Forrie Cairns
There were a number of fine
clarinettists who emerged during the jazz boom of the fifties. One of the
finest, and the very finest still active, is Forrie Cairns. He brings an
energy and commitment to his playing which is the envy of many young stars
emerging today.
Forrie started playing clarinet when he was 13 and joined his first jazz
band when he went to university in 1954. Soon after, he formed his own band
….. The Forrie Cairns All Stars who were the resident band in what became
the Mecca for Scottish jazz…. Whitecraigs. In 1958 he moved to London and
joined the Clyde Valley Stompers and was one of the reasons they went to the
top of the tree.
In 1960 he was named Best Clarinettist in a newspaper poll.
His career developed further
with the Clansmen and Bob Wallis’s Storyville Jazz Band.
In the mid 70’s he moved to
Switzerland to play with Bob in Zurich and settled there, playing with one
of Europe’s best known professional jazz bands, the Piccadilly Six. Although
Forrie and his Swiss wife Carina have recently moved from Zurich to live in
Edinburgh, Forrie still travels to play with the Piccadilly Six throughout
Europe.
In addition Forrie stars regularly with the Scottish Jazz All Stars
|
