Jazz bassist Jeff Clyne has passed away at the age of 72.

An immensely experienced player and teacher of the double bass, he played on various classic British Jazz recordings (Tubby Hayes, Jazz Couriers, Stan Tracey’s Under Milk Wood) and on film sessions with artists including Alison Moyet and Ornette Coleman.

A self-taught musician, he became a military bandsman in the 3rd Hussars for his National Service in 1955 and it was during this time that he played in London with Tony Crombie’s Rockets and Stan Tracey.

He later joined the Jazz Couriers in 1958, a group who were led at the time by Ronnie Scott and Tubby Hayes.

In the early 1960s he performed with avant-garde groups such as the Spontaneous Music Ensemble and Amalgam, led by John Stevens and Trevor Watts.

In 1965, he became a member of The Stan Tracey Quartet with whom he recorded the classic album ‘Under Milk Wood‘ and later in that decade worked with Gordon Beck on his influential ‘Experiments With Pops‘ album alongside John McLaughlin, Tony Oxley and Tony Kinsey.

By the end of the 60s he had taken up the bass guitar and joined the newly formed Nucleus who he played with until 1971. He also performed with Keith Tippett’s acclaimed sextet alongside Elton Dean, Mark Charig and Nick Evans whilst in 1972 he became a founding member of Isotope, playing on the first album and touring with them as well.

By 1975 he had joined Gilgamesh and performed on their eponymous album and a year after, with singer Pepi Lemer and former Isotope keyboard player Brian Miller, formed the fusion band Turning Point, releasing the albums ‘Creatures Of The Night‘ and ‘Silent Promise‘ until they broke up in 1980.

In 1987, he recorded the acclaimed ‘Twice Upon A Time’ album with ex-Gilgamesh guitarist Phil Lee and in 1990 toured the UK as part of Gordon Beck’s trio, with John Marshall on drums.

He still played jazz gigs after that with various groups, often with drummer Trevor Tomkins and in 2003 got back with John Marshall in John Etheridge’s quartet.

He also worked with a variety of singers including Blossom Dearie, Marion Montgomery, Annie Ross and Norma Winstone whilst also collaborating with many other musicians including: Lucky Thompson, Zoot Sims, Phil Woods, Jim Hall, Lockjaw Davis, Taj Farlow and Toots Thielemans.

Highly active in jazz education, he served as co-director of the Wavendon Summer Jazz Course and was also on the faculty of both the Guildhall School of Music and the Royal Academy of Music jazz courses.

A Facebook tribute page named Jeff Clyne Remembered has been set up here.