Tim Buckley – Happy Time

Last week the sad news broke of the passing of double bass legend Danny Thompson. As a tribute to the man and his immense fingerprint left on the landscape of 20th century music this weeks edition of Old Fruit pulls six archive performances enhanced by Danny’s involvement holding down that bottom end. First up, a rare piece of film capturing the week in October 1968 when Tim Buckley visited the UK to play the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London. Danny was part of his pick up band upon arrival in the UK, rising to the unenviable challenge of following Tim’s music and bringing an appreciative backing to proceedings. It is evidence of Danny’s standing in the sixties as a go-to session man, a reputation that would see his name appear on many credits from the time, most notable on records by Alexis Korner’s Blues Incorporated, John McLaughlin Trio and Nick Drake.

Pentangle – Light Flight

Danny’s presence on the double bass in Pentangle undoubtedly elevated the bands fusion of folk, jazz and free-form acoustic psychedelics to heights they would not have attained with a mere four string plunker. He could bring both percussive energy and improvisational alertness and as such, the band felt like the ideal environment for his eloquences to thrive and evolve. For a time they did too, although Danny was never likely to be limited to just one combination of players during a career when so many would seek out his sound, his ear and his magic touch. Here he is performing arguably Pentangle’s most well known number at the start of 1971, a song that was originally both a 45 and a stand out number from the bands ‘Basket Of Light’ album.

John Martyn – Couldn’t Love You More

John Martyn’s deep folk-jazz fusion benefited from the Danny Thompson touch in a collaboration that would last more than three decades. They first came together for Martyn’s 1973 classic ‘Solid Air’ and it would be a union that endured through not just studio work, but mouth watering live concert sessions too, as is witnessed here from a vintage ‘Old Grey Whistle Test’ clip. Their last known shows together were in the early 2000’s by which time Danny almost sounded like the essential component in John Martyn’s soulful, probing musical quest.

Richard Thompson – Put It There Pal

Similarly on a wavelength were the musical interactions between folk-rock maestro Richard Thompson and Danny. It has long been impossible for the pair to be written about without first explaining that they were not brothers, but with the kind of intuitive understanding they often displayed in live performance it was hard not to think there must be some higher degree of communication going on. Their highlights are worth digging into across a multitude of live recordings over the years but they did also share joint billing on an under-the-radar 1997 studio album called ‘Industry’.

Martin Simpson – Heartbreak Hotel

There is a temptation in compiling this selection to dip into some of the more mainstream cameos to be found of Danny’s work over the years. Top of that list is his bass credit on Everything But The Girl’s nineties melancholy dance classic ‘Missing’, of which there are TV appearances featuring Danny to be found should you care to dig them out, but really all he is doing on that track is holding down a very basic, beat accompanying low end. His playing always shines with brighter colours and variation when heard alongside an instrumentalist of similar dexterity. That is what we find here, playing in tandem with folk guitar legend Martin Simpson on a live bluesy version of a fifties rock ‘n’ roll classic.

Danny Thompson – Idle Monday

We finish with one of the all too scarce examples of Danny taking the lead on a performance of a tune from his first solo album. ‘Whatever’ was released in 1987 to a favourable critical reception in the jazz world, it gave Thompson a platform to express his love of folk and jazz in a deep instrumental showcase that did open the door for future solo projects in a similar vein. Danny himself said “I just wanted Kate Bush to like it. I wanted the jazzers to like it. I wanted the folk side to like it”. Returning to the album after news of his death broke, this work does stand the test of time and represents a grain of the mans music that is ripe for rediscovery amongst the many higher profile recordings on which his genius, expressive playing can be heard. We have lost a good one here, RIP Danny Thompson.