Early performance of Bireli on British TV

Jojo

It's from '83 making him 16/17 and he's in the Diz Disley Quintet (they do about five songs and it starts about 10 minutes in). Everyone else on the bill is top-notch too. The guy introducing them all is Big Jim Sullivan, the most prolific session player in the London guitar scene in the 60s and 70s. Btw, 'Little Jim' in the session scene in the 60s was one Jimmy Page who went on to different things....

Teddy Dupont

That was fun to watch again. Johnny Van Derrik on great form there.

Jojo

Thanks Teddy for the name. When watching it I remarked "what a wonderful violinist" and have just managed to find a bit more about him

Teddy Dupont

You can hear more of him:-

Jojo

Oh my, that's a blistering version of After You've Gone!!

Bones

Wow, love that! Thanks for posting it.

MichaelHorowitz

Thanks @jojo !

Bireli is playing a vintage Maccaferri in the video and we actually just had that very one here for sale: http://www.djangobooks.com/Item/selmer-98

It has some distinctive fingerboard inlays which make it easily identifiable.

ChrisMartin

Many legends there on stage.
Birelli and Diz of course, and others have mentioned Johnny van Derrick above, but there are two other guitar heroes that deserve recognition.
I had the pleasure to meet the late Big Jim around the London studios in the '70s and '80s. Always ready to play and always friendly. A genuine 'nice guy'.
Then, that is Denny Wright on the left who was an influence on the young Big Jim since his days with Lonnie Donegan and Johnny Duncan in the 1950s. Jim himself became a sort of a mentor to some of the younger session players later on and I last saw him demonstrating Patrick Eggle guitars on a promotional tour at the old Chappells music store in Milton Keynes in the mid-90s.
He lived out his retirement on the south coast playing in a local pub with another studio legend; Herbie Flowers.
Denny Wright also had a legendary career in session work as a guitarist AND pianist playing everything from country to jazz. He also played concerts with Stéphane Grappelli and Fapy Lafertin and was one of the 'committee' of six that designed the fabulously ornate Hofner Committee archtop of the '50s and '60s.
I vaguely remember this event being on, I think it was at the same time as the major guitar industry trade show at the Exhibition hall next door (I lived in Hendon at the time, only a couple of miles from Wembley) but I didn't go for some reason, (I was probably broke again!).
I wonder who else was on the bill, the Youtube info says it is 1 of 6 shows that were televised.

Jojo

I'm guessing the guitar would've had an interesting history in the 50 years before Bireli used it. Now just wondering if he would be able to tell where he got it from and the story behind it.
Thanks @Chris Martin , I was completely convinced it was Ike Isaacs who was playing on Bireli's left so its good to know about Denny and his influence