Dyble Longdon recently released their highly acclaimed album “Between A Breath And A Breath,”a collaboration between iconic vocalist the late Judy Dyble (ex Fairport Convention, Trader Horne) and Big Big Train multi-instrumentalist frontman David Longdon.
Two additional Dyble Longdon tracks are also to be digitally released as free downloads via Bandcamp and streaming services.
“Crossbones” is released today and is available at https://dyblelongdon.bandcamp.com/track/crossbones.
“The Daguerreotype” will be available from December 11, 2020. Listeners will be invited to make a donation for these tracks to Judy’s favoured charity, the Barley Greyhound Sanctuary: http://www.barleykennels.co.uk/
“Judy and I set out to make a vinyl length album. Happily we ended up with more material than we needed, David explains. “The seven songs that we ultimately selected for the album were all intensely personal lyrics for Judy. By contrast Crossbones and The Daguerreotype are outliers thematically. Judy and I were equally proud of them in their own right and agreed before her death that they needed to be heard, hence the digital releases today and in December.”
“I had discussion with my good friend, Jackie Morris, a writer of enchanting words and an illustrative artist of exquisite paintings, about where magic happens. She gave me the title and the rest of the song came from wherever words hang about and wait to find their new home…Between a breath and a breath is where the magic lies.” These are the words of the late Judy Dyble, talking about the album’s title track.
There is indeed a magic in this marriage of musical generations. Judy Dyble was part of the original line-up of folk rock legends Fairport Convention in 1967, before turning her back on the music business, while over 40 years later David Longdon‘s arrival changed the fortunes of Big Big Train, now one of the leading names in the rock genre.
There is also a deep poignancy. The songs were written, Dyble’s words and Longdon’s music, before Judy was diagnosed with cancer, an illness borne with great courage to see the project through. Her death, in July of this year, has added a sad note to an artistic triumph with Judy’s performances possibly the finest of her career.
The album contains seven original compositions with all lyrics by Judy Dyble and music by David Longdon. The songs are, at times, haunting and, at others, beautifully fragile.
This collaboration with David Longdon is something Judy Dyble had hoped for for some time.
“I first heard David sing with Big Big Train at Kings Place in 2015 and immediately decided that I really wanted to sing with him someday. And here we are with a collaborative album, which I think is wonderful!” she said.
David Longdon reflected: “Judy and I became friends during the writing and making of this album. Along the way, there was much laughter and joy but also challenging moments. She was a woman of a certain age and she wrote articulately and unflinchingly about the autumn phase of her life.“
Between A Breath And A Breath was recorded at Real World Studios in Wiltshire and Playpen Studios in Bristol. The album was produced by David Longdon and mixed by Patrick Phillips (Elbow, Kate Bush and Sir Paul McCartney). The artwork for the album is by Sarah Ewing.
Track listing for Between A Breath And A Breath – vinyl and CD versions:
- Astrologers
- Obedience
- Tidying Away The Pieces
- Between A Breath And A Breath
- France
- Whisper
- Heartwashing
Judy Dyble (vocals, autoharp) and David Longdon (vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, mandolin, piano and keyboards) are joined by Jeff Davenport (Jade Warrior, drums) and Longdon’s Big Big Train bandmates Danny Manners (double bass), Rikard Sjöblom (accordion), Rachel Hall (violin), Greg Spawton (12 strong electric guitar, bass guitar and Moog Taurus pedals) and Nick D’Virgilio (drums). Other featured musicians are Dave Gregory (ex-Big Big Train and XTC, guitar), Andy Lewis (Paul Weller, bass guitar), Luca Calabrese (Isildurs Bane, trumpet), Dave Sturt (Gong and Steve Hillage, fretless bass).