Episode 31. Art Themen (Saxophone) - 'It Could Happen To You'

Geoff is in the picturesque Oxfordshire town of Henley on Thames to meet with the wonderful saxophonist (and former orthopaedic surgeon) Art Themen. What began with a misassembled clarinet and a missing page turned into a life split between the operating theatre and the bandstand, shaped by New Orleans tone, bebop language, and the stubborn joy of playing for real people in real rooms. We trace the arc from tin whistles and trad bands to hearing Louis Armstrong's All‑Stars in Manchester, discovering Lionel Grigson's bebop road map at Cambridge University, and stepping into the London jazz scene alongside Alexis Korner, Phil Seamen, and a young Rod Stewart in the wings.We get personal about balance: pulling late‑night gigs through medical school, covering colleagues to tour with Stan Tracey across South America, and learning why calm under lights and calm under surgical lamps feel oddly similar. There's a love letter to Dexter Gordon's ‘Go!’ as the perfect straight‑ahead blueprint, a warm nod to Sonny Rollins' generosity, and a candid take on what non‑musicians really hear at a jazz gig: timbre, breath, humour, and the shared attention that turns solos into stories.We also open the case on a legend - Ronnie Scott's Selmer Super Balanced Action - how it left the glass cabinet, the rumoured Hank Mobley link, and why a horn with history should still see the stage. We are treated to an impromptu rendition of the Burke/Van Heusen 40s standard ‘It Could Happen To You’ accompanied by the Quartet app (of course!)Along the way, we talk practice that actually happens: play‑along tools that focus the mind after long days, picking tunes at random to break ruts, and letting new repertoire force fresh lines. We weigh tradition against free improvisation, revisit career highs from Chicago to Hyde Park, and keep it human with quickfire favourites (Coronation Chicken, The Producers, the Bull's Head, Nice…). The thread running through it all is generosity - toward the audience, the band, and the music itself - anchored by the belief that swing and a good joke can live in the same bar.If you enjoy honest stories, live playing, and craft without pretence, hit follow, share this with a friend who loves Dexter or Rollins, and leave a short review telling us your favourite jazz album and why. Your notes shape the next set.Presenter: Geoff GascoyneSeries Producer: Paul SissonsProduction Manager: Martin SissonsThe Quartet Jazz Standards Podcast is a UK Music Apps production.