Maurice J. Summerfield

Maurice Summerfield was born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the UK. He played the guitar professionally in jazz groups and dance bands, in the North East of England, in his late teens and early twenties. He had studied in 1957 with Ivor Mairants in London and in the same year made first contact with guitarist Barney Kessel. His interest in music, and in particular the guitar, encouraged him in 1963 to introduce a range of musical instruments into the range of goods imported and distributed by the Summerfield family business (founded 1900). He had joined the company in 1958. Over the years Summerfield distributed many musical instrument brands including Ibanez, Guild Guitar Company, CSL and Levin, Tama percussion, D'Addario, C. F. Martin & Company, Savarez and La Bella strings. Particular emphasis was always given by the company to the guitar, other fretted instruments, and accessories.

Summerfield instigated the production of some important guitar models including the first authentic reproductions (CSL ‘Gypsy’ range) of the original 1930s Maccaferri/Selmer guitars used by Django Reinhardt and the Joe Pass JP20 guitar for the Ibanez company. Summerfield has had a special relationship over many years with Jorge Morel the virtuoso Argentinian composer/guitarist. He produced three recordings and published 15 volumes of original guitar solos and arrangements by Morel. In 1978 Summerfield established the Ashley Mark Publishing Company a guitar book, music and recording mail order business.. In 1981 he founded 'Guitar Masters Records', a company producing guitar recordings under his personal supervision by David Russell, Jorge Morel, Jorge Cardoso, Maria Isabel Siewers, Neil Smith and Krzysztof Pelech.

Maurice J. Summerfield with (right to left) Barney Kessel, Herb Ellis, Joe Pass and Charlie Byrd.

Following his early contact Summerfield developed, over many years, a close relationship with Barney Kessel resulting in him presenting the guitarist in concert and master classes, publishing three volumes of his original guitar solos and writing the guitarist’s only authorized biography. In 1976 Summerfield founded, with two friends, the Guitar Appreciation Society of North East England. This society presented in concert leading international classical, jazz and flamenco guitarists in the Newcastle-upon-Tyne area.

In September 1982 Summerfield founded Classical Guitar magazine. He sold this magazine to String Letter Media (USA) in 2014.

Summerfield promoted many concerts, including an annual classical guitar series at the Wigmore Hall in London. Starting in 1984, these concerts featured guitarists from different countries. From 1991 Summerfield helped organize, with the Edward James Foundation, the first twenty annual international classical guitar festivals at West Dean College in West Sussex, UK.

For over 38 years Summerfield was a council member of the UK's Music Industries Association (MIA-formerly AMII and then AMI) general committee. In July 1997 he was elected to the Freedom of the Worshipful Company of Musicians (The Musicians Company) a City of London livery company. In December 1997 he received the Freedom of the City of London. In October 2003 he was elected to serve on the Court of the Musicians Company and was installed as its Master in November 2009. In May 2010 Summerfield was made an Honorary Associate of the Royal Academy of Music.

In June 2013 he was installed into the Guitar Foundation of America’s Hall of Fame at their annual convention held in Louisville, Kentucky. In 2015 he donated a significant part of his archives to the International Guitar Research Centre (IGRC) at the University of Surrey. These archives are now known as ‘The Maurice J. Summerfield Collection’.

Books

• The Classical Guitar – Its Evolution, Players & Personalities Since 1800, Ashley Mark Publishing Company, (Five editions 1982, 1991, 1992, 1996 and 2002) ISBN 1-872639-46-1
• The Jazz Guitar – Its Evolution, Players & Personalities Since 1900, Ashley Mark Publishing Company, (Four editions 1978, 1979, 1993 and 1998) ISBN 1-872639-26-7
• Barney Kessel – A Jazz Legend, Ashley Mark Publishing Company (2008) ISBN 978-1-872639-69-7
• The Ibanez Electric Guitar Book – Tony Bacon, Backbeat Books UK (2013) ISBN 978-1-61713-453-1
• Ibanez – The Untold Story, pp 95-96, Hoshino USA (2005) ISBN 0-9764277-0-2
• D’Addario 1905–2005, D'Addario Inc USA (2005)
• Guitar Stories Vol.2, Michael Wright, pp 218-223, Vintage Guitar Books USA (2000) ISBN 978-1-884883-08-8
• History of Selmer Maccaferri Guitars, Francois Charles pp 236-240, FC Musique Paris, France (1999) ISBN 978-2951351615

Articles

• The Summerfield Story, Music Trade International, August 1978
• Interview, Swiat Gitary, August 2004
• The Summerfield Story, Music Trade News, July 2007
• Maurice Summerfield – Man of Many Talents, Just Jazz Guitar Magazine, May 2011
• The Mind of Maurice, Classical Guitar Magazine, September 2015