I guess that my introduction to music was in recorder classes, at school, which usually ended with me playing requests, for the last five minutes. My brother took up the clarinet and when he switched to sax, he gave it to me. I later bought a saxophone, too, and we did some little local dance gigs.

My first band was called ‘The Gladiators’, which Jimmy Saville handled for a while - I was 16 at the time. We did lots of gigs around the North West of England, gaining a great following and a good reputation for originality.

Our first TV appearance was on ‘Carroll Levis Discoveries’. We beat ‘Johnny and the Moondogs’ (later the ‘Beatles’) in the competition finals, which were held at the Ardwick Hippodrome, Manchester. The hostess, on the show, was Jackie Collins, who made me squirm, by being rather too nice to me. Well, I was only a small town boy, you know! I did a tune called, ‘Rudy’s Rock’, in which I rolled about the stage, and even did the ‘crab’, whilst playing. I think it turned her on.

The Beatles’ first autobiography describes how we beat them to TV, because we had ‘superior amplification’…we had a Selmer Truvoice amp, which was shared by two guitars and a bass.

Hughie Green booked us for his ‘Opportunity Knocks’ show, on Radio Luxembourg (actor Patrick Allen did the live adverts), on which we appeared three times. We played on a couple of BBC radio shows, too.

Session work followed, in London, including recording demos for the first Eden Kane, who looked like a long tall Adam Faith. (He got the sack and was replaced by Peter Sartsted’s older brother, Richard.) That’s when I given the name Lenny Saxon (which I later spelled Lenni Zaksen); for the last 20 years, or so, I’ve been known simply as ‘Lenni’.

During this time, I was asked to join the ‘Rock and Trad Fantasia’ (it made names of Kenny Ball, Acker Bilk and Joe Brown) and record for Nixa Records, but my father wouldn’t agree to sign the contracts for me. Johnny Dankworth approached me with an offer view to join his set-up, but in view of my dad’s reaction to the other stuff, I reneged the offer. Later, my dad announced that ‘that’ would have been OK. Grrr! However, I did get to play with a few neat people; one of my all-time favourites was Solomon Burke, who had a big hit with, ‘Everybody Needs Somebody to Love’. Yeah!

In the early sixties, I joined ‘The Corvettes’ (a Scottish band), which was runner-up in the ‘All-Britain Beat Contest’, beating several (later well-known) bands, including Herman’s Hermits, en route. We played at the 'Hope and Anchor', in London, in the run-up to a gig that we did, at the 'Comedy Theatre'. It was actually an old time review, with the stage set out as an open-air café. The artists just got up from their tables and performed at the front, with the exception of the star, Ida Barr. She was pretty old at the time, but had been a big music hall act, in her days. I introduced comedian Jackie Carlton to the show, but he turned out to be a bit too camp for the London audience. It was all great fun, but didn't last very long.

In 1965, I joined the ‘St Louis Union’, which got to number two in the charts with the Beatles song, ‘Girl’, before the group released its own version, on an album. We were the guest band on Otis Redding ‘s British tour, with other 'star' guest bands appearing on each performance, including Georgie Fame, The Alan Price Set and Zoot Money's Rig Roll Band, which featured Andy Summers (Police). Zoot had a baritone sax player who was a great acrobat. In one tune, he handed his sax to another member of the band, then strolled up stage, cartwheeled back down stage, grabbed his horn, and hit his part 'dead on cue'. Marvellous! I remember Andy Summers having a big fat Gretsch guitar and doing an amazing chordal slide shift, on a tune called, ‘Stop the Wedding’.

We did a couple of films and worked with the ‘Small Faces’ on some TV shows. The keyboard player later went on to work (as Dave Formula) in ‘Visage’ (with Steve Strange), ‘Magazine’ and with Howard Devoto (ex-Buzzcocks), on his solo albums. He’s now in a pretty successful band, ‘The Angel Brothers’. He came to a Chris Farlowe gig some time ago. It was great to see him; I hadn’t set eyes on him for a number of years.

At the end of the sixties, I worked with Tony Christie, staying with him for a couple of years, during which time he had all his hits, including the now notorious ‘Amarillo’. We worked at a Liverpool club called ‘The Wookey Hollow’, a few times, which is where I first met Dave Irving…about 35 years, ago!

In 1971, I went to play on the P&O cruise liner, Canberra, for three seasons, and worked with lots of top London session musicians. After, making a nice buttie from that, I went to live in Majorca, for a while, just chilling out, of course. While I was there, we had a visit from Gary Glitter (a friend, I was staying with, was in his entourage), with his daughter Sarah. He had just done TV, in Italy, and boasted that he was earning £2,000 per day. I suggested that the drinks were on him and he agreed. Hm, my kinda guy!

On returning to Britain, I joined a band called ‘Spider Jive’, which was led by singer/guitarist Mike King, who was hailed by the NME, and others, as Britain’s answer to Bruce Springsteen. He was quite brilliant, but unfortunately never made it. Later, the whole band became the backing band for Douggie James, a soul singer with quite a big following and plenty of work. (Important!) I stayed with him, on and off, until 1991.

Our repertoire stretched from Cab Calloway to James Brown to Stax/Tamla Motown to Stevie Windwood and Robert Palmer, via Frank Zapper. We occasionally added a horn section, to play stuff by Al Jarreau, the Brecker Brothers, Average White Band, etc. What a rockin’ band that was!

I met Norman Beaker, around this time, and went on to play with him, in various combinations, and at various intervals. It was with this band that I got to work with lots of well-known singers/musicians. We did lots of gigs with Lowell Fulson (Reconsider Baby), who thought highly of my playing. One day, I happened to mention that I’d read that Stanley Turrentine, JohnColtrane and Ray Charles had been in his bands. He said that most of the top jazz players, had been in his band, over the years, but begged me not to mention Ray Charles, again, because "That b…. stole my whole f…ing band!"

In 1979, I was asked by an old mate (Paul Young) to do some work on a new album (Fanx Ta-Ra), for a band called ‘Urban Gorilla’, which later became Sad Café. I only did one track, because the band had over run its budget.

I joined the band, but left when Eric Stewart was asked to produce Facades, because they decided that it was going to be just a rock band and probably wouldn’t need a saxophone player. However, a track from ‘Fanx Ta-Ra’ became a big hit, in the States, so I was asked to rejoin. I did the track ‘Emptiness’ (and wrote the ‘hook’ sax line, which didn’t get credited), for Facades, in LA. It’s interesting to note that Fleetwood Mac was doing the album ‘Tsk’, at the same time, but that took about a year to complete; we were in, and out, in a couple of shakes. Though, I spent most of that time in a fake English pub called 'Ye Olde King'’ head, which had Milwaukee beer, with added gravy browning to look like British beer: it was full of Aussies.

Ironically, when Sad Café did the next album, Eric Stewart asked me to do more work with him.

In the eighties I played with a Chicago/mainstream jazz outfit, alongside one of my old heroes, trombonist Ken Wray. It’s amazing that very few people have heard of this great player, who was in the famous Oscar Rabin band, in the 50’s. He played, regularly, with Tubby Hayes, Phil Seaman, Derek Humble (one of Britain’s finest saxophonists), Jimmy Deuchar (Tubby’s sidekick), Ronnie Ross and many top American musicians.

The band was led by a clarinet player, and complete nut-case, called Pete Kennedy, and had Victor Brox, another great musician with whom I’ve worked, on and off, over the years, on keyboards. Incidentally, Ronnie Ross played the sax solo on Lou Reed’s ‘Walk on the Wild Side’ and was in the famous eighties pop band, Matt Bianco.

One of my most memorable experiences occurred whilst playing with ‘Look Twice’, a Manchester band led by, singer/ songwriter, Barry James (brother of Douggie). We got picked to do a short tour with Atlantic Starr, when the promoter heard a demo, we’d recorded, being played on Chris Evan’s radio show. On the second night, at the Hammersmith Odeon, Stevie Wonder came to meet us, as he’d heard so much about us. He asked us to send him tapes, with a view to us working together, but that never happened…don’t ask!

Once, I did a week for Alvin Stardust (it should have been more, but we had a difference of opinion), on which I very nearly lost my life by falling over the back of the stage. At the end of the show, the sound guys had placed a heap of explosives behind the band. There was noting unusual about that, it was part of the show. But, because I was the new boy, they decided to add ‘just a little’ more. The wall, at the back of the stage, was very low and it was only due to the guitarist’s quick reaction that I stopped me from going over the edge. The drop (about 30 feet) would have finished my career, to say the least. It was several days before I got my hearing back, properly, too - another reason for my departure.

In 1990, Albie Donnelly asked me if I knew of any keyboard players, who would like to work in Germany, with his band ‘Supercharge’. I asked him if a sax would do…so, I became a member of the band, for several months. We got to work with loads of top people, including BB King and DR John. Unfortunately, I got the sack for nearly falling off stage, in a circus ring, in Rottweil (this was becoming a habit). I’ve never liked Rottweilers since (joke"!).

That afternoon, I’d had to wait for the rest of the band to turn up, on a cold windy day, and had helped the crew to open a new cask of beer...and a bottle of whiskey. I didn’t remember going to bed, but woke up with all my stuff at the side of my bed, and a great deal of mud on the carpet

I managed to talk myself back into the job, then completely lost the plot, shortly afterwards, on a tour with Chuck Berry. I think that was when I decided that touring was not for me.

When we were at the Antibes Jazz Festival, I spoke to legendary harmonica player, Toots Thielemans (another of my heroes). He told me to get my sax and have a blow play with him and the keyboard player from ‘Blood, Sweat and Tears’. But…it was locked away on the bus. Oh, dear!!

I confess that I was partly to blame for the creation of ‘The Amazing Doctor Sausage and his Tasty Chipolatas of Soul’ (or simply ‘Doc Sausage’), which was, more or less, the ‘Douggie James Soul Train’, without Douggie. It was fronted by singer Red Hoffman, who was pretty well known, in the 60s, as lead singer with ‘The Measles’.

Ian Wilson joined us, on guitar and vocals, and Des Tong joined us, from time to time, though the regular bass player was a brilliant musician, known to all simply as ‘Bo’ (a bit like ‘Lenni’, I suppose).

The guitarist, Lyn Oakey, also worked with Gil Scott-Heron and was a friend of Allen Ginsberg (the American poet) and Nico (Velvet Underground), who clearly influenced Debbie Harry, amongst others. We augmented the band with a horn section, on occasions, so that we could play music by Al Jarreau, the Brecker Brothers, Average White Band etc. What a seriously rockin’ band, that was!

Good:

(1) When I was playing in Hamburg, in the mid-sixties, I recognized a guy who had come into the club. His companion asked if the guy could get up and sing with us, as he thought the band was great. That man was Lou Rawls. Yeah!

(2) A friend, from RCA Records, came to see me at a gig, and brought the guitarist from Steely Dan, with him. He got up with us and we swapped a few choruses. He told my friend, later, that I’d given him a run for his money. Very nice!

Bad:

(1) After a gig, at ‘The Bottom Line’ (New York), a tall guy came up to me and introduced himself as Ron Carter. He gave me his phone number and asked me to get in touch, as he was interested in us working together. I knew that Ron Carter had played with all the top people (including Miles Davis), but didn’t believe that this was him. Three years later, at RCA Records Office, Ian Wilson pointed out a poster for an new album, which showed the guy from New York, on the cover…it was Ron Carter’s latest record…whoops!

(2) When I was in New York, I was asked to do a couple of albums for Griffon Records, whose two main saxophonists, Gerry Mulligan and Phil Woods, had just left, (again, two of the top guys, who have recorded with just about everyone), but I chickened out. I wish I hadn’t, now. That’s the beauty of hindsight, isn’t it?

In 1994, I decided to take an IT diploma course, which I passed. I, also, joined MENSA and my IQ was recorded as being higher, than Carol Vorderman’s (tee, hee!). I don’t think that any of this marks an end to my musical career, though I’m not sure where I’m going, from here.

Maybe, I should write that concerto, or best-selling novel, at last. Watch this space!!!

So, I’ve toured with Bobby Ball’s band (which featured Bernie Nolan, who did a great Bonnie Tyler impression), Chuck Berry, Chris Farlowe and Supercharge, been a guest on Van Morrison, Otis Redding, Carlos Santana and Toto tours, and recorded demos with Lisa Stansfield and ‘When in Rome’.

I’d loved to have worked with Dizzy Gillespie, Stevie Wonder, Toots Thielemans, Homer Simpson and Donald Duck.

However, here’s the list of people that I have performed and/or recorded with:

‘10CC’, Mick Abrahams, Jeff ‘Skunk’ Baxter (Steely Dan/Doobie Brothers), The Norman Beaker Band, Jack Bruce (Cream), Victor Brox, Carey Bell (Muddy Waters/Willie Dixon), Lurrie Bell, Dave Berry, Cannon and Ball, Arthur Conley, ‘The Corvettes’, Dave Dee, Kiki Dee, ‘Doc Sausage’, Lee Dorsey, Champion Jack Dupree, Chris Farlowe, Lowell Fulson, Herbie Goins, Buddy Guy, Phil Guy, Vince Hill, Dick Heckstall-Smith (John Mayall/Coliseum), Colin Hodgkinson (Backdoor/Jan Hammer/White Snake/), Red Hoffman, John Lee Hooker, Douggie James, Paul Jones (Manfred Mann/BBC Radio 2), Jimmy Litherland (Coliseum), ‘Look Twice’, Louisiana Red, Zoot Money, Dick Morrisey (Average White Band/Jimmy Witherspoon), Van Morrison, Charlie Musselwhite (Bonnie Raitt /Tom Waits/INXS), Lou Rawls, Fenton Robinson, Rockin’ Sidney (Don’t Mess With My Toot-Toot!), ‘Spider Jive’, Lisa Stansfield, Eric Stewart, Alvin Stardust, ‘St Louis Union’, ‘Supercharge’, Koko Taylor, Art Theman (sax with Stan Tracey), Rufus Thomas, Ruby Turner, Katie Webster, ‘When in Rome’, Mikey Wilson (Texas), Ken Wray (you name it!).