Digby Fairweather became a fulltime jazzman in 1977 after twelve years as a qualified
librarian in Southend-on-Sea working night by exhausting night in everything from local
soul and dance bands to avant-garde jazz ensembles in Southend and all over his
home-county of Essex. In 1971 he formed his first ‘Half Dozen’ to play his preferred music
– Swing and Dixieland – and from 1973 began working his way up the ladder as a junior
partner in established jazz bands led by professionally qualified musicians including
Hugh Rainey, David ‘Eggy’ Ley and Eric Silk and later with Keith Nichols, Ron Russell and
Lennie Hastings. He was also privileged to work with trumpeter Alex Welsh’s band
(frequently as Welsh’s deputy) and recorded his first album with Welsh’s band in 1974.
“Alex was a dear man” says Digby ” – and very much an adviser as well as a musical
promoter for me. I’ll never forget him”.