A rare and special occasion. Fairport Convention with
Dave Swarbrick on Sunday 7th March 1999 at The Anvil, Basingstoke. From left
to right: Rick Sanders, Dave Swarbrick, Simon Nichol, Dave Pegg. Other members
are off the picture.A rare and special occasion. Fairport Convention with
Dave Swarbrick on Sunday 7th March 1999 at The Anvil, Basingstoke. From left
to right: Rick Sanders, Dave Swarbrick, Simon Nichol, Dave Pegg. Other members
are off the picture.
Copyright S. J Farthing.
Dave Swarbrick first came to prominence with the Ian Campbell Folk Group in the mid 1960's. In 1966 he formed a duo with Martin Carthy and they became highly respected in English folk music. Around 1968-9 he appeared as a guest performer on the early Fairport Convention album Unhalfbricking, and soon after became a full member of the band.
He is known mainly as a fiddler, and this is the foundation of his music, but his ability goes much further. In Fairport Convention he became the main vocalist in the 70's, having a vocal timbre of traditional English male folk singers, perhaps not fashionable at the time, but his singing has excellent intonation and is like a vocal version of his playing.
He has also proved to be a very able songwriter both on his own and in partnership with others. Many of his compositions seem to have the quality of traditional songs which have stood the test of time, and could easily be mistaken for such. With Richard Thompson he co-wrote Fairport classics Crazy Man Michael and Walk Awhile, also the lesser known but excellent Sloth. He also wrote The Wizard of the Worldly Game with Simon Nichol, White Dress with Ralph McTell, Night-time Girl with Dave Pegg, and with sole credits The Last Waltz on Bonny Bunch of Roses, a great sing-along song which sounds traditional.
Rags Reels and Airs of 1967 is probably the first album with Dave Swarbrick named as the principal performer. This was by Dave Swarbrick with Martin Carthy and Diz Disley. Other albums followed with Martin Carthy, which seemed to name Martin Carthy as the principal performer.
Rags Reels and Airs is regarded as something of a rare classic and was available only on vinyl and as a collectors item until 1999 when it was released on C.D.
Swarbrick, 1976, was probably the first album published under his name alone. It consists entirely of traditional instrumental music, and is mostly acoustic, but with some electric bass. The tracks can be grouped into a number of distinct groups, each having a different set of supporting musicians, and which seem to have each been recorded at one session. There is some pure solo violin, some with Beryl Marriott on piano, some with the legendary Martin Carthy playing guitar, and some with Fairport Convention members Simon Nichol on acoustic guitar, and Dave Pegg on bass. There is a tune with what sounds like a harp, and there is one tune played in a typical Irish session style with various other musicians where the main melody is from an accordion..
Swarbrick II, 1977, follows the same formula as the first, also being entirely traditional instrumental music, and with largely the same sets of musicians. There are more of the session type tunes, and Swarbrick's unaccompanied tunes are both more numerous and better, being satisfying without needing the accompanyment often needed for a solo melody instrument. The album seems to have been produced, at least partly, from the same recording sessions as the first.
These two albums have been released together on a single C.D.
Smiddyburn, 1981, was more sophisticated than the earlier solo albums, and had contributions from other Fairport Convention members, Simon Nichol, Dave Pegg, Dave Mattacks, early member Richard Thompson, and others. Some of the tracks sound as if they could be Fairport Convention intrumentals, but with a difference. It's more refined and less rocky, but not lacking a lively fiddle playing. It consists entirely of traditional instrumentals except for one song It Suits Me Well, which seems to be written by Sandy Denny, and contains a good balance between singing and violin playing.
Flittin, 1981 has the same musicians as Smiddyburn. It begins with a quiet tasteful violin solo which suddenly gets a boost from a typical powerful Fairport Convention style backing. Most impressive. This album is nominally entirely traditional instrumental folk music, but takes it to a new level of sophistication, with light and shade in places not unlike Tubular Bells. In places it resembles classical music and breaks down the artificial distinction between the two.
Smiddyburn and Flittin have also been released together on a single C.D. and are excellent value.
This album, English Fiddler is the latest CD by Dave Swarbrick in 2003. It
consists entirely of Swarbrick's compositions over the years and includes contributions
from many of the musicians he has been associated with including Martin Carthy
and some past members of Fairport Convention. It is offered at a budget price
on the Naxos label.
Dave Swarbrick The Official web site.
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