James Blades

James Blades OBE (September 9, 1901 – May 19, 1999) was an English percussionist. [http://www.pas.org/News/memoriam/blades_IM.cfm Michael Skinner, "In Memoriam: James Blades OBE", Percussive Arts Society, 1999] . Retrieved August 8 2007.] [http://www.mishalov.com/Blades.html Nick Ravo, "James Blades Is Dead at 97; a Percussionist for Victory", "The New York Times" (May 25, 1999)] . Retrieved August 8 2007.]

He was one of the most celebrated Western percussionists, having had a long and varied career. His book "Percussion Instruments and their History" (1971) became one of the standard works on percussion instruments.

Jimmy, as he was known to all, was born in Peterborough, England in 1901. He was a long-time associate of Benjamin Britten, with whom he conceived many of the composer's unusual percussion effects. In 1954, Blades was appointed Professor of Percussion at the Royal Academy of Music.

Jimmy's pupils included the rock drummers Carl Palmer and Richard James Burgess as well as percussionist Evelyn Glennie.

His most famous & widely heard performances were the sound of the African drum playing "V-for-Victory" in Morse code- the introduction to the BBC broadcasts made to the resistance during World War II., and providing the sound of the Gong seen at the start of films produced by the Rank Organisation. Blades Blades played this sound on a tam-tam. On screen Blades' sound was mimed to by the "Gongman",

His autobiography "Drum Roll: A Professional Adventure from the Circus to the Concert Hall" was published by Faber & Faber on 13 June 1977. [Nielsen BookData ISBN 9780571101078]

Bibliography

*"Orchestral Percussion Techniques" (Oxford: University, 1961) ISBN 9780193188013
*"Percussion Instruments and their History" (London: Faber & Faber, 1971) ISBN 9780571088584
*"Orchestral Percussion Techniques" (Oxford: University, 1973) ISBN 9780193188037
*"Percussion Instruments and their History" (London: Faber & Faber, 1975) ISBN 9780571103607
*"Percussion Instruments and their History" (London: Faber & Faber, 1975) ISBN 9780571048328
*"Early Percussion Instruments from the Middle Ages to the Baroque" (Oxford: University, 1976) ISBN 9780193231764 (with Jeremy Montagu).
*"Drum Roll: A Professional Adventure from the Circus to the Concert Hall" (London: Faber & Faber, 1977) ISBN 9780571101078
*"Ready to Play" (London: BBC, 1978) ISBN 9780563176107 (with Carole Ward)
*"From Cave to Cavern" (London: Sussex, 1982) ISBN 9781860131387
*"A Check-List of the Percussion Instruments in the Edinburgh University Collection of Historic Musical Instruments" (Edinburgh: Reid School of Music, 1982) ISBN 9780907635079
*"Percussion Instruments and their History" (London: Faber & Faber, 1984) ISBN 9780571180813
*"How to Play Drums" (London: Penguin, 1985) ISBN-10 9780241116708 (with Johnny Dean)
*"Percussion Instruments and their History" (London: Pro Am Music Resources, 1992) ISBN 9780933224711
*"These I Have Met..." (London: Music Sales, 1998) ISBN 9780905210773
*"How to Play Drums" (London: St Martins, 1992) ISBN 9780312082123 (with Johnny Dean)
*"Percussion Instruments and their History" (London: Kahn & Averill, 1993) ISBN 9781871082364
*"Percussion Instruments and their History" (London: Kahn & Averill, 2006) ISBN 9780933224612

References

Persondata
NAME = Blades, James
ALTERNATIVE NAMES = Blades, Jimmy
SHORT DESCRIPTION = Percussionist, author
DATE OF BIRTH = September 9, 1901
PLACE OF BIRTH = Peterborough, England
DATE OF DEATH = May 19, 1999
PLACE OF DEATH =