Judy Dyble - Recent Work

Recent Work

Following Stable's death in 1994, 2003 saw Dyble begin writing and performing again. For a long time, the only Judy Dyble recordings available in the retail trade was the first Fairport Convention album, but Morning Way was reissued on CD in November 2000, and she released the first of several new works - Enchanted Garden - in 2004, followed by Spindle and The Whorl in 2006. These last two albums only received limited releases with little if any distribution. Occasional live appearances saw her appear at Cropredy (alongside what was virtually the original Fairport line up) in 2007.

Dyble released a single on 3 March 2008 with northern indie/folk band The Conspirators through independent label Transcend Media Group. The single was a double A-side featuring Judy's vocals on a remake of Fairport Convention's song "One Sure Thing" and The Conspirators song "Take Me To Your Leader". It reached No.7 in the official uk indie singles chart, spending 3 weeks in the top 10.

The promotion for this single saw Dyble make a couple of very rare live appearances, at the Harrogate International Conference Centre, and at an in-store live gig at HMV's superstore in Leeds city centre on 3 March 2008.

Dyble's next album Talking With Strangers was recorded throughout 2008 with Tim Bowness (No-Man) and Alistair Murphy co-writing and producing. Collaborators include Robert Fripp, Simon Nicol, Pat Mastelotto, Ian McDonald, Julianne Regan, Celia Humphris, Jacqui McShee, Laurie A'Court and Mark Fletcher. During work on the album, she played a rare outdoor show at the Llama festival in North Devon, in June 2008.

Dyble took her place at the head of Fairport Convention's initial line up, at Witchseason's 40th anniversary celebration show at the Barbican Theatre on 18 July 2009, for the first time in nearly 40 years, excluding very brief occasional outings at Cropredy.

Talking With Strangers was released in August 2009 becoming the recommended choice on the www.bbc.co.uk homepage, and receiving favourable reviews from amongst others, the Mail On Sunday, Record Collector, Shindig!, R2 and described as a 'sophisticated triumph' on the BBC music website. A number of radio stations aired the near 20 minute track 'Harpsong' in full, and Dyble undertook a run of BBC local radio interviews, including BBC Radio Oxford, Solent, Suffolk, Devon, Cornwall, Lancashire, and Manchester. In May 2009 early review copies for the new album with Robert Fripp were sent out. Dyble's Myspace showed samplers of some of the album tracks, and directly from her, and from Tim Bowness's Burning Shed, signed numbered early release copies sold out very quickly.

27 August 2009 saw an intimate gig by Dyble at the 100 Club in London, supported by Tim Bowness, Alistair Murphy, and Simon Nicol, her first solo gig in London in over 40 years.

2010 saw Dutch label Tonefloat release a vinyl version of the album, and Dyble added additional vocals to the 2 November 2009 single release 'Every Sentimental Moment' by UK rock band Kings Cross.

Termo records in Norway announced a Scandinavian release in February 2010, with revised artwork by noted artist and children's illustrator Jackie Morris and a bonus track from the album sessions 'Fragile' This release was supported by promotional television appearances in Norway, notably on the breakfast show God morgen, Norge! 2 tracks were performed live, Jazzbirds, and Grey October Day. Dyble, Bowness and Murphy also recorded an as yet unseen clip for the programme Lydverket

Harpsong won the award for 'Best original song' voted for by the online community 'Talkawhile' in January 2010, and the album featured in the 'best of 2009' lists in Classic Rock magazine by noted writers Jo Kendall, and Sid Smith. The album was also promoted by UK music store HMV as one of its best specialist sector albums.

In September 2009, Dyble announced on her Facebook page that work has begun on a new full length, as yet untitled album, to be recorded in 2010.

In December 2009 producer/arranger Lee Fletcher announced via online networks that he and touch guitarist Markus Reuter would be collaborating (along with a number of other musicians including Robert Fripp) with Dyble on new work. The project was subsequently revealed by Judy to be titled Newborn Creatures and as of 11 February 2011 (2011 -02-11) the album was said to be complete. Mastering duties were undertaken by Simon Heyworth, who produced, mixed and mastered Tubular Bells as well as mastering work by Nick Drake, Simple Minds and others.

Subsequent to this announcement, Dyble announced via her own website that the project had run into difficulties and would not be released in the form she had intended, and that she had been removed from the project altogether. As she stated: "I am very sorry to have to say seemingly my album, 'Newborn Creatures' will now not be released in its current incarnation. Lee Fletcher and Markus Reuter have decided to remove my songwords and my vocals and artwork and anything to do with me from the recording. I do not know what they intend to do with what is left, but they have stated that they intend to release my album without me in some form and at some point in the future." As indicated in a further part of her announcement, Dyble revealed that her collaborators had felt she had undervalued their contribution to the project, and that the removal of her contribution had "seriously damaged my delight in the music that I have made for this album." She went on to state that perhaps she could salvage the words and "find a new and sympathetic home for them." She is currently working on a new album with Alistair Murphy, as yet untitled, to be released in 2012/13.