Some time ago I wrote on the subject of a very fine flute/saxophone player by the name of Harold McNair. If you missed my jottings then, you can catch them here.
http://eddie-graham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/harold-mcnair-flautist-extraordinaire.html#gpluscomments
At that time, my collection of music by McNair was very sparse, mainly because little of it is available on CD (a travesty I feel). However my collection has been substantially boosted thanks to the generosity of another collector of McNair's work. Wolfgang has been kind enough to send me copies of several albums by McNair, including a couple of very rare albums from his early career in Jamaica. The cherry on the cake however, was a copy of the much sought after collector's item, 'Affectionate Fink'. I can not thank you enough Wolfgang.
Most recently I was sent a recording of a BBC radio documentary on the subject of Harold McNair. My thanks for this kind gesture must go to Dave who just happens to be a nephew of Harold McNair.
In the documentary, the work of McNair is discussed by Steve Rubie who is the owner of the 606 Jazz Club based at 90 Lots Road, Chelsea. He reveals several anecdotes about McNair but also plays several tracks which demonstrate the diversity of talents and musical styles of this superb musician.
Listening to the documentary was, I have to say, a perfect way to fill an hour on a lazy Sunday morning. Thank you Dave.
I still find it something of a travesty that McNair's work Is not more readily available and that his name is not ranked up there with the jazz greats. As the BBC programme makes clear, he was very widely respected among other musicians. If a flute player was required in the 1960's, Harold McNair would be the first name on everyones lips resulting in him playing on many sessions and film scores.
Perhaps the current lack of recognition is something to do with how short his life and career were. As I reported previously, he died of lung cancer at the tragically young age of 39.
Now, the coffee machine is fired up and I have a stack of Harold McNair CD's before me. It's what Sundays were made for. If you don't believe me, then wrap your ears around this; The Fence.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDQnQcazvDU
It's strange that yesterday I should write about Harold McNair following my chance hearing of him accompanying Donovan. I don't think I have read anything at all about McNair since his obituary appeared in the music press in 1971. Yet coincidentally I am currently reading a book entitled 'Electric Eden' by Rob Young and lo and behold Harold McNair makes a surprise appearance.
I'm not half way through the book yet but I am enjoying it very much indeed. It covers the development of folk music in Britain during the 20th century. From Ralph Vaughan Williams and Gustav Holst, through the collecting work of Cecil Sharp and the early folk clubs run by A.L. Lloyd and Ewen MacColl. Then into the folk 'boom' of the early 60's focusing on people like Martin Carthy, Bert Jansch, Anne Briggs, Davy Graham and others. There are extensive sections covering Pentangle, Steeleye Span (perhaps not as extensive as they deserve but this I suspect is more to do with the personal taste of the author), Fairport Convention, Nick Drake and John Martyn.
That's as far as I have got at the moment but as I rattle through it you can be assured I will have more to say on this subject in a future blog.
With my music player on shuffle as I am inclined to do when I can't decide what to listen to, I was suddenly stopped in my tracks by the strains of Donovan's 'Writer in the Sun'. It wasn't so much the song itself, though a fine song it is, but the accompanying flute that particularly attracted my interest. The musician in question was a certain Mr Harold McNair.
I first became acquainted with his work through hearing the track 'Dusty' by John Martyn featured on the Island sampler 'You Can All Join In' released in 1969. Or it might have been through Donovan when I bought the 'Donovan in Concert' album at about the same same. It was only later that I realised that McNair had been involved in most of Donovan's other work also.
Of mixed race, McNair was born in Jamaica in 1931 and first arrived in Britain in 1960 after a spell touring Europe with Quincy Jones. In London his reputation grew and he was soon a regular on flute and sax at Ronnie Scott's Club in Soho. In the early 60's he contributed sax to the James Bond movie 'Dr. No'. Possibly because of his Jamaican background, McNair was signed to Chris Blackwell's Island Records label and in 1965 he released his first album under his own name 'Affectionate Fink' utilising Ornette Coleman's rhythm section.
McNair first played with Donovan during the recording of the latter's 'Sunny Goodge Street' and he was then hired for subsequent sessions during which the Donovan album 'Sunshine Superman' was recorded in Abbey Road Studios with The Beatles recording 'Revolver' in the studio next door.
McNair went on to record with many other artists during the 60's including John Martyn, Alexis Korner, CCS and Davy Graham. His own album 'The Fence' featured Steve Winwood on piano and organ and the interplay between the two on the title track is superb. The album is now available on CD with bonus tracks and in my opinion is well worth getting - I'm listening to it as I write. One of the bonus tracks is the Lennon/McCartney song 'Here ,There and Everywhere', perhaps first heard by McNair when they shared neighbouring studios in Abbey Road. I used to possess his album 'Flute & Nut' on vinyl but sadly that went the way of all my other vinyl.
I only saw Harold McNair live once, probably around 1970 when he was one of a dozen or more musicians on stage at Newcastle City Hall as part of Ginger Baker's Airforce. Sadly I never got another chance to see him and the world was robbed of a fine musician when he succumbed to lung cancer on 7th March 1971. He was aged just 39.
At the time I write this I believe that the only record in his own name available on CD is the aforementioned 'The Fence'. Until that travesty is corrected, dig out his work with Donovan and others. I personally recommend 'Donovan in Concert' and 'The Tumbler' by John Martyn which features the great track 'Dusty'.
