HISTORIC RECORDINGS OF FAIRPORT CONVENTION WITH SANDY DENNY LIVE AT EBBETS FIELD 1974 SEES CD RELEASE

3/16/2011 – Philadelphia, PA – Much to the excitement of Fairport Convention and Sandy Denny fans around the globe, Philadelphia’s ItsAboutMusic.com will release ultra rare recordings of the famed UK group recorded live at Ebbets Field in Denver, Colorado May 23/24, 1974. Produced and digitally remastered by Fairport Convention’s Jerry Donahue for ItsAboutMusic.com, the 1974 line-up of Fairport Convention on these recordings feature Sandy Denny (Vocals, Piano), Dave Mattacks (Drums), Jerry Donahue (Lead Guitar, Vocals), Dave Pegg (Bass,Vocals), Trevor Lucas (Vocals, Acoustic Guitar) and Dave Swarbrick (Vocals, Violin). This historical audio documentation catches the band at the height of their career performing to an ecstatic audience.

Fairport Convention are an English folk rock band formed in 1967, who are still recording and touring today, and are considered “the most important group in the English folk rock movement”. Their critically acclaimed album Liege and Lief helped launch the English folk rock movement. The vast number of personnel who have passed through band’s revolving door are amongst the most highly regarded and influential musicians of their era, and have gone on to work with many significant bands. Since 1979 the group has hosted the Cropredy Festival, a large annual event held in England. Individually and collectively the members of Fairport Convention have garnered numerous awards recognizing their contribution to music and culture.Fairport Convention was formed around 1967, and originally played a “harmony-and guitar-based folk-rock style” strongly influenced by Californian groups of the day like the Byrds. The line-up that recorded their self-titled debut album in 1968 featured Richard Thompson, Ian Matthews, and Simon Nicol on guitars; Ashley Hutchings on bass; Judy Dyble on vocals; and Martin Lamble on drums. Fairport Convention didn’t reach their peak until Dyble was replaced after the first album in 1968 by Sandy Denny, who had previously recorded both as a solo act and with the Strawbs. Denny has been touted as the best British folk-rock singer of all time. This incarnation of the band would record two well-received albums. When Ian Matthews left the band in early 1969, and Martin Lamble (still in his teens) died in an accident involving the group’s equipment van in mid-1969, Fairport regrouped, replacing Lamble with Dave Mattacks, and adding Dave Swarbrick on fiddle. Their repertoire became much more traditional, and electrified traditional folk numbers would dominate their next album, Liege and Lief (1969).

This line-up didn’t last long and by the end of the ’60s Ashley Hutchings had left to join Steeleye Span (he was replaced by Dave Pegg). Sandy Denny also left the group to form Fotheringay with Jerry Donahue. Richard Thompson remained for Full House (1970), but by the beginning of 1971 he too had departed, leaving Nicol as the only original member. Sandy Denny would actually return to the group for about a year and a half in the 1970s, prior to her death in 1978. Fairport Convention have continued on and off for the last 25 years, touring and performing frequently. To this day, the band is supported by a devoted fan base. Now with the release of Fairport Convention with Sandy Denny – Ebbets Field 1974, one important chapter of the band’s history is preserved for generations to enjoy. Here’s a magic recording of Sandy Denny, Jerry Donahue, Trevor Lucas, Dave Swarbrick, Dave Pegg and Dave Mattacks captured live!

CD and Download Release March 22, 2011

For song samples: http://www.itsaboutmusic.com/fairport.html