Al Fairweather

Al Fairweather
Born	June 12, 1927 Edinburgh, Scotland
Died	June 21, 1993 (aged 66) Edinburgh, Scotland
Known for	British Jazz Musician

Alastair (Al) Fairweather (June 12, 1927 – 21 June 1993) was a British jazz musician, born in Edinburgh, Scotland. Educated at the city's Royal High School and Edinburgh College of Art,^[1] Fairweather served his National Service in Egypt.

It was after being demobbed in 1949 that Fairweather started a band with his old schoolfriend Sandy Brown,^[2] and in 1953, the pair went south to London along with Stan Greig. There they recorded a number of sides for Esquire Records as the Sandy Brown and later Fairweather-Brown All Stars, and played amongst other places at the newly built Royal Festival Hall.

When Brown went back to Scotland to complete his architecture studies, Fairweather joined the Cy Laurie Jazz Band. His powerful, Louis Armstrong-inspired lead was a perfect foil for Laurie's Johnny Dodds approach. From 1966 to 1968, he worked for clarinetist Acker Bilk.

Following a second career as a teacher in Harrow, London, Fairweather returned to Edinburgh in 1987, where he remained and played until his death in 1993 at the age of 66.

References

• Yanow, Scott (2001). Trumpet Kings: The Players Who Shaped the Sound of Jazz Trumpet. San Francisco: Backbeat Books. p. 154. ISBN 0-87930-608-4.

External links

1. "Painting by Al Fairweather of Sean Connery exhibited at Royal College of Art". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2008-04-12.
2. "Sandy Brown Who's Who ". Sandy Brown McJazz. Retrieved 2008-04-12.

Discography Goosey Gander (as Fairweather) and 2 more… Hot Jazz, Cool Beer (LP, Mono) Decca, Decca LK 4512, LK.4512 1962 Compilations Up Above My Head (as Al Fairweather) and 1 more… The Best Of British Jazz Volume 1 (LP, Comp, Mono) Parlophone PMEM 6014 Unknown Up Above My Head (as Al Fairweather) and 1 more… The Best Of British Jazz Volume 1 (LP, Album, Comp, Mono) Encore! ENC 159 Unknown