Musical impresario Jeff ‘Dr Jazz’ Merrifield dies 

Stalwart of the Shetland music scene Jeff Merrifield has died.

Mr Merrifield was a charismatic and colorful character who was brought joy to thousands with his musical endeavours.

After 45 years presenting projects in Lancashire in Essex, he moved to Shetland in 2008 with the aim to focus on his writing.

But he was soon organising concerts again, including four festivals and countless workshops.

He founded the Shetland Jazz and World Sounds and had been promoting events as recently as last month.

Mr Merrifield had also been working on an ambitious debut album based on the the Cthulhu Mythos stories of the famous horror and fantasy writer, H P Lovecraft.

The team at Jazz and World Sounds (Jaws) have paid tribute to their founder, friend associate mentor and inspiration.

“While there will be much written on Jeff’s many achievements in music, on his writing, on his influence here in Shetland and the wider music and literary community in the coming days, we wish it to be known that Jeff passed away peacefully at home on Thursday evening in the company of his beloved wife Dawn, to whom we extend our deepest condolences.”