Al Fairweather

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Alastair "Al" Fairweather (* 12. June 1927 in Edinburgh , † 21st June 1993 ) was a British jazz - trumpet player and bandleader.

Life

Al Fairweather attended the Royal High School in Edinburgh and the Edinburgh College of Art and then did his military service with the National Service in Egypt . After his return to Scotland and his retirement from the army in 1949 Fairweather formed a band with his school friend Sandy Brown ; In 1953, the two musicians moved south with their band, which Stan Greig also belonged to, and finally performed in London. For the label Esquire Records they recorded a number of albums as Fairweather-Brown All Stars , such as Mc Jazz , Dr McJazz or The Incredible McJazz . The band was one of the most successful formations in English mainstream jazz and existed from 1956 to 1964 when Sandy Brown left the band. Fairweather then became a member of the Cy Laurie Jazz Band. His powerful game was reminiscent of Louis Armstrong . From 1966 to 1968 he worked with the clarinetist Acker Bilk . He then began a second career as a music teacher in Harrow near London; He also worked as a soloist and arranger for Stan Greig's London Jazz Big Band and returned to Edinburgh in 1987, where he played with the band Groove Juice Special until his death . He also performed regularly at the Edinburgh Jazz Festival.

Discographic notes

  • McJazz (Dormouse, 1957)
  • McJazz and Friends (Lake, 1956–58) with Dick Heckstall-Smith
  • McJazz Lives On (EMI, 1957-63)
  • Dr McJazz (Columbia, 1961)

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personal data
SURNAME Fairweather, Al
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Fairweather, Alastair (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British jazz trumpeter and band leader
DATE OF BIRTH June 12, 1927
PLACE OF BIRTH Edinburgh
DATE OF DEATH June 21, 1993
Place of death Edinburgh