Warm Glow

One of a pair of re-issues this month from one of the key figures in post-war British modern and mainstream jazz. Although perhaps less well-known than high profile contemporaries like Dankworth, Scott and Hayes, Tommy Whittle had a central role in London’s emerging modern jazz scene of the ‘50s, performing with a string of his own line-ups and recording with all the top names, having paid his dues with the Ted Heath Band in the post-war years. Tommy has continued to play with a variety of line-ups over the decades, and in 2012 is still performing. This CD was produced privately in 1992 by Tommy and his wife, the noted jazz singer Barbara Jay, and at the time enjoyed only limited distribution, so we are delighted to be able to re-introduce it for the mainstream market. It features a stellar line-up of top musicians from the British modern jazz scene, and the blend of original compositions and jazz standards provides a fine showcase for Tommy’s mellifluous tenor sax style with plenty of space for excellent solo and ensemble improvisation along the way. We are sure that it will be appreciated up by the many fans of British modern jazz who may not have had the opportunity to buy this album first time around. Musicians: Tommy Whittle, tenor sax; Brian Dee, piano; Len Skeet, bass; Bobby Orr, drums