Overlooked on this side of the pond, UK cornetist Digby Fairweather, still playing at 76, is one of the swingingest and most uncompromising horn players of our generation. Making his fame on the usually ignored cornet, he’s being anthologized by Acrobat Music on a series of Notes From A Jazz Life disc collections that will hopefully get us Americans up to date.
This latest release is a two disc, 26 song collection ranging from 1972-2014, with settings ranging from gorgeous duets such as a 1977 take of “I Got It Bad (And That Ain’t Good) with pianist Keith Ingham or teaming with Stan Barker on “Gone With The Wind”, to medium/larg bands like the 1984 jam session of “The Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gave To Me”. Fairweather tends toward traditional sounds a la Chicago as on “Sleepy Time Gal” and “That’s A Plenty”, but he sounds convincing throughout, nary a moment of nostalgia, but with progressive verve. His read of “Lover Man” with Barker is jaw dropping, and he gets dark and ominous in a trio rendition of “Yesterdays”. Think of Bobby Hackett driving on the left side of the road and your own your way, and it’s a nice way to go.