Digby Fairweather
Encyclopedia
Digby Fairweather is a British
jazz
cornet
tist and broadcaster.
area and recorded his first album in 1975. When turning professional, Fairweather helped found the Keith Nichols
Midnite Follies Orchestra
, started recording solo albums, and joined a quartet
known as Velvet with guitarists Denny Wright
and Ike Isaacs
plus bassist Len Skeat
. Before becoming a professional musician he was a librarian
and he has retained a strong interest in jazz bibliography
and archiving.
In 1979 Fairweather became co-director of the non-profit Jazz College along with pianist
Stan Barker
and he also joined the Pizza Express All Stars. In 1982 Fairweather began leading a quartet of his own and helped revitalize Kettners Five along with bassist
Tiny Winters
. His playing has been influenced especially by Nat Gonella
and Louis Armstrong
, and his Digby’s Half Dozen band provided the regular accompaniment for the singer George Melly
in the later years of his career. Following that period, Fairweather's band has accompanyied former Manfred Mann
lead singer Paul Jones
in a series of blues and jazz gigs. Apart from his playing and bandleading, Fairweather has long pursued a parallel career as a broadcaster and writer on jazz.
In 1985 he worked in a Brian Priestley
septet
and authored the book How to Play Trumpet. By this time he was actively broadcasting for the BBC
, deputising for Humphrey Lyttelton
on the show Best of Jazz. In 1987 Fairweather founded the Association of British Jazz Musicians and the National Jazz Archive. That same year he became leader of the Jazz Superkings. Fairweather also helped bring jazz musicians into the British Musicians’ Union in 1990. During the early portion of the 1990s Fairweather was hosting radio shows on BBC Radio 2
called Jazz Parade and Jazznotes. In 1994 he began working with The Great British Jazz Band and continues to teach and do solo work. In 2008 he took up residency at Digby's Place, located at the Railway Hotel, Clifftown Road, Southend on Sea, Essex. Following the death of Humphrey Lyttelton
, he was invited to succeed Humph as the Patron of the Birmingham International Jazz Festival.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
cornet
Cornet
The cornet is a brass instrument very similar to the trumpet, distinguished by its conical bore, compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B. It is not related to the renaissance and early baroque cornett or cornetto.-History:The cornet was...
tist and broadcaster.
Biography
Fairweather has been a professional jazz musician since 1 January 1977, but worked for seven years previously with several local jazz bands in the EssexEssex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
area and recorded his first album in 1975. When turning professional, Fairweather helped found the Keith Nichols
Keith Nichols
Keith Nichols is a jazz multi-instrumentalist and arranger, a player of the piano, trombone, reeds, and accordion.Born in Ilford, Essex, UK, Nichols was a child actor and an award winning accordionist in his youth. Keith tends to play mostly ragtime tunes, gaining notoriety in the 1970s in London...
Midnite Follies Orchestra
Midnite Follies Orchestra
Midnite Follies Orchestra was formed in Britain in 1978 by jazz musicians Keith Nichols and Alan Cohen, dedicated to recreating standards by some of jazzs' greats. The orchestra more or less disbanded in the 1990s...
, started recording solo albums, and joined a quartet
Quartet
In music, a quartet is a method of instrumentation , used to perform a musical composition, and consisting of four parts.-Western art music:...
known as Velvet with guitarists Denny Wright
Denny Wright
Denny Wright was a jazz and skiffle guitarist, who performed with Stephane Grappelli, Lonnie Donegan, Johnny Duncan , Digby Fairweather, Ella Fitzgerald, Billy Eckstine, Fapy Lafertin and many other musicians, including young rising stars such as Bireli Lagrene and Nigel Kennedy...
and Ike Isaacs
Ike Isaacs
Ike Isaacs may refer to:* Ike Isaacs , Burmese-British jazz guitarist* Ike Isaacs , American jazz bassist...
plus bassist Len Skeat
Len Skeat
Len Skeat is an English jazz double-bassist born in east London, perhaps best-known for his work with the Ted Heath band and younger brother of Bill Skeat ....
. Before becoming a professional musician he was a librarian
Librarian
A librarian is an information professional trained in library and information science, which is the organization and management of information services or materials for those with information needs...
and he has retained a strong interest in jazz bibliography
Bibliography
Bibliography , as a practice, is the academic study of books as physical, cultural objects; in this sense, it is also known as bibliology...
and archiving.
In 1979 Fairweather became co-director of the non-profit Jazz College along with pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
Stan Barker
Stan Barker
Stan Barker was an English jazz pianist born in Clitheroe, Lancashire. He has taught in a variety of educational institutions, including the Royal Northern College of Music, the Belfast School of Music, Merseyside Arts, South Wales Art Association and the Southport Arts Centre...
and he also joined the Pizza Express All Stars. In 1982 Fairweather began leading a quartet of his own and helped revitalize Kettners Five along with bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Tiny Winters
Tiny Winters
Tiny Winters was an English jazz bassist and vocalist who worked in the bands of Roy Fox, Bert Ambrose, Lew Stone and Ray Noble....
. His playing has been influenced especially by Nat Gonella
Nat Gonella
Nathaniel Charles Gonella was an English jazz trumpeter, bandleader, vocalist and mellophonist born in London, perhaps most notable for his work with the big band he founded, The Georgians....
and Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
, and his Digby’s Half Dozen band provided the regular accompaniment for the singer George Melly
George Melly
Alan George Heywood Melly was an English jazz and blues singer, critic, writer and lecturer. From 1965 to 1973 he was a film and television critic for The Observer and lectured on art history, with an emphasis on surrealism.-Early life and career:He was born in Liverpool and was educated at Stowe...
in the later years of his career. Following that period, Fairweather's band has accompanyied former Manfred Mann
Manfred Mann
Manfred Mann was a British beat, rhythm and blues and pop band of the 1960s, named after their South African keyboardist, Manfred Mann, who later led the successful 1970s group Manfred Mann's Earth Band...
lead singer Paul Jones
Paul Jones (singer)
Paul Jones is an English singer, actor, harmonica player, and radio personality and television presenter.-Career:As P. P...
in a series of blues and jazz gigs. Apart from his playing and bandleading, Fairweather has long pursued a parallel career as a broadcaster and writer on jazz.
In 1985 he worked in a Brian Priestley
Brian Priestley
Brian Priestley is an English jazz writer, pianist and arranger.Priestley began studying music at age 8, and in the 1960s began arranging jazz pieces for the National Youth Jazz Orchestra and gained a degree in modern languages from Leeds University...
septet
Septet
A septet is a formation containing exactly seven members. It is commonly associated with musical groups, but can be applied to any situation where seven similar or related objects are considered a single unit, such as a seven-line stanza of poetry....
and authored the book How to Play Trumpet. By this time he was actively broadcasting for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, deputising for Humphrey Lyttelton
Humphrey Lyttelton
Humphrey Richard Adeane Lyttelton , also known as Humph, was an English jazz musician and broadcaster, and chairman of the BBC radio comedy programme I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue...
on the show Best of Jazz. In 1987 Fairweather founded the Association of British Jazz Musicians and the National Jazz Archive. That same year he became leader of the Jazz Superkings. Fairweather also helped bring jazz musicians into the British Musicians’ Union in 1990. During the early portion of the 1990s Fairweather was hosting radio shows on BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
called Jazz Parade and Jazznotes. In 1994 he began working with The Great British Jazz Band and continues to teach and do solo work. In 2008 he took up residency at Digby's Place, located at the Railway Hotel, Clifftown Road, Southend on Sea, Essex. Following the death of Humphrey Lyttelton
Humphrey Lyttelton
Humphrey Richard Adeane Lyttelton , also known as Humph, was an English jazz musician and broadcaster, and chairman of the BBC radio comedy programme I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue...
, he was invited to succeed Humph as the Patron of the Birmingham International Jazz Festival.
Awards
- BBC Jazz Society Musician of the Year (1979)
- Benno Haussman Award (1993, Cork Jazz FestivalCork Jazz FestivalThe Cork Jazz Festival is an annual music festival held in Cork City, Ireland in late October every year since 1978.The festival is Ireland's biggest jazz event and attracts hundreds of musicians and thousands of music fans to the city each year....
)
Discography
- Jubilee (1993, Candid RecordsCandid RecordsCandid Records was founded as a subsidiary of Archie Bleyer's Cadence label in New York City in 1960. The jazz writer and civil rights activist, Nat Hentoff, worked as the label's A&R director, aiming to create a representative catalog of the jazz of the day...
) - Squeezin' the Blues Away (1994, FMR RecordsFMR RecordsFMR Records is an English music company record label comprising the major record label, FMR Music. Founded by current CEO Trevor Taylor in 1972. It is a specialist record label providing Jazz and improvisational percussion music .-History:...
)