Pete Lay recently posted in Fred Burnett’s JazzNorthWest News Update this immensely sad news:
“It is with regret that I have to tell you the sad news about the passing of our good friend and jazzer Jim Pack (Jimbo). He passed away at around 4.00am this morning (December 16th).
Here’s to Jimbo.”
Jimbo’s Funeral
Jim’s funeral will be at the Beckenham Crematorium, Elmers End Road, BR3 4TD
at 3.45pm on Thursday, January 21st 2016.
I have much to thank Jimbo for. He regularly lead the Umbrella Parade at the Hemsby Autumn Jazz Parade and back in 2008, shortly after I had rediscovered my jazz roots, I so much admired his energy and flamboyance, that he inspired one of my first jazz paintings.
So in his honour I simply had to feature the painting again here, along with the poem his jaunty style inspired. Jimbo wrote the most wonderful letter of thanks to me when I presented him with a Giclée Print of the painting and poem. Regrettably after our recent house move I haven’t yet been able to lay my hands on it.
Good Time Jazz
Skipping to the rhythm
Dapper and trim
Grand Marshall Jimbo
Leads the parade
Dazzling with gusto.
New Orleans Jazz
And brollies on show.
Braced against a cool October breeze, sprightly Grand Marshal Jimbo leads the Umbrella Parade
at the Ken Colyer Trust 2008 Jazz Festival in Hemsby, Norfolk,
where Good Time Jazz was enjoyed by one and all.
When I launched jazzandjazz.com, Jimbo’s portrait and poem simply had to be one of the first posts back in February, 2012
Peter M Butler
Editor & Proprietor Jazz&Jazz
‘Art & Verse’ Copyright © 2009 Peter M Butler. All rights reserved
Sad to see the loss of one of the loveliest guys on the jazz scene. Good company with his tales of life on the road and always with a sense of humour. The New Years gigs at Hemsby were made for Jimbo. I still have visions of him in his kilt pretending to play the New Year in on the bagpipes. Happy days indeed. RIP Jimbo Thanks for the fun. Gwyn and Laila
Sad to see yet another jazz mate join the never ending list of jazz greats to pass on. Jimbo ( ‘e’s a boy ) Pack wasn’t a musician but there are plenty of muso’s who’d like to be as instantly recognisable and as popular as Jimbo was. I met Jim about 40 years ago at The Lord Napier where Jim worked with Bill Brunskill’s band as a roadie and we clicked immediately. Over the next couple of decades we would go to the Enkhuizen festival and many of the Butlins jazz weekends where I’d be working and we’d have great fun together. He also spent many a Sunday afternoon having Sunday lunch at my home with my wife and kids, my kids loved him… In the 80’s I broke my leg and was later off for almost a year and being self employed with only state sick pay coming in Jim was adamant that Enkhuizen would go ahead as usual totally funded by Jimbo, he even had to drive for once. Jim also agreed to loan me some money to buy a car when I got back on my feet again which was a great help and when I was able to start paying him back he refused saying it was a gift from him and he was happy just to be able to help. I think it was also because I readily laughed at his awful jokes regardless of how many times I had heard them. After moving down to Kent and back on the road I didn’t see as much of Jimbo but when we did get together we had fun retelling old stories with Jim reminding me of his well worn jokes. Work schedules on my house in France prevented me from attending Jim’s funeral but at 3.45 on the day I sat in the village church here in quiet reflection of Jim Pack … So sorry I was unable to get to Beckenham….. ALL who knew Jim will miss him and those who didn’t know him missed out on a kind, generous fun loving human being …. R.I.P. Jimbo