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 UPBEAT RECORDINGS UK
Liz Biddle started Upbeat
Management in 1985 as a vehicle to promote jazz, classical and
show-business artists. Upbeat Recordings evolved from the
company’s management activities and in 1989 its first jazz releases
appeared featuring The Temperance Seven and Terry Lightfoot. Upbeat has
since linked up with the BBC Archives and, through this, has developed
a varied and unique catalogue from New Orleans style – including
several best-selling Ken Colyer albums, and the popular BBC Jazz Club
and At the Jazz Band Ball series of broadcast anthologies featuring
many of the top bands of the 50s to the 70s. These titles include music
from both traditional and mainstream jazz, including Humphrey
Lyttelton, Chris Barber, Sandy Brown and Alex Welsh.
The label also released the much sought after 40s Vic Lewis-Jack
Parnell Jazzmen sessions, as well as reissuing some fine albums from
Humphrey Lyttelton’s Calligraph label including albums featuring Kenny
Davern and Bruce Turner. More recently, Humph has encouraged Upbeat to
release, for the first time, two CDs of rare material he recorded with
blues singer Jimmy Rushing in the 50s, to great critical acclaim.
Upbeat, with the collaboration of its jazz producer John Griffith and
myself as consultant, has also instigated a ‘Portrait’ series of major
jazz artists from the early years. The first two releases featuring
Mutt Carey and Kid Ory have been well-received internationally.
Last Update: 9/25/2005
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