Johnny Dankworth: The jazz bringer

When directors wanted their films to ooze cool, they called on Johnny Dankworth. Richard Williams on the man who made British cinema swingThere was a time when jazz and film formed a natural partnership. When a ­director wanted a hectic ­accompaniment to criminal activity, or a splintered melody to echo an on-screen psychodrama, or a cool, lush sound to accompany a cocktail-lounge seduction, jazz was the sound to use. And Johnny Dankworth was one of the men who could provide it, on time ...

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