Still alive and well, British cornetist Digby Fairweather is not well known in the US, but deserves a listen, as his tone and approach goes all the way back to Louis Armstrong, heavily influenced by the mellifluous sounds of Bobby Hackett and Ruby Braff. This two disc, 35 song collection is an inviting retrospective of what a polished horn is supposed to sound like.
The music covers mostly the 70s and 80s, with a dash of the 90s, going all the way up to 2003. The settings can range from a hard Woody Herman-styled larger band session from 1998 on “ First Class Sounds” to a gorgeous duet with pianist Stan Barker on a 1984’d “Cheek To Cheek”. Fairweather’s tone and timing is clear, clean and impeccable, sweet as all get out on the upbeat “Sugar” and “Avalon”, or relaxed for “I’ve Got The World On The String”. A duet with the striding Barker on “It’s The Talk Of The Town” is a wonderful aria, and his jivey “If I Had Rhythm In My Nursery Rhymes” with the hep cat vocalist Chris Ellis is a hoot. The breathy Kate McNab adds sensuous voice to “ Dear Mr. Berkley” and sauce to “Tiger Blues” with Tony Compton’s Farfisa organ taking you to an Armenian Wedding on “ Jada” and the band going to the Crescent City on “You Can’t Stop Me From Dreaming”. Shining brass in every room.