The Jazz Years

Daryl Runswick - 'The Jazz Years' is a 2-CD set of historic live recordings, made between 1967 and 1978 and never previously released, featuring top British jazz stars including Don Rendell, Alan Skidmore, Stan Sulzmann, Mick Pyne and Spike Wells amongst others.

Now in his 71st year, Daryl Runswick has led an eclectic performing life, as a double-bassist, pianist, composer, conductor and singer, amongst many other roles. In the late 1960s and the '70s, he was a virtuoso jazz bass player. He could be heard both at Ronnie Scott's and on recordings accompanying such luminaries as Ornette Coleman, Phil Woods, and Blossom Dearie, and of course Dame Cleo Laine and Sir John Dankworth, with whom he stayed, as bass player then pianist, for 13 years.

"[To Runswick] No-one played bass quite like you." - John Taylor

This set of historic recordings charts Runswick's years on the 1970s British jazz scene, with his own star-studded groups London Jazz Four and The Daryl Runswick Quartet. The recordings mark London Jazz Four's transformation from "polite MJQ tribute band" to "raving fusion group".Three years later, recording straight after Cleo Laine's legendary Live at Carnegie Hall tour, Daryl reminisces his Daryl Runswick Quartet "gelled like superglue". A rare treat is also included: Daryl's solo performance (singing and playing) of 'Song of the Double Bass Player' with lyrics by Clive James.

"The way I gave Daryl the lyric [of 'Song of the Double Bass Player'], it was a good song. The way he gave it, back it was a work of genius." - Clive James