History of Kilburn and West Hampstead

This small shop in Exeter Parade, Exeter Road was next to the Kilburn Underground Station from 1955 to at least 1974. It was run by Ray ‘Professor’ Foxley, a quietly spoken and very talented New Orleans style pianist who played with the Mick Mulligan, Ken Colyer and Chris Barber jazz bands. His nickname of Professor was a tribute to New Orleans stride pianists such as ‘Professor Longhair’. Ray was born in Birmingham and after the War he led bands in the Midlands before coming to London in the 1950s. Ray and his wife Doreen lived at 68 Whitefriars Avenue in Harrow for many years. He died in London in 2002. My friends and I would go to the shop regularly on a Saturday to listen to records in the tiny booths which were covered with acoustic pinboard walls. I bought my first jazz records by the Modern Jazz Quartet and Gerry Mulligan there. My friend Dan Shackell remembers getting Gene Vincent’s ‘Lotta Lovin’ in 1958.           Site of Foxley's Exeter Parade in ...

It was sad to hear that Chris Barber, the jazz trombonist and band leader, died aged 90 on 2 March 2021. He was very influential in developing a version of New Orleans jazz in the 1950s which led the way to skiffle, British blues, the Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Chris Barber (Getty Images) A few years ago I had lunch with the late Harold Pendleton and his wife Barbara. Harold was a chartered accountant with a love of jazz, and he told me when he arrived to work in London in 1948 from Southport, the first thing he did was to go to Dobells’ Record Shop at 77 Charing Cross Road. He was thumbing through the jazz records and got talking to a man who was doing the same. The man was Chris Barber and Harold became the manager of his band and a lifelong friend. Harold went on to open the Marquee Club in 1958, and he and Barbara organised the National Jazz and Blues festivals held in Windsor and later Reading. Decca Studios, Broadhurst Gardens, (Dick Weindling, 1979)   There is an imp...