Around about 50 years ago, I was sitting in my classroom at school in Edgeware, North West London, when a new teacher walked into our classroom. He would have said hello, I am your new teacher or something like that. What I do remember is the general reaction of the rough and rowdy mass of students in our class. They were unforgiving, rude and, at times, violent. On this day, which I do remember, the teacher was somewhat surprised at the adverse reaction from the mouthy nasty mob at the back of the class. I was sitting with a couple of my school friends at the front, with whom I was in a band. So, when we started chatting to the new teacher, we quickly discovered that he was a musician, and my two or three friends, and I sat up and leaned forward. “Tell us more,” we said. Within a few minutes, we realised we had someone very special standing in front of us.
He had recently finished his degree at the University of Sussex and had been offered a placement as a short-term teacher with us. This young teacher was John Altman.
It wasn’t long, in fact, a matter of weeks, before John left our school and joined the band, Hot Chocolate. At that time, I was very much into photography, and I had access to a photographic studio in Islington, London. John came down to that studio, and I took his Hot Chocolate publicity photo. He then left our school, and we quickly became great friends and have stayed in touch throughout the last 50 years.
I left school and became a photographer in the music business and he became one of the most in-demand and talented people in the world of music and film. He is an Arranger, Producer, Songwriter, Musician, Composer and more. He has worked with virtually everyone in the music and film world. He has won Emmys, BAFTAs and many other awards. It would be a major task for me to list his accomplishments, as there are way too many. One only has to glance at his Wikipedia page to get a clue.
Last night, the 1st of February, John, along with three talented musicians, performed to a sold-out crowd at London’s 606 Jazz Club in Chelsea. I have seen John perform many, many times over the years, and it’s a real treat. He is quite an exceptional musician. There were a few of his celebrity friends in the audience, which is what would be expected, actors and an England International footballer. People had travelled from far and wide. John told me earlier today, whilst we were chatting on the phone, that someone had also travelled from Paris, especially for this gig. It would certainly be fantastic if John decides to do more shows like this, and if he does, I would thoughtfully recommend that you get tickets early. Here are a few shots from last night's show at the superb 606 Jazz Club.
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