Korner or the heavy rock of Ginger Baker's Air Force. Seamen's personality also contributed to his elevated status. He was a unique character with a great gift of humour and sharp wit. He also played the star with conviction with a larger than life personality that allowed him to get away with it. Another aspect that added fame as well as notoriety to the Phil Seamen phenomenon was his well known drug addiction. Seamen could handle large amounts of drugs, washing them down with a large intake of alcohol. There are countless anecdotes still told about Phil Seamen, some comic, some tragic and some apocryphal, most of them a mixture of all three. He was a born raver.