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England Dave Swarbrick: English Fiddler

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ENGLISH FIDDLER Swarb, as he is popularly known, is the figurehead of England's folk violinists. His clearly recognisable playing style, with its...

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ENGLISH FIDDLER

Swarb, as he is popularly known, is the figurehead of England's folk violinists. His clearly recognisable playing style, with its exceptional command of varied bowing, and his singular, impish character have allowed him to retain his place as the leading player over four decades despite his many musical and geographical excursions. Even when illness intervened in an otherwise continually busy playing career, his broad fan base remained unswerving in its enthusiasm, ensuring full houses on the diminished number of appearances. He is always assured of tumultuous applause as he comes on stage, to contrast with a rapt silence as he picks up his violin.

Swarb emerged from a pool of growingly accomplished folk musicians in the late 1960s, initially appearing on the leading English folk label Topic. The stepping stones were skiffle bands, the mighty figure of singer-songwriter Ewan MacColl, the Ian Campbell Folk Group, and a friendship with the guitarist Martin Carthy. The late 1960s saw three joint albums with Martin Carthy which created a new genre and helped lead the way to the folk-rock fusion epitomised by Fairport Convention. In came the world of the electric violin, and it was characteristic of Swarb that he embraced the experiment - despite the harshness of the early sound. The album Liege and Lief (1969) and the subsequent years of enthusiastic touring established the Fairport language, and the image was enshrined of Swarb dominating his spot on the stage, with his fiddle and a fag hanging from his mouth in equal prominence.

Deceptively casual despite the pyrotechnics, Swarb charmed and wowed his way through the decades. He regularly appeared playing the mandolin, an instrument he has always loved; and Swarb the singer won growing admiration, all his charisma, rich musicality and deft persuasiveness outshining any vocal deficiencies. In turn and intermingled were Fairport Convention; duo tours with Martin Carthy, Simon Nichol and others; a new group, Whippersnapper; a period in Australia; riotous living; a cameo appearance as the violinist in the film Far from the Madding Crowd; a car crash; solo albums with Transatlantic; and periods of hand-to-mouth existence. His Australian period was underlined by an important duo relationship with Alistair Hulett, and on his return to the UK he formed another duo with Kevin Dempsey.

As a player he has always demonstrated a richly musical character, though one that slips with a smile past easy categorisation. He is a folk violinist, sure, but one unique in sound and colour, influencing generations of amateur and professional players and folk fans. For many, Swarb is what a folk violin should sound like. It is this ability to nail his roots to the mast while being able to rock with the best that makes Dave Swarbrick "Swarb."

He has emerged from his lively catalogue of life with yet another existence. Struck down by serious illness, he so nearly died in hospital in Coventry, where he frequently played, that the UK's establishment newspaper The Daily Telegraph printed, prematurely, a glowing half-page obituary. It confirmed his achievements, if somewhat bizarrely, and drew from Swarb the characteristic comment, 'It wasn't the first time I have died in Coventry.' Equally characteristically, he sold framed reprints of the obituary at all subsequent gigs. They are now treasured items.

It was during the early Fairport time that Swarb showed himself to be an individual and original songwriter. From his youthful imagination came 'Crazy Man Michael,' one of the most perfect of the Fairport songs. He wrote it with guitar virtuoso Richard Thompson and it is one of the highlights of the Liege and Lief album. Other songs punctuated his career and his life, such as 'Rosie,' and many of these, for the first time, are gathered together on this album devoted exclusively to his work as composer-performer. His songs are individual to him: not quite folk, not quite rock, not quite ballad, but all of them with sumptuous, persuasive melodies, like that of 'My Heart's in New South Wales.'

There is even a new song on the album, written for the pianist Beryl Marriott, who, when Swarb was just 16, invited him to join her ceilidh band and has been a key figure in the background ever since. It is symptomatic of Swarb's personality that many of the players who have featured in his active performance life have visited his home studio in Coventry to participate in this Naxos World recording; and equally symptomatic of his generosity that he marks this special disc with a newly composed tribute to Beryl Marriott, who in many ways started him on his road.

Nicolas Soames

1. My Heart's In New South Wales

Comp: Swarbrick Pub: Ryko Music

Fiddle: Dave Swarbrick Guitar: Kevin Dempsey

I lived in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales for a number of years. A place of exotic wildlife, full of venomous spiders and snakes, blue-tongued lizards, wonderful cockatoos, parrots and the like. The Blue Mountains really do seem to be blue, a beautiful ultramarine that is created by way of the sunshine refracting through the evaporating resin of the eucalyptus trees. This was written as my personal "farewell" to all that.

2. The Seven Keys

Comp: Swarbrick Pub: Ryko Music

Fiddle: Dave Swarbrick Guitar: Kevin Dempsey

Acoustic Bass Guitar: Dave Pegg Button Accordion:

John Kirkpatrick Percussion: Gerry Conway

I composed this for the acoustic band Whippersnapper I played with in the 1980s. I wanted to emulate the eastern European melodies with their wonderful key changes. This is in 7 keys: Em, G, D, Bb, F, C, and A ... hence the title.

3. Boadicea

Comp: Swarbrick Pub: Ryko Music

Fiddle: Dave Swarbrick Piano: Beryl Marriott

Boadicea was my nickname for Sandy Denny ................. I won't tell you hers for me! Written In Memorium some 25 years ago now.

4. The Wives / The Battler

Comp: Swarbrick Pub: Ryko Music

Fiddle: Dave Swarbrick Guitar: Kevin Dempsey

Bass Guitar: Maartin Allcock

"The Wives" is dedicated to all wives everywhere.

"The Battler" to all those people who persevere against all odds.

5. Mrs. Marriott

Comp: Swarbrick Pub: Ryko Music

Fiddle: Dave Swarbrick Piano: Beryl Marriott

For my old pal and mentor Beryl Marriott.

6. March of the Last

Comp: Swarbrick Pub: Island Music

Fiddle: Dave Swarbrick Guitar: Martin Carthy

Written originally for the song 'Jack O'Rion' performed with Fairport Convention on the album Tippler's Tales. Here, 'March of the Last,' as with 'Miss Stevenson' and 'Turnabout' are separate and appear as tunes in their own right.

7. The Pepperpot / Banksie

Comp: Swarbrick Pub: Ryko Music

Fiddle: Dave Swarbrick Guitar: Kevin Dempsey

'The Pepperpot' I wrote for myself just because it's fun to play! Named after a West-Indian dish. 'Banksie' is for my better half and named after an English dish!

8. Carthy's March / The Lemon Tree

Comp: Swarbrick Pub: Carthy's March: Island Music / The Lemon Tree: Ryko Music

Fiddle: Dave Swarbrick Guitar: Martin Carthy Acoustic Bass: Dave Pegg

I wrote 'Carthy's March' many years ago as I slept. I dreamt I saw Martin playing it. I woke up, hastily searched for some manuscript paper, wrote it down and tried to play it ..... I couldn't play it. It was too difficult. I had to go back to sleep for three days to practise it! 'The Lemon Tree' is another In Memorium for my dear pal Trevor Lucas who died many moons ago. Trevor was very insistent on buying a house in Sydney that had a lemon tree growing in the garden ... he was a keen gin and tonic drinker. Eventually to his great joy he found one. At his funeral, I had the brainwave of smuggling a couple of lemons back to England, it's illegal to bring fruit back to Britain in case it contains some dreadful bug or whatever ... but! If you don't mind a little discomfort ... and grow a couple lemon trees in my greenhouse in memory of Trevor. After a 24 hour flight, I arrived hot and sweaty back at home in the UK. I rushed to the kitchen and sliced open the two lemons ... which were so hot I was afraid they'd germinate right there and then! ... They were seedless.

9. Medley (Crazy Man Michael / To Althea From Prison / White Dress / Rosie)

Comp: Crazy Man Michael - Swarbrick/Thompson, Pub: Warlock Music/Embassy Music Corporation To Althea From Prison - Swarbrick, Pub: Warlock Music White Dress - Swarbrick, Pub: Island Music Rosie - Swarbrick, Pub: Warlock Music

Fiddles: Dave Swarbrick, Chris Leslie, Ric Sanders Guitar & Bass Guitar: Maartin Allcock

There are clubs for many things. For instance, for people who have climbed Mount Everest, or for people who have become passionate when a mile high, and there are clubs for people with tracheostomies. I hold two membership cards for the latter which has left me without a singing voice. Hence this musical medley of four favourites wonderfully arranged by Maartin Allcock.

10. Miss Stevenson / Turnabout

Comp: Swarbrick Pub: Warlock Music

Electric Violin: Dave Swarbrick Fiddles: Dave Swarbrick, Chris Leslie, Ric Sanders Guitar: Simon Nicol

Bass Guitar: Maartin Allcock Piano: Beryl Marriott

Button Accordion: John Kirkpatrick

Percussion: Gerry Conway

See notes from track 6 'March of the Last'.

Disc 1

My Heart's in New South Wales

(more info)

Dave Swarbrick, violin
Kevin Dempsey, guitar
Recording date: November 2002 - April 2003

My Heart's in New South Wales - 5:03

The 7 Keys

(more info)

Dave Swarbrick, violin
Kevin Dempsey, guitar
Dave Pegg, bass guitar
John Kirkpatrick, accordion
Gerry Conway, percussion
Recording date: November 2002 - April 2003

The Seven Keys - 5:16

Boadicea

(more info)

Dave Swarbrick, violin
Beryl Marriott, piano
Recording date: November 2002 - April 2003

Boadicea - 4:34

The Wives - The Battler

(more info)

Dave Swarbrick, violin
Kevin Dempsey, guitar
Maartin Allcock, bass guitar
Recording date: November 2002 - April 2003

The Wives / The Battler - 4:40

Mrs. Marriott

(more info)

Dave Swarbrick, violin
Beryl Marriott, piano
Recording date: November 2002-April 2003

Mrs. Marriott - 4:35

March of the Last

(more info)

Dave Swarbrick, violin
Martin Carthy, guitar
Recording date: November 2002 - April 2003

March of the Last - 4:35

The Pepperpot - Banksie

(more info)

Dave Swarbrick, violin
Kevin Dempsey, guitar
Recording date: November 2002 - April 2003

The Pepperpot / Banksie - 3:34

Carthy's March - The Lemon Tree

(more info)

Dave Swarbrick, violin
Dave Pegg, bass guitar
Martin Carthy, guitar
Recording date: November 2002 - April 2003

Carthy's March / The Lemon Tree - 3:42

Crazy Man Michael - To Althea - From Prison - White Dress - Rosie

(more info)

Composed by: Swarbrick-Thompson
Dave Swarbrick, violin
Maartin Allcock, bass guitar
Chris Leslie, violin
Ric Sanders, violin
Recording date: November 2002 - April 2003

Medley: Crazy Man Michael / To Althea / From Prison / White Dress / Rosie - 5:15

Miss Stevenson - Turnabout

(more info)

Dave Swarbrick, violin
John Kirkpatrick, accordion
Gerry Conway, percussion
Beryl Marriott, piano
Maartin Allcock, bass guitar
Chris Leslie, violin
Ric Sanders, violin
Simon Nicolas, guitar
Recording date: November 2002 - April 2003

Miss Stevenson / Turnabout - 6:26

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Flash 9 required. Click to download.

Composer(s):
Swarbrick-Thompson

Artist(s):
Allcock, Maartin; Carthy, Martin; Conway, Gerry; Dempsey, Kevin; Kirkpatrick, John; Leslie, Chris; Marriott, Beryl; Nicolas, Simon; Pegg, Dave; Sanders, Ric; Swarbrick, Dave

Label: Naxos World
UPC: 636943704523
Item Number: 76045-2
Release Date: Aug 1, 2003

England Dave Swarbrick: English Fiddler

Enescu, G.: Violin Music, Vol. 2

Enescu: Cello Sonatas, Op. 26

Encores & More

Ellington, Duke: Live in '58 (Ntsc)

England Dave Swarbrick: English Fiddler

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