It's hard to understate the significant role that Fairport Convention had in the early developments of a style of music that came to be known as folk rock. Formed in the late 60's in the U.K. the band, which launched the careers of guitarist Richard Thompson and vocalist Sandy Denny, experienced their fair share of triumphs, with stellar albums such as Unhalfbricking and Liege and Lief. Yet for all of their early successes they also tasted heartbreak as well with the untimely deaths of drummer Martin Lamble in 1969 and Denny almost ten years later. The 70's were a time of change for Fairport Convention and after Thompson departed in 1971, they continued to soldier on through a multitude of different lineups and yet they still managed to release quality albums. By 1974, Denny who had quit the band in 1969 was back in the fold fronting a lineup of Fairport that included her husband Trevor Lucas (guitars, vocals), longtime members Dave Mattacks (drums), Dave Pegg (bass) and Dave Swarbrick (violin), along with Jerry Donahue (guitars, vocals). If the band was supposedly on the decline you'd never know from the incendiary performances contained within this recent archive release from It's About Music.

Recorded over a couple of nights in the late spring of 1974, at the famed Ebbets Field club in Denver, It's About Music President Dean Sciarra and Donahue spent a lot of time cleaning up the tape and preparing this show for its eventual release. The sound on this sixty eight minute recording is absolutely immaculate. If you close your eyes you feel like you've been transported back in time and are sitting front and center as the band weaves it's magic. Denny is fine form vocally and her heartbreaking, emotion filled performance on the classic "Who Knows Where The Time Goes" alone makes this is a worthwhile purchase. However, after listening to this collection of gems one is instantly reminded of just how strong this version of the band was. Mattacks and Pegg are the ever reliable rhythm section as Donahue and Swarbrick are given ample opportunity to show off their endless array of chops on tracks like "Fiddlestix", and the extended solo sections on "Sloth" and "Matty Groves". The set concludes with a scorching eight minute jig, which was always the perfect showcase for Swarbricks' brilliant violin playing, and a spirited run through of Dylan's "Down In The Flood". All in all it's a perfect way to bring to a close this fabulously put together concert. Listening to Ebbets Fields 1974 really makes you realize what incredible musicians they all were and at the same time what a tragic loss it was for the music world to have lost Sandy Denny at such a young age in 1978. Raise a pint, crank this one up and revel in the genius that was Sandy Denny and Fairport Convention.