June and Lew Smith
Trumpeter and singer June Robinson, who played with the Ivy Benson Band, and her husband, alto saxophonist Lew Smith, a member of Eric Winstone’s band in the 1960s, emigrated to Australia in 1961.
Their music careers included singing and playing with rock bands. In 1974 they moved to Perth and June became active as a singer on stage and radio. She joined Jazz Divas and later formed June Smith and the Apple Band with Lew, which performed around Perth.
June Smith helped to found Jazz Fremantle in 1992 and became a patron of the club. She continued to perform until 2013.
Biography by Mike Rose
Ability to swing
Jazz musicians June Robinson and her husband Lew Smith disappeared from the British scene over 40 years ago. Since then very little has been reported about them. In 2004 The National Jazz Archive discovered them to be in Australia, both alive and well, and still playing. The entry here comprises several letters from 2005 detailing their life in Australia, British musicians who visited them and memories of their performing days before leaving the UK.
June and Lew Smith: Article 1
Image Details
| Interview date | 1st January 2005 |
|---|---|
| Interview source | Jazz Professional |
| Image source credit | |
| Image source URL | |
| Reference number | |
| Forename | June and Lew |
| Surname | Smith |
| Quantity | 1 |
Interview Transcription
From Lew:
A couple of months ago a friend of mine gave me an article you’d written about the Tommy Sampson band in a jazz magazine, as he thought I would know some of the guys mentioned. His name is Lionel Davis; he runs a music shop in Perth and played alto in Eric Winstone’s band in the 1960s. Your vivid writing brought back memories of hearing broadcasts by the Sampson band and some of the blokes I knew quite well, like George Hunter, Lew Warburton and Joe Temperley.
I bumped into Danny Moss at the Perth Jazz Society and told him about the article and he mentioned he had played briefly with the band, and agreed that it was a great band with great charts. He is flying to the UK at the end of June for four months touring, 60 gigs lined up so far, despite recuperating from pleurisy. Not bad for a guy who is 78.
I’ll try and fill you in on our activities for the past 40 years since we immigrated to Australia. I did my National Service in an RAF band in Henlow with Cyril Reuben, Ronnie Heasman and Frank Gillespie. I also met up with Jimmy Deuchar and Roy Willox in training.
Thanks for the info on Denny Boyce (June had played lead trumpet and sang in that band before emigrating r.s). We knew about Cinderella Rockefeller (used to be the Orchid Ballroom in Purley where the Denny Boyce band was resident) as June has a brother who lived in Croydon and we visited him a couple of times on return visits to the UK.
It was interesting to hear about Eric Delaney, Jack Parnell and Dougie Robinson, whom I admired for his immaculate lead alto work with Geraldo.
I can vaguely remember meeting you in Streatham in the 1950s as there were a lot of guys who I knew lived locally - friends like George Boocock, Eddie Blair, Allan Nesbitt and Kathy Stobart. I was often mistaken for trumpeter Johnny Oldfield with whom I played in the Palladium orchestra. No need for embarrassment as I’ve now reached the stage when I can’t remember why I call my kids and grandkids by the wrong names.
(Lew is referring to the time I met him in the street and spoke to him for an hour, firmly believing he was somebody else. He didn’t say anything until we parted. Then he said, By the way, my name is Lew Smith. r.s).
Before I forget - Johnny Oldfield paid us a visit some years ago with his young Chinese partner from Hong Kong where he was teaching.
I was intrigued by your detective work on Mac Minshul as I played alongside him briefly with Teddy Foster. He was certainly a good musician. I’ve heard of Tony Osborne, Alan Dean and Bob Coassin, but the only one I’ve met is Don Rader with whom I played when he came to do a night at the Perth Jazz Society some years ago. I believe he is a tutor in the Sydney Con Jazz course.
I will certainly look up Averil Walsh as June and I have done a couple of shows alongside the Perth Harmony Chorus. They are very professional, and have won awards in the USA. (Averil is the daughter of my very good friend, the trumpeter and teacher Cyril Narbeth, ex Teddy Foster and Tommy Sampson bands. r.s).
Trawling through our old picture albums I found the enclosed snap, which should really shock your wife, seeing such a handsome teenager with good-looking gals on either side. Betty Smith was a fine musician and never quite got the kudos she deserved.
June is greatly admired here for her singing and ability to swing, (must be due to her having played lead trumpet), and usually pulls a crowd when she appears. Unfortunately she refuses to make a CD as she says she only performs well in live situations.
The inserts in brackets marked rs are from the editor.
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