Cornetist Digby Fairweather is one of the leading figures on the British jazz scene. As a musician, writer, broadcaster, and founder of the Jazz Centre UK in Southend, he has dedicated his life to promoting, preserving and celebrating the culture of jazz.
Compiled by Digby himself, this 26-track set consists of mostly ‘live’ recordings from across his career and features performances with a host of the top names in British jazz, such as: Ron Russell, Lennie Hastings, Stan Barker, Denny Wright, Brian Lemon, Keith Nichols, Keith Ingham, Pete Strange, Randy Colville and Cass Caswell.
Lifted from LPs and CDs, many long out of print, the performances captured here see Digby and his associates “raise the roof” during specially selected club dates, festival shows and all-star jam sessions. The accompanying 28-page booklet, written by Digby, provides a valuable insight into both the tracks selcted and artists appearing.
This collection is the third Acrobat retrospective of his career and, like Volumes One and Two, offers both a substantial showcase for his talents and an entertaining insight into the British jazz scene across several decades.
Digby says: “On his 1969 album recorded live, back at the Conway Hall, Humphrey Lyttelton wrote: ‘mindful that some of the best years of my life have been spent in laborious editing: cutting out a duff solo here and a bum note there – and that neither I nor the rest of mankind have been affected one way or the other by all that effort – I resolved that the music would go out as it happened’. “It’s actually a brave decision for musicians. But on this occasion (for the whole of CD1 and quite a few tracks later on CD2) I’m with Humph – and going live too. I hope you’ll join me…”
TRACKS
Disc 1 |
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Track |
Title |
Artist |
1 |
Rehearsing For A Nervous Breakdown |
Ron Russell's Band |
2 |
(What Can I Say Dear) After I Say I’m Sorry |
Ron Russell's Band |
3 |
Some Of These Days |
The Great British Jazz Band |
4 |
If I Had You |
The Great British Jazz Band |
5 |
Sandu |
The Lennie Hastings Quintet |
6 |
Undecided |
The Lennie Hastings Quintet |
7 |
Jumping The Blues |
Fairweather Friends |
8 |
Gone With The Wind |
Digby Fairweather & Stan Barker |
9 |
The Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gave To Me |
The M&B Jam Session |
10 |
I Can’t Give You Anything But Love |
Digby Fairweather & Brian Lemon |
Disc 2 |
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|
Track |
Title |
Artist |
1 |
Running Wild |
Dig & De Schwarte |
2 |
If I Could Be With You (One Hour Tonight) |
Dig & De Schwarte |
3 |
At The Jazz Band Ball |
Digby Fairweather & Keith Ingham with Susannah McCorkle |
4 |
I Got It Bad (And That Aint Good |
Dig & De Schwarte |
5 |
Run Rabbit Run |
Digby Fairweather |
6 |
Sleepy Time Gal |
Ron Russell's Band |
7 |
Exactly Like You |
Ron Russell's Band |
8 |
That's A Plenty |
Dave Shepherd |
9 |
Lonesome Road |
Dave Shepherd |
10 |
Indiana |
Digby Fairweather |
11 |
Lover Man |
Digby Fairweather & Stan Barker |
12 |
Something To Remember You By |
Digby Fairweather & Stan Barker |
13 |
What A Little Moonlight Can Do |
Digby Fairweather & Denny Wright |
14 |
I Can’t Get Started With You |
Lennie Hastings Band |
15 |
On The Alamo |
The M&B Jam Session |
16 |
Yesterdays |
Digby Fairweather With Cass Caswell's Trio |