Manchester Sports Guild (MSG) was a jazz and folk music venue in Manchester, England, that flourished from 1961 to 1973.
History Manchester Sports Guild was a membership organisation founded in 1953 in Manchester, England, to promote amateur sports. L. C. Jenkins ("Jenks") was the founding General Secretary. It opened in April 1954. Shortly after moving into its first venue on Market Street, MSG, almost by accident, began promoting jazz. In 1961, MSG acquired its second venue at 8–10 Long Millgate, opposite Chetham's School of Music, near Manchester Cathedral, that became known as MSG's "Sports and Social Centre". The venue flourished until about 1973, when it was closed for imminent demolition, which didn't occur for a few years. The Long Millgate location was an old brick Victorian building with a bar on the ground floor, folk music upstairs, and jazz in its unadorned cellar. In 1962, shortly after opening the new venue, Jenks appointed Jack Swinnerton as Jazz Organiser. Henceforth, the MSG began booking internationally known jazz artists, performers who leaned more towards blues and traditional and swing idioms). The jazz cellar was also the centre of afterhours jam-sessions with American jazz artists who had, earlier in the evening, performed at other Manchester venues, particularly the Free Trade Hall.
In 1964, The Observer stated: "In the Manchester Sports Guild they have the best jazz centre in the country
Frank Duffy ran the folk scene, upstairs. The Urbis building now occupies the site.
Selected performing artists Jazz and blues (in the cellar)
Alvin Alcorn (1912–2003) Henry "Red" Allen (1908–1967) Jimmy Archey (1902–1967) Acker Bilk (1929–2014) Ruby Braff (1927–2003) Sandy Brown (1929–1975) Buck Clayton (1911–1991) Bill Coleman (1904–1981) Wild Bill Davison (1906–1989) Vic Dickenson (1906–1984) Dutch Swing College Band Al Fairweather (1927–1993) Pops Foster (1892–1969) Bud Freeman (1906–1991) Edmond Hall (1901–1967) John Handy (born 1933) Earl "Fatha" Hines (1903–1983) George Lewis (1900–1968) Alan Littlejohn (1928–1996) Humphrey Lyttelton (1921–2008) Wingy Manone (1900–1982) Louis Nelson (1900–1990) New Jazz Orchestra (1963–1970) Albert Nicholas (1900–1973) Johnny Parker (1929–2010) Emanuel Paul (1904–1988) Pee Wee Russell (1906–1969) Kid Thomas (1897–1987) Bruce Turner (1922–1993) Joe Turner (1907–1990) Alex Welsh (1929–1982) Bob Wallis (1934–1991) Ben Webster (1909–1973) Dicky Wells (1907–1985) Teddy Wilson (1912–1986)
Folk, pop, and poets (upstairs)
Clarence Ashley (1895–1967) Dominic Behan (1928–1989) Roy Budd (1947–1993) Tony Capstick (1944–2003) Martin Carthy (born 1941) John Cooper Clarke (born 1949) Art Garfunkel (born 1941) Paul Simon (born 13th October 1941) Mike Harding (born 1944) Rosie Hardman (born 1945) Bert Jansch (1943–2011) Magna Carta Bill Monroe (1911–1996) Christy Moore (born 1945) The Spinners Dave Swarbrick (1941–2016) Wally Whyton (1929–1997)
Selected discography Jazz Session / performancedate Artist(leader) Album orSingle Label(Catalog No.) Studio(Venue) OCLC Pee Wee RussellWith John Armatage's Jump Band Pee Wee Russell with John Armatage's Jump Band Jazzology (CD) LiveManchester Sports GuildManchester, England & Pee Wee RussellWith Alex Welsh and His Band Pee Wee Russell with Alex Welsh and His Band Lake (nl) (CD) LiveManchester Sports GuildManchester, England Wild Bill DavidsonWith Alex Welsh and His Band Blowin' Wild Jazzology (CD) LiveManchester Sports GuildManchester, England Earl "Fatha" HinesWith Alex Welsh and His Band Earl Hines With the Alex Welsh Band Jazzology (CD) LiveManchester Sports GuildManchester, England Champion Jack Dupree Jivin' With Jack Jasmine (2CDs) LiveManchester Sports GuildManchester, England Rex StewartWith Alex Welsh and His Band Rex Stewart with the Alex Welsh Band Jazzology (CD) LiveManchester Sports GuildManchester, England Bud FreemanWith Alex Welsh and His Band Bud Freeman With Alex Welsh & His Band Lake (nl) (CD) LiveManchester Sports GuildManchester, England Ken ColyerWith George Lewis Live 1966: Ken Colyer's Jazzmen With George Lewis Lake (nl) (CD) LiveManchester Sports GuildManchester, England Bud FreemanWith Alex Welsh and His Band Bud Freeman with the Alex Welsh Band Jazzology LiveManchester Sports GuildManchester, England & Edmond Hall QuartetWith Alan Elsdon and His Jazz Band Edmond Hall Quartet with Alan Elsdon and His Jazz Band Jazzology & LiveManchester Sports GuildManchester, England Wild Bill DavisonWith Alex Welsh and His Band Wild Bill Davison with Alex Welsh and His Band Lake (nl) (CD) LiveManchester Sports GuildManchester, England Stan Tracey TrioWith Ben Webster and Ronnie Scott UK Live 1967 Vol. 2: Stan Tracey Trio with Ben Webster and Ronnie Scott Jazzhus Disk (CD) LiveManchester Sports GuildManchester, England Albert NicholasWith Alan Elsdon's Band Albert Nicholas with Alan Elsdon's Band (Vol. 2) Jazzology (CD) LiveManchester Sports GuildManchester, England & Henry "Red" AllenWith the Alex Welch Band Red Allen & The Alex Welsh Band Red Allen & (CD)Jazzology (CD) LiveManchester Sports GuildManchester, England & Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis Oh, Gee! Live in Manchester, 1967 Jasmine (CD) LiveManchester Sports GuildManchester, England Eddie MillerWith Alex Welsh Eddie Miller With Alex Welsh Jazzology (CD) LiveManchester Sports GuildManchester, England Bill Coleman A Smooth One Jasmine (CD) LiveManchester Sports GuildManchester, England Peanuts HuckoWith Alex Welsh and His Band Peanuts Hucko With Alex Welsh & His Band (Vol. 1) Lake (nl) & (CD) LiveManchester Sports GuildManchester, England Wild Bill DavisonWith Alex Welsh and His Band("Duet," audio) Fidgety Feet Jazzology LiveManchester Sports GuildManchester, England Wild Bill DavisonWith Alex Welsh and His Band Wild Bill Davison in Europe Jazzology LiveManchester Sports GuildManchester, England Teddy WilsonWith the Dave Shepherd Quartet Teddy Wilson With The Dave Shepherd Quartet Lake (nl) (CD) LiveManchester Sports GuildManchester, England
Folk Session / performancedate Artist(leader) Album orSingle Label(Catalog No.) Studio(Venue) OCLC The Taverners Folk GroupAlan Bell (1935–2019)Brian Osborne (1939–2002)Stuart Robinson (1942–2008)Pete Rodgers A' Round With The Taverners Folk Group Studio Republic Ltd. (Church Farm, Pinner, Middlesex) (LP) LiveManchester Sports GuildManchester, England
MSG personnel John Pye, Executive Director Jack Swinnerton, Jazz Secretary L.C. Jenkins ("Jenks") (né Leslie Charles Jenkins; 1918–1986), General Secretary Bryn Pugh, MC in the folk room Frank Duffy, initial Folk Secretary John Dronsfield ("Drony"), Frank's successor
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