The opening notes are unmistakeable. There are few bass players with as distinctive a sound as Dave Pegg, and a belting version of the instrumental that began on his solo album but was to become a part of the Fairport Convention repertoire, Level Pegging, marks a fitting introduction to the 4CD box set, A Box of Pegg's (Matty Grooves) -a title inspired by the game of cribbage. This is the fourth box set dedicated to Fairport members and Nigel Schofield can once again be thanked for the painstaking work he has undertaken in putting this collection together, with the usual insightful and fascinating colour booklet, covering Pegg's career of four decades.
Indeed, his predecessor in Fairport, Ashley Hutchings, pays his own tribute to Pegg in the booklet, describing him as "the folk-rock bass players' folk-rock bass player", but his talents as a multi-instrumentalist can be heard here too. The first CD is called Peggy on the Bass and introduces many to his early days on the Birmingham music scene in the sixties, playing with old friends Steve Gibbons and Roger Hill in various bands, including a young Robert Plant on tambourine on one track, Gaberdine Saturday Night Street Walker - now who's ever heard of that?
But it was Pegg's sojourn with the Ian Campbell Folk Group that was to be stepping stone to his decisive role in the life of Fairport, taking the bass player slot at the end of 1969. He has remained with the band ever since, and this set underlines that he is as essential to the musical institution that is Fairport as Richard Thompson, Sandy Denny or anyone else. And here are recordings of classis such as Sloth, a previously unreleased version, Dirty Linen and Babbacombe Lee among others.
Pegg's talents and his personality were always in demand and examples of his work with John Martyn, Nick Drake, and, of course, his other career, with Jethro Tull, are included. Above all, what really shines through is a man that not only loves music but loves life too - as all those who attend Cropredy every year will testify. If you want to help celebrate Dave Pegg's 60th birthday there are a few tickets left for the special concert at Birmingham Town Hall on November 3.
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