Just heard the news. What can you say about Diz? I worked with him (and Brillo) for years in all sorts of places and also owe him a huge debt for getting me started on the whole swing style of playing. There are so many stories about Diz - someone should write a book!

He was an extraordinary chap - great musician, brilliant entertainer and an absolute eccentric. I remember driving with him, in an ancient Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire, to his place in Spain in 1976 - the journey took forever as the car refused to do more than 45mph and lost its exhaust in the middle of Barcelona. The volume produced by the car was shocking, and resulted in our being pulled up by the cops in some small town or other. It could have been a difficult situation, but Diz sweet-talked the local police chief and persuaded him to ride in the back of this impressive looking, if not sounding, vehicle. "Quick dear boy, hop in the front and drive" said he as he got in the back with the local cop as we proceeded to tour the town with the local cop waving out of the window to the extremely bemused local populace.

A wonderful bloke - we're all poorer for his passing.