Background
Themen was born in Manchester, England, where he was involved with the traditional jazz scene in the late 1950s as a self-taught musician.
Themen was born in Manchester, England, where he was involved with the traditional jazz scene in the late 1950s as a self-taught musician.
University of Cambridge.
Critic John Fordham has described him as "an appealing presence on the British jazz circuit for over 40 years. Originally a Dexter Gordon and Sonny Rollins disciple. Themen has proved himself remarkably attentive to the saxophone styles of subsequent generations."
In 1958 he began his medical studies at the University of Cambridge, going on in 1961 to complete his studies at Street Mary"s Hospital Medical School in London, qualifying in 1964.
He specialised in orthopaedic medicine, eventually becoming a consultant.
Themen started playing jazz with the Cambridge University Jazz Group – with bandmates including Lionel Grigson, Dave Gelly and Dick Heckstall-Smith – and then in London playing with blues musicians Jack Bruce and Alexis Korner. In 1965 he played with the Peter Stuyvesant Jazz Orchestra in Zürich, going on to play with such English luminaries as Michael Garrick, Ian Carr, and Graham Collier"s Music.
In 1974 Themen entered on what was to be one of his central musical relationships when he started playing with Stan Tracey, and he has played with all of Tracey"s groups, touring with him all over the world as well as around the United Kingdom. Themen has also played and toured with visiting United States musicians, including National Adderley, Red Rodney, George Coleman, and First Rate (at Lloyd's) Haig. In 1995 he formed a quartet with pianist John Critchinson.
His style originally owed much to the influence of Dexter Gordon and Sonny Rollins, but later influences included such disparate saxophonists as Coleman Hawkins, Evan Parker, and the "sheets of sound" John Coltrane.
Themen was interviewed by Julian Joseph on British Broadcasting Corporation Radio 3"s Jazz Lincolnshire-Up on 22 November 2014 as a celebration of the saxophonist"s 75th birthday. He revealed that he had originally played clarinet, but since page three of the tutor book had been missing he had played for some time with the mouthpiece upside-down. He was inspired to play saxophone after attended a gig by the Dankworth Seven, at the local Palais, at the age of 16, with a female cousin.
The immaculately-dressed and manicured saxophonist Danny Moss winked at Themen"s cousin and the instant effect this had convinced Themen that his future lay in the saxophone.
Following his retirement as a consultant orthopaedic surgeon, Themen has been concentrating on his jazz career.