Manchester Sports Guild

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}} '''Manchester Sports Guild''' ('''MSG''') was a jazz and folk music venue in Manchester, England, that flourished from 1961 to 1973.<ref name="MSG 2002" />

== History == Manchester Sports Guild was a membership organisation founded in 1953 in Manchester, England, to promote amateur sports. L. C. Jenkins ("Jenks") was the founding General Secretary. It opened in April 1954. Shortly after moving into its first venue on Market Street, MSG, almost by accident, began promoting jazz. In 1961, MSG acquired its second venue at 8–10 Long Millgate, opposite Chetham's School of Music, near Manchester Cathedral, that became known as MSG's "Sports and Social Centre".<ref name="Guardian 1961 Mar 9" /> The venue flourished until about 1973, when it was closed for imminent demolition, which didn't occur for a few years. The Long Millgate location was an old brick Victorian building with a bar on the ground floor, folk music upstairs, and jazz in its unadorned cellar.<ref name="Guardian 2017 May 29" /> In 1962, shortly after opening the new venue, Jenks appointed Jack Swinnerton as Jazz Organiser. Henceforth, the MSG began booking internationally known jazz artists,<ref name="Swinnerton 2008 Dec" /> performers who leaned more towards blues and traditional and swing idioms). The jazz cellar was also the centre of afterhours jam-sessions with American jazz artists who had, earlier in the evening, performed at other Manchester venues, particularly the Free Trade Hall.<ref name="MSG-News-Articles" />

In 1964, ''The Observer'' stated: "In the Manchester Sports Guild they have the best jazz centre in the country {{nowrap| ... "}}<ref name="Observer 1964 Oct 25" />

Frank Duffy ran the folk scene, upstairs. The Urbis building now occupies the site.

== Selected performing artists == === Jazz and blues (in the cellar) === {{div col|colwidth=22em}} * Alvin Alcorn (1912–2003) * Henry "Red" Allen (1908–1967) * Jimmy Archey (1902–1967) * Acker Bilk (1929–2014) * Ruby Braff (1927–2003) * Sandy Brown (1929–1975) * Buck Clayton (1911–1991) * Bill Coleman (1904–1981) * Wild Bill Davison (1906–1989) * Vic Dickenson (1906–1984) * Dutch Swing College Band * Al Fairweather (1927–1993) * Pops Foster (1892–1969) * Bud Freeman (1906–1991) * Edmond Hall (1901–1967) * John Handy (born 1933) * Earl "Fatha" Hines (1903–1983) * George Lewis (1900–1968) * Alan Littlejohn (1928–1996) * Humphrey Lyttelton (1921–2008) * Wingy Manone (1900–1982) * Louis Nelson (1900–1990) * New Jazz Orchestra (1963–1970) * Albert Nicholas (1900–1973) * Johnny Parker (1929–2010) * Emanuel Paul (1904–1988) * Pee Wee Russell (1906–1969) * Kid Thomas (1897–1987) * Bruce Turner (1922–1993) * Joe Turner (1907–1990) * Alex Welsh (1929–1982) * Bob Wallis (1934–1991) * Ben Webster (1909–1973) * Dicky Wells (1907–1985) * Teddy Wilson (1912–1986) {{div col end}}

=== Folk, pop, and poets (upstairs) === {{div col|colwidth=22em}} * Clarence Ashley (1895–1967) * Dominic Behan (1928–1989) * Roy Budd (1947–1993) * Tony Capstick (1944–2003) * Martin Carthy (born 1941) * John Cooper Clarke<ref name="Bean 2014" /> (born 1949) * Art Garfunkel (born 1941) * Paul Simon (born 13th October 1941) * Mike Harding<ref name="Bean 2014" /> (born 1944) * Rosie Hardman (born 1945) * Bert Jansch (1943–2011) * Magna Carta * Bill Monroe (1911–1996) * Christy Moore<ref name="Bean 2014" /> (born 1945) * The Spinners * Dave Swarbrick (1941–2016) * Wally Whyton (1929–1997)

== Selected discography == === Jazz === {| class="wikitable collapsible sortable" border="0" cellpadding="1" style="color: black; background-color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 90%; width:100%" ! Session / performance date !! Artist (leader) !! Album or Single !! Label (Catalog No.) !! Studio (Venue) !! OCLC |- | style="text-align:center" width="12%;" data-sort-value="1964-10-17" | {{nowrap|17 October 1964}} | style="text-align:center" width="27%" data-sort-value="russell 1964-10" | Pee Wee Russell<ref name="Pee-Wee 1964 tour" group=lower-roman /> With John Armatage's Jump Band | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="russell 1964-10" | ''Pee Wee Russell with John Armatage's Jump Band'' | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="jazzology 1964-10" | Jazzology {{nowrap|JCD-355}} (CD) | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="manchester" | Live Manchester Sports Guild Manchester, England | style="text-align:center" width="9%" |

|- | style="text-align:center" width="12%;" data-sort-value="1964-11-01" | {{nowrap|1 November 1964}} & {{nowrap|16 July 1966}} | style="text-align:center" width="27%" data-sort-value="russell 1964-11" | Pee Wee Russell With Alex Welsh and His Band | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="russell 1964-11" | ''Pee Wee Russell with Alex Welsh and His Band'' | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="lake 1964-11" | Lake (nl) {{nowrap|(E) LACD 157}} (CD) | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="manchester" | Live Manchester Sports Guild Manchester, England | style="text-align:center" width="9%" |

|- | style="text-align:center" width="12%;" data-sort-value="1965-02-14" | {{nowrap|14 February 1965}} | style="text-align:center" width="27%" data-sort-value="davidson 1965" | Wild Bill Davidson With Alex Welsh and His Band | style="text-align:center" width="18%" | ''Blowin' Wild'' | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="jazzology 1965-02" | Jazzology {{nowrap|J–18 & JCD-18}} (CD) | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="manchester" | Live Manchester Sports Guild Manchester, England | style="text-align:center" width="9%" | {{OCLC search link|34476112}}

|- | style="text-align:center" width="12%;" data-sort-value="1965-04-03" | {{nowrap|3 April 1965}} | style="text-align:center" width="27%" data-sort-value="hines 1965" | Earl "Fatha" Hines With Alex Welsh and His Band | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="hines 1965" | ''Earl Hines With the Alex Welsh Band'' | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="jazzology 1965-04" | Jazzology {{nowrap|JCD-348}} (CD) | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="manchester" | Live Manchester Sports Guild Manchester, England | style="text-align:center" width="9%" | {{OCLC search link|689528047}} {{OCLC search link|555846651}} {{OCLC search link|869054680}}

|- | style="text-align:center" width="12%;" data-sort-value="1966-05-28" | {{nowrap|28 May 1966}} | style="text-align:center" width="27%" data-sort-value="dupree 1966" | Champion Jack Dupree | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="hines 1965" | ''Jivin' With Jack'' | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="jasmine 1967-03" | Jasmine {{nowrap|(E) JASMCD 3008-9}} (2CDs) | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="manchester" | Live Manchester Sports Guild Manchester, England | style="text-align:center" width="9%" | {{OCLC search link|53700207}}

|- | style="text-align:center" width="12%;" data-sort-value="1966-05-21" | {{nowrap|21 May 1966}} | style="text-align:center" width="27%" data-sort-value="stewart" | Rex Stewart With Alex Welsh and His Band | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="stewart" | ''Rex Stewart with the Alex Welsh Band'' | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="jazzology 1966-05" | Jazzology {{nowrap|JCD-345}} (CD) | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="manchester" | Live Manchester Sports Guild Manchester, England | style="text-align:center" width="9%" |

|- | style="text-align:center" width="12%;" data-sort-value="1966-06-19" | {{nowrap|19 June 1966}} | style="text-align:center" width="27%" data-sort-value="freeman 1966-06" | Bud Freeman With Alex Welsh and His Band | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="freeman 1966-06" | ''Bud Freeman With Alex Welsh & His Band'' | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="lake 1966-06" | Lake (nl) {{nowrap|(E) LACD 183}} (CD) | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="manchester" | Live Manchester Sports Guild Manchester, England | style="text-align:center" width="9%" | {{OCLC search link|1044374278}}

|- | style="text-align:center" width="12%;" data-sort-value="1966-09-11" | {{nowrap|11 September 1966}} | style="text-align:center" width="27%" data-sort-value="colyer" | Ken Colyer With George Lewis | style="text-align:center" width="18%" | ''Live 1966: Ken Colyer's Jazzmen With George Lewis'' | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="lake 1966-09" | Lake (nl) {{nowrap|(E) LACD 27}} (CD) | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="manchester" | Live Manchester Sports Guild Manchester, England | style="text-align:center" width="9%" |

|- | style="text-align:center" width="12%;" data-sort-value="1966-10-09" | {{nowrap|9 October 1966}} | style="text-align:center" width="27%" data-sort-value="freeman 1966-10" | Bud Freeman With Alex Welsh and His Band | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="freeman 1966-10" | ''Bud Freeman with the Alex Welsh Band'' | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="jazzology 1966-10" | Jazzology {{nowrap|JCD-332}} | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="manchester" | Live Manchester Sports Guild Manchester, England | style="text-align:center" width="9%" |

|- | style="text-align:center" width="12%;" data-sort-value="1966-11-13" | {{nowrap|13 November 1966}} & {{nowrap|19 November 1966}} | style="text-align:center" width="27%" data-sort-value="hall 1966-11" | Edmond Hall Quartet With Alan Elsdon and His Jazz Band | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="hall 1966-11" | ''Edmond Hall Quartet with Alan Elsdon and His Jazz Band'' | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="jazzology 1966-11" | Jazzology {{nowrap|JCD-240}} & {{nowrap|JCD-207}} | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="manchester" | Live Manchester Sports Guild Manchester, England | style="text-align:center" width="9%" |

|- | style="text-align:center" width="12%;" data-sort-value="1966-12-04" | {{nowrap|4 December 1966}} | style="text-align:center" width="27%" data-sort-value="davison 1966-12" | Wild Bill Davison With Alex Welsh and His Band | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="davison 1966-12" | ''Wild Bill Davison with Alex Welsh and His Band'' | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="lake 1966-09" | Lake (nl) {{nowrap|(E) LACD 279}} (CD) | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="manchester" | Live Manchester Sports Guild Manchester, England | style="text-align:center" width="9%" | {{OCLC search link|1090079059}} {{OCLC search link|1044433254}}

|- | style="text-align:center" width="12%;" data-sort-value="1967-01-14" | {{nowrap|14 January 1967}} | style="text-align:center" width="27%" data-sort-value="webster 1967" | Stan Tracey Trio With Ben Webster and Ronnie Scott | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="webster 1967" | ''UK Live 1967 Vol. 2: Stan Tracey Trio with Ben Webster and Ronnie Scott'' | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="jazzhus 1967" | Jazzhus Disk {{nowrap|(G) JP–3102}} (CD) | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="manchester" | Live Manchester Sports Guild Manchester, England | style="text-align:center" width="9%" |

|- | style="text-align:center" width="12%;" data-sort-value="1967-02-12" | {{nowrap|12 February 1967}} | style="text-align:center" width="27%" data-sort-value="nicholas 1967" | Albert Nicholas With Alan Elsdon's Band | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="nicholas 1967" | ''Albert Nicholas with Alan Elsdon's Band'' (Vol. 2) | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="jazzology 1967-02" | Jazzology {{nowrap|JCD-269}} (CD) | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="manchester" | Live Manchester Sports Guild Manchester, England | style="text-align:center" width="9%" |

|- | style="text-align:center" width="12%;" data-sort-value="1967-02-19" | {{nowrap|19 February 1967}} & {{nowrap|4 March 1967}} | style="text-align:center" width="27%" data-sort-value="allen 1967" | Henry "Red" Allen With the Alex Welch Band | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="allen 1967" | ''Red Allen & The Alex Welsh Band'' | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="allen 1967-02" | Red Allen {{nowrap|(G) RA-CD-28}} & {{nowrap|RA-CD-13}} (CD) Jazzology {{nowrap|JCD-318}} (CD) | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="manchester" | Live Manchester Sports Guild Manchester, England | style="text-align:center" width="9%" |

|- | style="text-align:center" width="12%;" data-sort-value="1967-03-26" | {{nowrap|26 March 1967}} & {{nowrap|1 April 1967}} | style="text-align:center" width="27%" data-sort-value="davis" | Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="oh" | ''Oh, Gee! Live in Manchester, 1967'' | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="jasmine 1967-03" | Jasmine {{nowrap|(E) JASCD 629}} (CD) | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="manchester" | Live Manchester Sports Guild Manchester, England | style="text-align:center" width="9%" | {{OCLC search link|839403346}}

|- | style="text-align:center" width="12%;" data-sort-value="1967-04-09" | {{nowrap|9 April 1967}} | style="text-align:center" width="27%" data-sort-value="miller" | Eddie Miller With Alex Welsh | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="miller" | ''Eddie Miller With Alex Welsh'' | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="jazzology 1967-04" | Jazzology {{nowrap|JCD-298}} (CD) | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="manchester" | Live Manchester Sports Guild Manchester, England | style="text-align:center" width="9%" | {{OCLC search link|434123442}}

|- | style="text-align:center" width="12%;" data-sort-value="1967-05-06" | {{nowrap|6 May 1967}} | style="text-align:center" width="27%" data-sort-value="coleman" | Bill Coleman | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="smooth" | ''A Smooth One'' | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="jasmine 1967-05" | Jasmine {{nowrap|(E) JASCD 628}} (CD) | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="manchester" | Live Manchester Sports Guild Manchester, England | style="text-align:center" width="9%" |

|- | style="text-align:center" width="12%;" data-sort-value="1967-05-14" | {{nowrap|14 & 28 May 1967}} | style="text-align:center" width="27%" data-sort-value="hucko" | Peanuts Hucko With Alex Welsh and His Band | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="hucko" | ''Peanuts Hucko With Alex Welsh & His Band'' (Vol. 1) | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="lake 1967-05" | Lake (nl) {{nowrap|(E) LACD 171}} & {{nowrap|LACD 175}} (CD) | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="manchester" | Live Manchester Sports Guild Manchester, England | style="text-align:center" width="9%" | {{OCLC search link|873091114}}

|- | style="text-align:center" width="12%;" data-sort-value="1967-11-18" | {{nowrap|18 November 1967}} | style="text-align:center" width="27%" data-sort-value="davison 1967" | Wild Bill Davison With Alex Welsh and His Band ("Duet," [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EYJHgYNx7E audio]) | style="text-align:center" width="18%" | ''Fidgety Feet'' | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="jazzology 1967-11" | Jazzology {{nowrap|JCD-231}} | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="manchester" | Live Manchester Sports Guild Manchester, England | style="text-align:center" width="9%" | {{OCLC search link|689527857}}

|- | style="text-align:center" width="12%;" data-sort-value="1967-11-18" | {{nowrap|18 November 1967}} | style="text-align:center" width="27%" data-sort-value="davison 1967" | Wild Bill Davison With Alex Welsh and His Band | style="text-align:center" width="18%" | ''Wild Bill Davison in Europe'' | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="jazzology 1967-11" | Jazzology {{nowrap|JCD-151}} | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="manchester" | Live Manchester Sports Guild Manchester, England | style="text-align:center" width="9%" |

|- | style="text-align:center" width="12%;" data-sort-value="1968-02-24" | {{nowrap|24 & 25 February 1968}} | style="text-align:center" width="27%" data-sort-value="wilson" | Teddy Wilson With the Dave Shepherd Quartet | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="wilson" | ''Teddy Wilson With The Dave Shepherd Quartet'' | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="lake 1968-02" | Lake (nl) {{nowrap|(E) LACD 161}} (CD) | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="manchester" | Live Manchester Sports Guild Manchester, England | style="text-align:center" width="9%" |

=== Folk === {| class="wikitable collapsible sortable" border="0" cellpadding="1" style="color: black; background-color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 90%; width:100%" ! Session / performance date !! Artist (leader) !! Album or Single !! Label (Catalog No.) !! Studio (Venue) !! OCLC |- | style="text-align:center" width="12%;" data-sort-value="1968" | {{nowrap|1968}} | style="text-align:center" width="27%" data-sort-value="russell 1964-10" | The Taverners Folk Group Alan Bell (1935–2019) Brian Osborne (1939–2002) Stuart Robinson (1942–2008) Pete Rodgers | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="russell 1964-10" | ''A' Round With The Taverners Folk Group'' | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="jazzology 1964-10" | Studio Republic Ltd. (Church Farm, Pinner, Middlesex) {{nowrap|SRS 12074}} (LP) | style="text-align:center" width="18%" data-sort-value="manchester" | Live Manchester Sports Guild Manchester, England | style="text-align:center" width="9%" | |}

== MSG personnel == * John Pye, Executive Director * Jack Swinnerton, Jazz Secretary * L.C. Jenkins ("Jenks") ''(né'' Leslie Charles Jenkins; 1918–1986), General Secretary * Bryn Pugh, MC in the folk room * Frank Duffy, initial Folk Secretary * John Dronsfield ("Drony"), Frank's successor

== Notes and references == === Notes === {{Reflist|group=lower-roman|50em|refs=

<ref name="Pee-Wee 1964 tour">Pee Wee Russell toured the United Kingdom October and November 1964. He performed at MSG October 16–18, 22, and November 1. ([https://www.nationaljazzarchive.org.uk/explore/programmes/pee-wee-russell-uk-tour "Souvenir Programme: Pee Wee Russell UK Tour, October & November 1964" (No. 2522)], accessible ''via'' National Jazz Archive)</ref>

}}

=== References === {{Reflist|30em|refs=

<ref name="Swinnerton 2008 Dec">[http://www.swinnerton.org/Saga/Volume13/No_6_Dec2008.pdf "Family Notes: Jack Barker Swinnerton" (obituary)], by John Pye (ex-Chairman of MSG), ''The Swinnerton Saga,'' Journal of the Swinnerton Society, Vol. 13, No. 6, December 2008, p. 163)</ref>

<ref name="MSG 2002">"The Manchester Sports Guild (M.S.G.)," by Jack Swinnerton, reproduced by kind permission of Jack Swinnerton & ''Just Jazz Magazine'' (2002)<div style="margin-left:2em">[https://www.jazznorthwest.co.uk/msg1.htm Part 1:] "{{nowrap|Beginnings ... }}" [https://www.jazznorthwest.co.uk/msg2.htm Part 2:] "'Opening Night'" [https://www.jazznorthwest.co.uk/msg3.htm Part 3:] "Tenth Anniversary" [https://www.jazznorthwest.co.uk/msg4.htm Part 4:] "Red's Final Night {{nowrap| ... }}and the Aftermath" [https://www.jazznorthwest.co.uk/msg5.htm Part 5:] "Pee Wee Russell on Tour" [https://www.jazznorthwest.co.uk/msg6.htm Part 6:] "George Lewis and the Promotional Society For New Orleans Music" [https://www.jazznorthwest.co.uk/msg7.htm Part 7:] "Wild Bill Davison and {{nowrap|others ... }}" [https://www.jazznorthwest.co.uk/msg8.htm Part 8:] "Earl 'Fatha' Hines {{nowrap| ... }} 57 Varieties" [https://www.jazznorthwest.co.uk/msg9.htm Part 9:] "Nothing is Easy" [https://www.jazznorthwest.co.uk/msga.htm Part 10:] "Buck Clayton, Vic Dickenson, and Others" [https://www.jazznorthwest.co.uk/msgb.htm Part 11:] "The End of the Story by Jack B. Swinnerton"</div></ref>

<ref name="Guardian 2017 May 29">[https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/may/29/terrorism-manchester-music-gigs-morrissey-anger-arena "Manchester is a City of Live Music and Good Times. That’s Why This Hurts so Much,"] by Carol Birch, ''The Guardian,'' May 29, 2017</ref>

<ref name="Bean 2014">''Singing From the Floor: A History of British Folk Clubs,'' by Julian P. Bean, Faber & Faber (2014); {{OCLC|941532042}}<div style="margin-left:2em"> [https://books.google.com/books?id=y7jqAgAAQBAJ&lpg=PP1&pg=PT171 "John Cooper Clarke,"] pps. 171–172 [https://books.google.com/books?id=y7jqAgAAQBAJ&lpg=PP1&pg=PT172 "Christy Moore,"] pps. 172–173 [https://books.google.com/books?id=y7jqAgAAQBAJ&lpg=PP1&pg=PT257 "Mike Harding,"] p. 257</div></ref>

<ref name="Guardian 1961 Mar 9">"Sportsmen's Own Club: Jazz—and Bars," ''The Guardian,'' March 9, 1961, p. (accessible ''via'' {{URL|https://www.newspapers.com/image/259635153|Newspapers.com}}, subscription required)</ref>

<ref name="Observer 1964 Oct 25">"Briefing / Who & Why – Beating the Retreat?" ''The Observer,'' October 25, 1964, p. 23 (accessible ''via'' {{URL|https://www.newspapers.com/image/258819812|Newspapers.com}}, subscription required)</ref>

<ref name="MSG-News-Articles">[http://www.rainerjazz.com/pdf/AllenBioDisco-chapters-9+10+Index-1961-73(Feb.13).pdf Collection of Articles about Red Allen and the Manchester Sports Guild], ''Rainer-Jazz – The Jazz Archive Site'' (site registered May 9, 2001, by Dr. Rainer Schneider, Buxtehude, Germany) (retrieved June 24, 2019)<div style="margin-left:2em">"Jazz Archive, Jazz Research, Jazz Photography and Jazz Records Site, Jazzforschung und Jazzfotos"</div></ref>

}}

Category:1953 establishments in England Category:1973 establishments in England Category:Defunct jazz clubs Category:Jazz clubs in the United Kingdom Category:Music venues in Manchester Category:Nightclubs in Manchester Category:Former buildings and structures in Manchester Category:Demolished buildings and structures in Manchester Category:History of Manchester Category:Culture in Manchester

Manchester Sports Guild

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