Roger Farbey

Henry Lowther's Child Song no socks / songs - all instrumental - quite good and Darryl Runswick on bass guitar is outstanding. Lowther was in high demand by folks like Mike Westbrook and Michael Garrick but this was his only recording for a big label under his own name. He played the requiem at Ian Carr's funeral. Really excellent trumpeter.

Henry Lowther's Child Song will be reissued on vinyl on the Fontana label on 6 November 2026 as part of the British Jazz Explosion series.

Ah, this makes more sense. All these albums in Volume One's box set feature Norma Winstone, so that's a major additional selling point and logical combination.Volume Two will include the instrumental LPs.

Promises contains a lot of memorable tunes in something of a RCQ style but still quirkily Garrick's aside from one. Puzzling that the older albums are for a Volume 2 release. Aside from the slightly weird Mr Smith's, all are excellent. Also looking forward to Alan Skidmore's Once Upon A Time. All these are very welcome reissues.

I am in two minds about buying this box set. I have literally a drawer full of legit Softs albums. However, if anyone ever manages to remaster Third so it sounds as technically good as 4-7 I would consider buying the box. Third, which imho contains some of the best compositions ever written, always sounded ever so slightly muddy (I'm not just talking about Facelift) and I believe was not treated production wise like say Miles albums. I do have several iterations of Third claiming remastering. I do love Third though even despite the "mudiness".

No criticism sensed! 😀 But I did think it remiss of me anyway. Incidentally, BGO was the first to reissue some of these British gems. I know that Ian Carr was very pleased to see his entire Vertigo back catalogue reissued and those RCQs too.

My bad, but I also forgot Keith Tippett and John Stevens' Away.

BGO did a true public service when they reissued all the Vertigo label Nucleus albums and the EMI Columbia label Rendell Carr Quintet albums. But they also re-issued albums by other major British players such as Graham Collier, Mike Gibbs, John McLaughlin, John Surman, Mike Westbrook and Kenny Wheeler / John Dankworth. An invaluable label.

Mike Westbrook, the UK's premier jazz composer and bandleader died yesterday, 11 April at the age of 90. I was lucky to witness one of his last concerts at Blackheath last December where there was a fabulous recital of the Westbrook Blake. At the concert he came onstage in a wheelchair but was able to recite some of Blake's poetry. His body of work was incredibly important and included masterpieces such as The Cortege and On Duke's Birthday. But his earlier albums were the launching pad for legendary musicians such as John Surman as heard on Celebration and Marching Song. He also wrote with jazz rock in mind as heard with his Solid Gold Cadillac group and on Mike Westbrook Live and Citadel/Room 315 and not forgetting the illustrious Metropolis featuring Norma Winstone amongst others. The Westbrook Blake album superseded his musical contribution to Adrian Mitchell's musical Tyger and became a timeless classic. He will be very much missed by many. RIP Mike.

It is being reissued next month (March) by Decca on vinyl. Another in Decca's excellent British Jazz Explosion series. It's on the Dusty Groove website and on several British sellers sites too. Very welcome reissue and kudos to Tony Higgins for making this possible. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/168238/Neil-Ardley-Ian-Carr-Don-Rendell:Greek-Variations-Other-Agean-Exercises

The Westbrook Blake, Blackheath 20.12.25 What may well be the last performance of The Westbrook Blake by its founding cast took place last night at Blackheath's famous Concert Hall. A full house greeted the Westbrook ensemble featuring stalwarts Kate Westbook, Phil Minton on vocals and Chris Biscoe on soprano and alto saxophone. They were augmented by accordionist Karen Street, violinist Billy Thompson, pianist Matthew Bourne and bassist Steve Berry. The concert was also underpinned by the superb Blackheath Halls Community Choir conducted by Paul Ayres. Mike Westbrook appeared last on stage in a wheelchair and took up residence by the grand piano but left it to Bourne to play the instrument which he did with great aplomb. The ninety minute performance with no interval was hugely impressive not least by the vocalists. Despite being in his mid-eighties, Minton's vocal gymnastics have lost none of their power and ability to amaze. Kate Westbrook too, another octogenarian, delivered a stunning performance. Mike - now 89 - contributed spoken recitals of two Blake poems, his voice as lithe and dramatic as it ever was. He even was seen adding vibra slap percussion on one number. Minton's renditions of Long John Brown And Little Mary Bell and the grand finale I See Thy Form, were terrific and typically memorable to the point where some (including me) might regard him as the greatest vocal improviser in British jazz. It's incredible to think that I witnessed Minton singing and playing trumpet in Mike Westbrook's jazz rock outfit Solid Gold Cadillac at the late lamented Phoenix pub in Cavendish Square well over 50 years ago. Minton, unbelievably, sounded just the same as way back then. Whilst Mike Westbrook and others regard his major works as Citadel/Room 315, The Cortege and On Duke's Birthday it is undoubtedly The Westbrook Blake which stands out as a timeless and genre-crossing work, originated from the late Adrian Mitchell's 1971 National Theatre production of Tyger for which Westbrook wrote the music. It has truly taken on a life of its own and Blackheath's concert reminded us, if any needed reminding, that Mike Westbrook is the ne plus ultra of British jazz.

Neil Ardley's excellent Kaleidoscope Of Rainbows is set for a double vinyl reissue in December on Analogue October Records having been half speed remastered https://analogueoctober.com/product/neil-ardley-kaleidoscope-of-rainbows-vinyl-reissue-aor003st/?audiogallery_startitem_ag2=0

Thanks for that info about Impex Recordswhich gives me more confidence about purchasing this premium product. Just makes me wish I had an SACD player.

Interesting new one from the Mahavishnu - see link. Released 14 November on vinyl and CD but the latter is nearly $35 albeit for an SACD. Never heard of the label but I guess this is because it's a movie score. https://www.impexrecords.com/john-mclaughlin-music-for-abandoned-heights-180g-33rpm-lp/#:~:text=Experience guitar legend John McLaughlin's stunning 2025,Music for Abandoned Heights%2C on HQ-180g vinyl.

Decca has released today a vinyl reissue of The John Cameron Quartet's Off Centre featuring Harold McNair, Danny Thompson and Tony Carr. I think it's only ever has a CD reissue on Vocalion. The album's reissue was curated by the inimitable Tony Higgins who also wrote new sleeve notes.