Barbara Thompson - First Light (2023)

Jazz In Britain was very fortunate recently to receive a large collection of reel tapes and discover three early seventies Barbara Thompson sessions amongst it, sessions that we don’t believe have been circulated before. We proposed to Barbara’s daughter Ana Gracey that we produce an album using these three sessions as a way of raising extra money for Cure Parkinson’s.

The audio fidelity of these sessions reflects the fact that they were recorded on a very low speed tape machine but they presented a wonderful opportunity to create something special to raise funds for the Parkinson’s charity.

They’re very interesting sessions nonetheless and well worth hearing.
So, you’re not only getting some very interesting music but, at the same time, making a donation to the charity which is doing crucial work on the disease from which Barbara Thompson suffered for many years.

Specially produced by Jazz In Britain in partnership with Cure Parkinson’s and Temple Music with all net profits being donated to Cure Parkinson’s. ‘First Light’ will be released on 2nd June, the day of the memorial concert being held for Barbara Thompson at the Union Chapel in Islington, London. The disc will be launched at the concert, but is available to pre-order for those unable to attend the gig.
Presented in a replica gatefold card sleeve, the album features three recently discovered, previously un-released, early seventies Barbara Thompson sessions. The earliest session from 1971 features the first ever appearance of Group E and may be one of the very few times that Barbara played with Blue Notes bassist Johnny Dyani.

The second session is also interesting in that it’s a fairly big, 12-piece, band including some very famous name soloists and consists of a three-part suite called The Awakening. Featured soloists are Barbara, Don Rendell, Henry Lowther (on violin) and Barbara’s husband Jon Hiseman.

The third session is a very early version of the band Jubiaba, recorded nearly 6 years before their first album was released, and again features a superb group of musicians including Trevor Tomkins and Ian Carr.

All international orders will be shipped by our EU-based partner; this means that EU orders will stay within the Single Market – therefore no Customs import charges for EU customers.
Jazz In Britain was very fortunate recently to receive a large collection of reel tapes and discover three early seventies Barbara Thompson sessions amongst it, sessions that we don’t believe have been circulated before. We proposed to Barbara’s daughter Ana Gracey that we produce an album using these three sessions as a way of raising extra money for Cure Parkinson’s.

The audio fidelity of these sessions reflects the fact that they were recorded on a very low speed tape machine but they presented a wonderful opportunity to create something special to raise funds for the Parkinson’s charity.

They’re very interesting sessions nonetheless and well worth hearing. The earliest session from 1971 features the first ever appearance of Group E and may be one of the very few times that Barbara played with Blue Notes bassist Johnny Dyani.

The second session is also interesting in that it’s a fairly big, 12-piece, band including some very famous name soloists and consists of a three-part suite called The Awakening. Featured soloists are Barbara, Don Rendell, Henry Lowther (on violin) and Barbara’s husband Jon Hiseman.

The third session is a very early version of the band Jubiaba, recorded nearly 6 years before their first album was released, and again features a superb group of musicians including Trevor Tomkins and Ian Carr.

Fans will not only be getting some very interesting music but, at the same time, making a donation to the charity which is doing crucial work on the disease from which Barbara Thompson suffered for many years.