Sammy Rimington

British reedman Sammy Rimington was one of the top trad musicians to emerge during the 1960s. He played with <a href="spotify:artist:1hVUCfxr3ghuegx1bEQgS9">Barry Martyn</a> in 1959, spent several years with <a href="spotify:artist:6LhwR8k3xVYIyux0D8YIbR">Ken Colyer</a> (1960-1965), and came to the U.S. in the mid-'60s, playing with <a href="spotify:artist:6rWKOdIJ1sNrwIkExpqft3">Big Bill Bissonnette's Easy Rider Jazz Band</a>. Since that time, Rimington has been heard in a countless number of settings and, other than a brief fling with a fusion band he led (Armanda in 1971), he has stuck exclusively to New Orleans revival jazz. Rimington has recorded and performed with a who's who of New Orleans jazz including <a href="spotify:artist:22La2Rm0bDntXkMXGhNQgU">Chris Barber</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:71590RcCsNe2F1aiRbcFiU">Kid Thomas Valentine</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:5FHCNbhNutXeuO2Mty1OVm">Captain John Handy</a>. Influenced strongly by <a href="spotify:artist:3gWCyDXBTtfmQX85ygoyPj">George Lewis</a> on clarinet and by <a href="spotify:artist:5FHCNbhNutXeuO2Mty1OVm">Handy</a> on alto, Rimington led many record dates of his own for small labels such as Rhythm Records in 1962; <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Jazz+Crusade%22">Jazz Crusade</a> in 1963; <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22GHB%22">GHB</a> in 1966; 77 in 1969; <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22California+Condor%22">California Condor</a> in 1973; <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Storyville%22">Storyville</a> in 1974; <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Munich%22">Munich</a> in 1975; <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Dawn+Club%22">Dawn Club</a> in 1977; <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Beerendonk%22">Beerendonk</a> in 1977; Herman, Quines, <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Lulu+White%27s%22">Lulu White's</a>, and Onward in 1979; <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Jazz+Time%22">Jazz Time</a> in 1983; <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Progressive%22">Progressive</a> in 1985; and quite a few other labels. He continued recording as a leader and collaborator through the '90s and into the new millennium, with highlights including Reed My Lips (billed to Sammy Rimington & the Return of the Mouldy Five) on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Jazz+Crusade%22">Jazz Crusade</a> in 1999 and Visits New Orleans, recorded by Rimington with a host of Crescent City stalwarts in April 2005 (several months before Hurricane Katrina devastated the city) and released by <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Arhoolie%22">Arhoolie</a> in 2008. ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi