James Blades OBE was an English percussionist. He was one of the most celebrated Western percussionists, having had a long and varied career. His book Percussion Instruments and their History (1971) became one of the standard works on percussion instruments. Jimmy (as he was known to all) was born in Peterborough, England in 1901. He was a long-time associate of Benjamin Britten, with whom he conceived many of the composer's unusual percussion effects.

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  • James Blades OBE was an English percussionist. He was one of the most celebrated Western percussionists, having had a long and varied career. His book Percussion Instruments and their History (1971) became one of the standard works on percussion instruments. Jimmy (as he was known to all) was born in Peterborough, England in 1901. He was a long-time associate of Benjamin Britten, with whom he conceived many of the composer's unusual percussion effects. In 1954, Blades was appointed Professor of Percussion at the Royal Academy of Music. As a chamber musician he played with the Melos Ensemble and later with the English Chamber Orchestra. Jimmy's pupils included the rock drummers Carl Palmer and Richard James Burgess as well as percussionist Evelyn Glennie. His most famous & widely heard performances were the sound of the African drum playing "V-for-Victory" in Morse code- the introduction to the BBC broadcasts made to the resistance during World War II. , and providing the sound of the Gong seen at the start of films produced by the Rank Organisation. Blades played this sound on a tam-tam. On screen Blades' sound was mimed to by the "Gongman", His autobiography Drum Roll: A Professional Adventure from the Circus to the Concert Hall was published by Faber & Faber on 13 June 1977.
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  • Blades, Jimmy
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  • Blades, James
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  • Percussionist, author
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  • James Blades OBE was an English percussionist. He was one of the most celebrated Western percussionists, having had a long and varied career. His book Percussion Instruments and their History (1971) became one of the standard works on percussion instruments. Jimmy (as he was known to all) was born in Peterborough, England in 1901. He was a long-time associate of Benjamin Britten, with whom he conceived many of the composer's unusual percussion effects.
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  • James Blades
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