Bobby Wellins

Scottish tenor saxophonist (1936–2016)

Robert Coull Wellins (24 January 1936 – 27 October 2016) was a Scottish tenor saxophonist who collaborated with Stan Tracey on the album Jazz Suite Inspired by Dylan Thomas's "Under Milk Wood" (1965).

Robert Coull Wellins was born into a showbiz family living in The Gorbals, Glasgow; he later lived in Carnwadric and attended Shawlands Academy. Wellins studied alto saxophone and harmony with his father Max, and also played piano and clarinet when young. He joined the RAF as a musician playing tenor sax. After demobilisation, he played with a few Scottish bands before moving to London in the mid 1950s. He was a member of Buddy Featherstonhaugh's quintet between 1956 and 1957, At the end of the 1970s he was a member of the Jim Richardson Quartet. Writing in The Guardian, Dave Gelly noted of the Culloden Moor Suite: "His dry, haunting tone and spare, eloquent phrases dominate the performance and make this an outstanding album." All About Jazz states: "Culloden Moor Suite needs to stand alone as a musical work if it's going to have broad appeal. It does so, both in terms of Wellins' composition and the quality of the performances by the saxophonist and his colleagues in the SNJO." The other suite of arrangements commissioned for the 2011 SNJO tour was entitled the Caledonian Suite, inspired by James Barke's books about Robert Burns. All compositions were written by Wellins: "Song in the Green Thorn Tree" arranged by Florian Ross; "The Wind That Shakes The Barley" arranged by Geoffrey Keezer; "The Tartan Rainbow" arranged by Christian Jacob; "Dreams of Free" arranged by Tommy Smith. In 2012, Wellins was the subject of a documentary film entitled Dreams are Free, directed by Brighton based director Gary Barber. Using interview and concert footage, the film traces the rise, fall and redemption of Wellins, showing how he overcame addiction and depression, and rediscovered the desire to play after ten years away from jazz. Wellins died on 27 October 2016, having been ill for some years.