Doncaster music scene stalwart announces retirement after 50 years at the top

John Ellis, who founded the Doncaster Youth Jazz Association back in 1973, is standing down at the age of 78 – and was giving a rousing farewell with a glittering concert featuring dozens of musicians at the city’s Cast theatre.

And to mark his retirement, Mr Ellis was presented with a gold tie from the personal collection of late Count Basie arranger Sammy Nestico.

Announcing the news, a spokesman for DYJA said: “After 50 years in youth music education, the founder and driving force behind Doncaster Youth Jazz Association, John Ellis MBE, has announced his retirement.”

John received his musical training at the Royal Military school of Music, Kneller Hall, and Bretton Hall college, while serving in the Royal Hussars during the 1960s and early 70s.

On leaving the service, John was appointed as a brass peripatetic teacher in the West Riding of Yorkshire.

The spokesperson added: “It was during this time he founded the Doncaster Youth Jazz Association, where his expertise and passion for jazz and big band music, quickly established what has become the leading centre for jazz and popular music education in the north of England.”

During the 1980s, the bands achieved outstanding performance awards at the National Festival of Music for youth no less than eight times, with 18 appearances at the school’s proms at the Royal Albert Hall.

The bands also toured extensively, performing in Germany, Switzerland, France, Poland, USA, and Russia.

Doncaster Youth Jazz Orchestra were the first British band to perform at both the Nice and Montreux Jazz Festivals. They have shared a stage with numerous famous jazz musicians including Thad Jones, Don Lusher and Woody Herman.

The statement added: “One of the truly remarkable aspects about the DYJA story is that it has received very little financial support from central government and is staffed almost exclusively by volunteers who saw what John Ellis was trying to achieve and wanted to support him.

"It is ‘the friends of DYJA’, a group of supporters who have financially supported the organisation through generous donations.

“Perhaps it isn’t surprising that John’s commitment, passion and inspirational leadership have been recognised and lauded repeatedly.

"In 1995, he was awarded an MBE, presented by King Charles as part of HRH The Queen’s Birthday Honours list.

"The year 2000 saw further awards for outstanding services to jazz education, the Paul Harris fellowship award, the order of merit of the federal republic of Germany and he was made an honorary freeman of the borough by Doncaster Council.

“While John feels the same love and devotion to his students and their music as he has for decades, he feels that it is time for him to step aside as conductor, instead, helping the organisation to establish a management structure that will allow it to continue his work long into the future.

“His legacy, aside from his awesome reputation among the jazz and education communities, are generations of young musicians, many of them now professional performers and educators, who look back on their time at DYJA with fondness and pride.”