Musical Career
Ken Sykora was one of Britain's favourite guitarists of the 50s and 60s. He featured in the NME & Melody Maker music polls for best British guitarist for ten consecutive years, from 1954 to 1964, topping the poll twice in 1957 and 1958. Despite his immense talent and popularity, his career as a musician took many twists and turns that resulted in him never quite cementing his reputation as a jazzman, in the manner achieved by some of his more famous contemporaries.
A prodigious talent inspired by Django Reinhardt, Ken Sykora taught himself to play. He was discovered by the eminent guitarist, Ivor Mairants in 1942, at the age of just 19, while playing for the Cambridge University swing band, The Swingstars. He was invited by Mairants to perform in a Geraldo Sunday concert. He accepted and was amazed to find himself, along with the legendary bandleader, on the same billing as the esteemed jazz pianist, George Shearing. This led to him participating in jazz bandleader Vic Lewis's jam sessions , along with future stars of British jazz, such as Jimmy Skidmore and Jack Parnell.
His fledgling career was interrupted by his call up to the army in 1943, resulting in an 8 year break from playing publicly. He gradually returned to performing in the early 50s and started his own band, The Ken Sykora Six, which featured the talented saxophonist, Bruce Turner. They performed on the London music scene, variously as a sextet, quartet or trio, playing jazz standards, Django Reinhardt style jazz and some of Ken's own compositions. The Ken Sykora Six secured a high profile residency at Band Box in the famous Café Anglais, Leicester Square. This brought him to the attention of BBC radio music producers and his first appearance on the BBC in 1954 with his band The Ken Sykora Six, performing with Stéphane Grappelli.
However, by the mid 50s, his band's musical style had fallen out of fashion. He continued to play as a session musician: he joined the Bob Cort Skiffle in 1956, where he played on the theme tune of the Six-Five Special, the BBC's first live rock 'n' roll TV programme. As a jazz musician, he played at the Royal Albert Hall, as part of the BBC’s Jazz Saturday and with the Jazz Today Unit, appearing in the 3rd Festival of British Jazz at the Royal Festival Hall. In 1957, he played for American jazz saxophonist Gerry Mulligan on his UK tour.
Having performed regularly on BBC radio with his bands and then as a presenter, he was given to the opportunity to combine both through programmes such as Guitar Club and Stringalong. He continued to play into the 60s, mostly on radio. But as the decade progressed he performed less and less, focusing more on his career as a broadcaster. His playing was increasingly reserved for private occasions: playing with friends and musicians who frequently stayed at his home in Suffolk. Regular musical guests included guitarists Diz Disley and Ike Isaacs, along with old friends Stéphane Grappelli, Joe Harriott, Steve Benbow and Dorita y Pepe. He also performed from time to time locally with his Ken Sykora Suffolk Quartet.
A prodigious talent inspired by Django Reinhardt, Ken Sykora taught himself to play. He was discovered by the eminent guitarist, Ivor Mairants in 1942, at the age of just 19, while playing for the Cambridge University swing band, The Swingstars. He was invited by Mairants to perform in a Geraldo Sunday concert. He accepted and was amazed to find himself, along with the legendary bandleader, on the same billing as the esteemed jazz pianist, George Shearing. This led to him participating in jazz bandleader Vic Lewis's jam sessions , along with future stars of British jazz, such as Jimmy Skidmore and Jack Parnell.
His fledgling career was interrupted by his call up to the army in 1943, resulting in an 8 year break from playing publicly. He gradually returned to performing in the early 50s and started his own band, The Ken Sykora Six, which featured the talented saxophonist, Bruce Turner. They performed on the London music scene, variously as a sextet, quartet or trio, playing jazz standards, Django Reinhardt style jazz and some of Ken's own compositions. The Ken Sykora Six secured a high profile residency at Band Box in the famous Café Anglais, Leicester Square. This brought him to the attention of BBC radio music producers and his first appearance on the BBC in 1954 with his band The Ken Sykora Six, performing with Stéphane Grappelli.
However, by the mid 50s, his band's musical style had fallen out of fashion. He continued to play as a session musician: he joined the Bob Cort Skiffle in 1956, where he played on the theme tune of the Six-Five Special, the BBC's first live rock 'n' roll TV programme. As a jazz musician, he played at the Royal Albert Hall, as part of the BBC’s Jazz Saturday and with the Jazz Today Unit, appearing in the 3rd Festival of British Jazz at the Royal Festival Hall. In 1957, he played for American jazz saxophonist Gerry Mulligan on his UK tour.
Having performed regularly on BBC radio with his bands and then as a presenter, he was given to the opportunity to combine both through programmes such as Guitar Club and Stringalong. He continued to play into the 60s, mostly on radio. But as the decade progressed he performed less and less, focusing more on his career as a broadcaster. His playing was increasingly reserved for private occasions: playing with friends and musicians who frequently stayed at his home in Suffolk. Regular musical guests included guitarists Diz Disley and Ike Isaacs, along with old friends Stéphane Grappelli, Joe Harriott, Steve Benbow and Dorita y Pepe. He also performed from time to time locally with his Ken Sykora Suffolk Quartet.
Ken Sykora's Selmer Guitar
Friends and family remarked of Ken that, around that time, it was incredibly difficult to persuade him to play at all. It was later revealed that he had started to suffer from a painful hand condition, Dupuytren's Contracture, that limited his ability to play. Medical advice at the time declared it non-treatable and by the early 70s, he was no longer playing at all.
However, after his move to Scotland, he received new advice that led to an operation that improved the condition to the extent that he was able to play again. In 1973 he formed the Ken Sykora Trio with Chris Sutton and Ricky Hernandez. They made a recording together, the reel of which was found in his archive. It is his last known performance and considered by many to be his finest.
Although Ken left an unforgettable imprint on the people who heard him play, his musical career was relatively short and was played out mostly on radio at a time when such programmes were not kept. It was only after his death in 2006 that rare recordings of his performances were discovered in his archive. Although well over 100 performances were found on reels and a few vinyl records, most were in a very poor condition, unable to be salvaged even by today’s technology. However, it is from this that his career as a performer was pieced together.
During his musical career, Ken also composed some of his own music. He did not keep a clear account of the music he wrote and the details of his compositions were gleaned from notes and reels found in his archive: recordings of his live radio performances, rehearsals and studio sessions with his bands.
Ken wrote the score for the film, "The Passing Stranger" in 1954. The title song, co-written with producer Anthony Simmons, featured vocals by Lonnie Donegan and was released 2 years after it was recorded, following the sudden success of Donegan. Ken also wrote many themes for radio and television, including the Guitar Club opening and closing themes, which he co-wrote with Ike Isaacs.
In total it is believed that Ken composed more than 30 songs; names ranging from the curious "French Poodle" to the evocative "Rangoon", where Ken was stationed during the War. Others included "Côte d’Azur", "Soca Jean", "String Caprice" and "Dig Deep". What stories lay behind these songs, we will never know. Sadly, only recordings of 12 of these songs have been found in Ken’s archive, the others were identified through his notes.
A melodic guitarist with impeccable timing, Ken is a wonderful artist to discover and enjoy.
However, after his move to Scotland, he received new advice that led to an operation that improved the condition to the extent that he was able to play again. In 1973 he formed the Ken Sykora Trio with Chris Sutton and Ricky Hernandez. They made a recording together, the reel of which was found in his archive. It is his last known performance and considered by many to be his finest.
Although Ken left an unforgettable imprint on the people who heard him play, his musical career was relatively short and was played out mostly on radio at a time when such programmes were not kept. It was only after his death in 2006 that rare recordings of his performances were discovered in his archive. Although well over 100 performances were found on reels and a few vinyl records, most were in a very poor condition, unable to be salvaged even by today’s technology. However, it is from this that his career as a performer was pieced together.
During his musical career, Ken also composed some of his own music. He did not keep a clear account of the music he wrote and the details of his compositions were gleaned from notes and reels found in his archive: recordings of his live radio performances, rehearsals and studio sessions with his bands.
Ken wrote the score for the film, "The Passing Stranger" in 1954. The title song, co-written with producer Anthony Simmons, featured vocals by Lonnie Donegan and was released 2 years after it was recorded, following the sudden success of Donegan. Ken also wrote many themes for radio and television, including the Guitar Club opening and closing themes, which he co-wrote with Ike Isaacs.
In total it is believed that Ken composed more than 30 songs; names ranging from the curious "French Poodle" to the evocative "Rangoon", where Ken was stationed during the War. Others included "Côte d’Azur", "Soca Jean", "String Caprice" and "Dig Deep". What stories lay behind these songs, we will never know. Sadly, only recordings of 12 of these songs have been found in Ken’s archive, the others were identified through his notes.
A melodic guitarist with impeccable timing, Ken is a wonderful artist to discover and enjoy.
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