A PIONEERING jazz shop owner who found his love of the genre in Dorset has died at the age of 76.

Ray Smith was born on September 9, 1934 in Ealing, London. He was sent to boarding school at Allhallows school near Lyme Regis.

While he was there he developed a love for jazz music and cricket, two things that played a big part in the rest of his life.

Due to his asthma he found it difficult to play sport but found a talent for spinning a cricket ball.

He would often return to school after holidays with his latest jazz album finds.

Mr Smith went on to work for a bookseller and sold jazz records from his basement. He became a familiar face on the London jazz circuit and played the drums.

In 1975 he opened Ray’s Jazz Shop and sold an eclectic and specialist mixture of jazz until his retirement in 2002. He loved to watch cricket and was a Chelsea Football Club fan.

He died on April 17 after fighting cancer.