The Serious family is saddened by the loss of one of its founders John Cumming – a much-loved colleague and friend.
John loved jazz, theatre and especially his family. He met the love of his life, his wife Ginnie, when they were studying at Edinburgh University, and they had a daughter, Kate.
From the late 1960s, he worked primarily in theatre as a director, lighting designer and occasional writer. As well as designing lights for Lindsay Kemp and the Welfare State, he co-founded the Pool Theatre in Edinburgh. Although he is celebrated for his work in music, it was that sense of theatre that drove him to create inspiring festivals and produce extraordinary musical collaborations.
John joined South Hill Park Arts Centre in 1973 to run the theatre and music programmes, and started the Bracknell Jazz Festival, building it into an international platform for contemporary jazz and improvised music. Turning freelance in 1977, he worked as a production and tour manager for Contemporary Music Network in the UK, and internationally for George Russell (creating the Anglo-American Living Time Orchestra), Carla Bley and Charlie Haden's Liberation Orchestra. He programmed the Camden Jazz Week and continued to work as lighting designer for the Albany Empire, IOU Theatre Company and Mike Westbrook.
In the mid-80s, he founded Serious Productions with John Ellson, working with Orphy Robinson, Andy Sheppard and John Surman. David Jones joined them to form Serious Speakout in 1992 and they launched what has become one of the world's great music festivals, the EFG London Jazz Festival. In 1996, Claire Whitaker joined, and they formed Serious as it is known today.
John loved pushing at the boundaries of jazz, reclaiming and underlining the radical inspiration of the music and exploring links with hip-hop and dance culture. He was close to so many major American artists, including Cecil Taylor, Max Roach, Jack DeJohnette and Robert Glasper, but he was particularly passionate about the creative forces inside European jazz. He touched many lives in the UK jazz scene and it gave him great satisfaction that he lived to see a new generation of jazz musicians delighting huge audiences.
John was at his best when he worked closely with colleagues and partners, sharing ideas, drinks, enthusiasms and elliptical Scottish jokes ("What is a Partick Thistle?" asked one bemused tour manager), and helping Serious to develop younger producers who have gone on to work across the world. He received Awards for Services to Jazz at both the BBC Jazz Awards and the Parliamentary Jazz Awards, and in 2014 he was made an OBE for Services to Jazz.
John stepped back from Serious last year, but he stayed connected right to the end. Just a couple of weeks ago, he was working on the European tour of his last international production, Harlem Hellfighters, which featured a new generation of young musicians from Tomorrow's Warriors working with Jason Moran. Combining film, literature, theatre and a dazzling range of black music, it was a complex and thrilling piece - a final statement by an inspiring producer who was loved by everyone who knew him.
Everyone at Serious sends all our love to Ginnie, Kate and his family.
In John's own words...
2017: Gilles Peterson interviews John on Worldwide FM's Brownswood Basements about where his love of jazz originated, anecdotes from his career, and his selected tracks. Listen from 1:04:00
2017: 'Jazz is a living, breathing entity' John celebrates EFG London Jazz Festival's 25th anniversary in this MusicWeek interview
2017: Listen to John on Robert Elms' Listen Londoner here2013: John chats to Jazz FM about the growth of EFG London Jazz Festival into one of the largest pan-city music events, plus some track selections in this standalone audio interview2012: John reveals highlights from his own record collection in this interview with Record Collector
A newly released chat with jazz pianist Ethan Iverson can be read here
Tributes have been flooding in to celebrate John.
Below are some of the articles and posts
'His own tireless curiosity and sharp perception made him responsive to the earliest tremors in the music’s tectonic plates: he was, as all great arts festival directors must be, not just a connoisseur of the past but a friend to the new' [The Guardian]
'The word ‘hang’ could have been made for him- that’s how he achieved so much- by hanging out with musicians, agents, managers, promoters- as friends' [Ros Rigby, London Jazz News]
Many touching words from colleagues, partners, musicians, and friends, gathered by former Serious colleague and Arts & Parts Director Martel Ollerenshaw, can be found here
'His warmth, wit, and generous admiration for creative artists from unknowns to global celebrities means that many who had the pleasure of knowing him will hear the news as a personal loss, as if he were family' [John Fordham, Jazzwise]
Ian Shaw hosts on Ronnie Scott's Radio including a John Cumming tribute with a quote from Guy Barker and a clip from John talking about Betty Carter [Listen from 23 minutes here]
Present and past Presidents of the Europe Jazz Network, all of whom were dear friends and colleagues of John, can be found here
I am very deeply saddened by the news of John’s passing. He was the first promoter to give me a platform onto the LJF stage for over 20 years, believing in all the new projects that I presented to him. ...😢
— Tony Kofi (@tonykofi) May 18, 2020
R.I.P. John Cumming 🙏🏿https://t.co/gONTNomEfW pic.twitter.com/SeRtk96DZt
One of the best people I have ever met has now left the rest of us out here to continue facing this life. God bless his beautiful family; we mourn with them. @Seriouslive
— Sonny Rollins (@sonnyrollins) May 21, 2020
bluenoterecords: RT Jazzwise: Incredibly sad news that our good friend and hugely respected colleague John Cumming has passed - our deepest sympathies go out to all at Serious and to his family https://t.co/uviiJn750T pic.twitter.com/pO9pfY5tax
— Blue Note Collector (@BlueNoteVinyl) May 19, 2020
We are truly saddened to hear that John Cumming has died. As a founder of @Seriouslive and Artistic Director of @LondonJazzFest, he championed and supported British and international artists, and leaves a vital legacy. Heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and colleagues. https://t.co/nyCFlssS0e
— British Council Music (@BritishMusic_) May 19, 2020
Our Great Champion for Music Arts #JohnCumming has joined the legends in the hereafter. His support for Artists was incomparable. He touched the hearts of so many of us. Rest Well Sir John. Rest Well.🌷 https://t.co/oCOhMc3BZR
— Carleen Anderson (@CarleenAnderson) May 18, 2020
I first met John Cumming very briefly in 2005 when @HeritageOrc was supporting @robertglasper at the barbican, of which @Seriouslive were promoting with @GillesPeterson4 but I didn’t properly meet John until 2006… https://t.co/IXV4rAcIEV
— Jules Buckley (@julesbuckley) May 21, 2020
John opened doors to wonderful new worlds for us - a true gent, a jazz scholar & an absolute legend. RIP ❤️😢 Sending our love to his family, colleagues & friends x
— Basement Jaxx (@TheBasementJaxx) May 19, 2020
Serious co-founder and light of the British jazz community John Cumming OBE has passed away at the age of 72 | #MusicNews
— Jazz FM (@jazzfm) May 19, 2020
| @Seriouslive |https://t.co/JlM8ZWI7jS
Incredibly sad news that our good friend and hugely respected colleague John Cumming has passed - our deepest sympathies go out to all at Serious and to his family https://t.co/ahbIyFwXuM pic.twitter.com/zlDUaWZhjQ
— Jazzwise (@Jazzwise) May 18, 2020
This man, along with Amy Pearce, opened doors that were closed to me and always had time for a chat and some encouragement - an absolute gent - RIP John Cumming https://t.co/YED6toTpl0
— Tony Minvielle (@TonyMinvielle) May 19, 2020
The jazz world has lost a friend. https://t.co/SHSGgKwWFO
— Branford Marsalis (@bmarsalis) May 18, 2020
I’m utterly, utterly, gutted to hear of John Cumming’s passing. Every time I ran into him backstage at the London Jazz Festival or at a social do, he always gave me the biggest hugs & smiles. Always encouraging, I… https://t.co/4Xsv8OzvkL
— Jumoké (@jumokefashola) May 18, 2020
I first met John Cumming at a house party in his house when I was 15 or 16. I spent the night rummaging through his record collection and taking notes. I have so many happy memories of late nights at his house talking jazz and taking more notes.... (1/2) pic.twitter.com/4Y4dh6FD5C
— mr jukes (@mrjukesmusic) May 20, 2020
Lau are greatly saddened by news of the passing of John Cumming. Our thoughts with his family and all at @Seriouslive . John made such a number of wonderful things happen, some of which we are privileged to have been involved in. A huge loss for music.
— LAU (@LAUmusic) May 21, 2020
'John was a true titan of the jazz scene, not only as a founder of the London Jazz Festival and Serious but also a person who tirelessly promoted and shone the brightest spotlights on the live jazz.' (Emile Holba) [Read here with photos]
'John leaves great achievements; he played a major role, probably the major role, creating an international jazz scene in London and a touring network of British and international artists in the major UK venues' (Tony Dudley Evans) [Read here]
I am so very sorry to hear the news about John. I loved spending time with him when working on the history of London Jazz Festival book a few years ago. He was such an important figure in the jazz world and will be very sorely missed. Sending love to his family and friends. RIP.
— Emma Webster (@EmmaWebsterUK) May 19, 2020
It is with great sadness and much love that we say rip to the lovely JC, who was a huge friend to us, in particular during @2017Hull. Our thoughts go out to Ginnie and Kate plus his @Seriouslive family and all our colleagues in the jazz sector. We will really miss him. https://t.co/QC4U5RNMPS
— Hull Jazz Festival (@HullJazzFest) May 18, 2020
So sad to hear the news. My love and condolences to all the family....the Cummings and @Seriouslive I shall miss him at all those wonderful festivals and events that all @Seriouslive brought to the masses. https://t.co/03e2aLgwD9
— Lopa Kothari (@Thisislopa) May 18, 2020
The @PRSFoundation team are incredibly sad to hear this news. We send our condolences to John's family and all our friends and colleagues in the Serious team at this difficult time. x
— PRS Foundation (@PRSFoundation) May 18, 2020
So very sad to say a fond farewell to "The Man Who Got Me Into This"
— London East Jazz Network // #JazzEast (@londoneastjazz) May 20, 2020
If it wasn't for you John, I will still be listening to Deep Purple.
RIP and Thank You from out here in the Not-So-Far East💯@Seriouslive… https://t.co/Q3hSXZHFvq
I remember him telling me many a story about the music he loved and giving his welcome insights on the world in general when we met in the Strangers Bar of the House of Commons. He always kept an eye in a forward direction. He will be a big miss to jazz @Seriouslive @sonnyrollins
— Phil Wilson (@PhilWilsonXMP) May 21, 2020
Inspiring so many, John Cumming was proof that the music industry can be supportive and kind and yet still innovative. He did so much for emerging artists with @Seriouslive, wonderful initiatives we all gained from https://t.co/p5RBAANHny
— Ghislaine Boddington (@GBoddington) May 20, 2020
The NCH was saddened to hear of the passing of John Cumming – one of the founders of Serious Music in the UK. We have worked closely with Serious over the years on many wonderful projects and we send our condolences to his family, friends and colleagues at this difficult time. https://t.co/WtsUVBHRDf
— National Concert Hall (@NCH_Music) May 19, 2020
That’s very sad news to hear. John was always very welcoming to me whenever I was covering anything at @LondonJazzFest - he was always the friendly face. RIP #JohnCumming 🎷 🎶 🙏 https://t.co/arm9Gig8ow
— Hayley Redmond (@HayleyFudge) May 19, 2020
So sad to hear of the death of John Cumming - a wonderful colleague and collaborator with us over many years. https://t.co/VZgJOBgoly
— Britten Sinfonia (@BrittenSinfonia) May 19, 2020
Sad, sad news! Some of our outstanding musical accomplishments were made possible because John believed in us! Condolences to John's family and all the Serious family! He was very special!
— Black Voices (@BlackVoicesUK) May 18, 2020
A really fine man. Had pleasure of interviewing him several times, fascinating; and he has very helpful giving me wise advice last year on my very amateur plans to stage a UK festival of Japanese jazz. He was a mine of helpful info - and funny stories!
— TheJazzDad (@TheJazzDad) May 19, 2020
So sad to hear this... my condolences to John family as well as the Serious fam. What a lovely guy.... will be some missed. 🙏🏾💔😔
— Vula Malinga (@Vulavox) May 19, 2020
John Cumming was a lovely man and an incredible connector of people and culture. That crooked grin and conspiratorial “ullo” was all you needed - drawing us all into a world of sublime music and humanity at its beautiful and messy best. @Seriouslive @LondonJazzFest
— Miles Evans (@milesevanspr) May 19, 2020
Moving on Music are greatly saddened to hear the news of the passing of John Cumming and send our sympathy to his family and the team at Serious.
— Moving On Music (@MovingOnMusic) May 20, 2020
1/2 https://t.co/eJ3WhVHLwV
We’re very sad to hear this - but thank you John Cumming for everything you achieved and everyone you inspired. https://t.co/qjQGcxXcgL
— Making Tracks (@makingtracks) May 19, 2020
We at Arts Canteen team are saddened by the loss of John Cumming, founding member of our partners @Seriouslive & @LondonJazzFest
— Arts Canteen (@ArtsCanteen) May 19, 2020
Our thoughts are with his family and friends. He will be greatly missed by us all and the #Jazz community at large! pic.twitter.com/gakS7Uwybs
It is with great sadness to learn that John Cumming, founding member of Serious, has died. Our thoughts are with his wife, family, friends and colleagues. He will be greatly missed by us all and the jazz community at large. https://t.co/SlhcpXSrAz
— Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club (@officialronnies) May 18, 2020
We are sorry to hear that our friend John Cumming has died. Our sympathy to his family, friends and colleagues.@LudovicoEinaud @EUNICLONDON @Seriouslive https://t.co/jriK1xLlAn
— @iiclondra (@iiclondra) May 19, 2020
So sad to hear this news. Best wishes to John and his family and all at @Seriouslive #rip
— Dave Douglas (@davedouglas) May 18, 2020
Hearing very sad news of John Cummings @Seriouslive passing away. Been a friend of mine for over 35 yrs & helped me develop my promotions early on. His immense body of work in jazz/music; should never be forgotten by all musicians and colleagues. Regards to Ginnie. Kate & family pic.twitter.com/Qvgh92WNkN
— Ian Storror (@Futurejazz) May 18, 2020
@IvorsAcademy send our heartfelt condolences to @Seriouslive and our prayers and strength to the loved ones of John Cumming. A great loss to Music. https://t.co/lNjtMMEEPX
— Crispin Hunt (@crispinhunt) May 19, 2020
Sorry to hear this news. I am thinking of incredible artists John brought to Belfast for some of the best gigs I have seen. Such a force for the promotion and appreciation of jazz and other music in the UK. Thoughts are with John's family and friends at Serious
— graeme farrow (@graeme_farrow) May 18, 2020
Very sad to hear John Cumming Director of @Seriouslive Serious and the @LondonJazzFest died yesterday @ianshawjazz and I just working on a lovely tribute featuring the words of Guy Barker and Oli Weindling from @vortexjazz for the @officialronnies radio show Friday on @jazzfm
— Mike Vitti (@michaelvitti) May 18, 2020
Our thoughts are with John Cumming and his family. Thank you for your support and your friendship over the years—you were a strong voice for so many important artists. We will miss you. https://t.co/fEy8LnlDOp
— Nonesuch Records (@NonesuchRecords) May 18, 2020
Very sad to hear the news about John Cumming. He was always very supportive and encouraging about the label. Fondly remember a chat we had about Scottish football terraces! Some lovely words from Tony ... https://t.co/a3GrTlEr6W
— Stoney Lane Records (@stoneylane) May 18, 2020
RIP John Cumming, a lovely man and jazz legend ❤️😔 https://t.co/0vhfmQvRKs
— Diatribe Records (@DiatribeRecords) May 18, 2020
Very sad to hear of the passing of John Cumming. #RIP https://t.co/u9weWHfghI pic.twitter.com/bZcSvSDGCG
— marlbank (@Marlbank_) May 18, 2020
And of course it has a wonderful preface by John Cumming xx https://t.co/0hwa0hOfTx
— George McKay (@george_mckay) May 18, 2020
@Seriouslive Our deepest condolences for the loss of John Cumming to his family and everyone at Serious. We trust his legacy will stay on and we really hope to see you and your artists back in action as soon as possible.
— Londra, Italia (@Londra_Italia) May 18, 2020
John's impact on the music scene is vast. I'm grateful I got to spend time with him through @Seriouslive #TakeFive scheme and was always happy to bump into him at @LondonJazzFest gigs. The world has lost a true character, and so many legendary stories with him... https://t.co/qlkm4I7rYK
— Alex Roth (@AlexRothMusic) May 18, 2020
A brilliant, charming and supportive friend whose engagement in contemporary music was critically influential and instrumentally constructive over too many years to count. RIP.
— Resonance FM (@ResonanceFM) May 18, 2020
One of founders of @Seriouslive has sadly died - John Cumming, driving force behind much UK jazz & theatre. RIP https://t.co/vskR1l43Sf
— Jill Nicholls (@JillNicholls01) May 18, 2020
The @TurnerSims team, too, is saddened by the passing of John Cumming, a key figure in the jazz world whose influence is still felt at venues like ours. Our thoughts are with his family. https://t.co/iqTEcpboXV
— Turner Sims (@TurnerSims) May 18, 2020
So saddened to read this. I loved collaborating with John on the London Jazz Festival during my time as Artistic Director @artsdepot A wonderful man. My sincere condolences to everyone @Seriouslive at this difficult time. https://t.co/bqavCoRd0O
— Kerry Andrews (@kerryjandrews) May 18, 2020
John Cumming R.I.P. Did a lot for me, was great fun, and when you saw him with all the European jazz promoters you realised how massively respected he was across the European Jazz scene. And a Jambo....
— tom bancroft (@tominterrupto) May 18, 2020
Sharing a jar and a chat with John Cumming was a favourite aspect of the Sage jazz festival for some years in a row there. Man had some incredible first-hand stories from the trenches of jazz promotion. He will be missed. https://t.co/TB8hs2WEWn
— john pope (@BassPope) May 18, 2020
Very sad indeed to hear of the death from cancer of my old friend John Cumming, founder of the London Jazz Festival and much else.
— Richard Williams (@rwilliams1947) May 18, 2020
Dreadful news. RIP John Cumming. Thoughts with his family, friends and colleagues at Serious. https://t.co/iX109WEx6Q
— Daniel Paton (@DanPatonMusic) May 18, 2020
Very sad to hear this. I have so many memories of amazing music that John made possible. And very happy memories of working at Serious for him and his help when at Somethin Else. Massive part of UK jazz. Much love to all
— Russell Finch (@russellfinch) May 21, 2020
So sorry to hear this, thinking of you. John was very supportive of Abram & of the Abram Wilson Foundation in its early days, for which we are super grateful.
— AbramWilsonFdn (@AbramWilson) May 21, 2020
I cut my teeth as an arts marketer on the #contemporarymusicnetwork in the 80s when a young @Seriouslive managed many of the tours. John was inspirational, kind & I’m so sorry he has gone. John Cumming obituary https://t.co/JvLfSpA1rP
— RachelSinfield (@RachelSinfield) May 22, 2020
I just heard this earlier too. John was such a truly lovely person, always laughing and in good spirits when I saw him over the years too. He'll definitely be sorely missed x
— Robin Rimbaud - Scanner (@robinrimbaud) May 18, 2020
RIP John Cumming. Inspiring person, gone too soon.
— Tim Hand (@TimHandProd) May 18, 2020
inJazz is saddened by the loss of John Cumming – a friend, inspirator and visitor. Our heart goes out to his family, friends and colleagues.https://t.co/3lgaFzGsGw pic.twitter.com/MUe2OHglNG
— inJazz (@inJazzNL) May 18, 2020