Shadwick, who passed away from mesothelioma on July 28, 2008, was a respected journalist and author whose background as a jazz and rock musician in the 1970s led to a career focus on music and musicians. His credits include books on noted jazz musician Bill Evans, as well as Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin. He also authored The Jazz & Blues Encyclopedia, the Guinness Guide to Classical Composers, and edited The Gramophone Good CD Guide. Additionally, he was a regular contributor to publications including Jazzwise magazine, The Independent and The Daily Mail.

According to an article published on All About Jazz.com, during his early 20s, Shadwick was a jazz and jazz/rock musician, playing saxophone, flute and piano. He was a founding member of the Sydney, Australia-based group, Sun, which released one self-titled album in 1972 before splitting up. In 1973 and 1974, the story reports, Shadwick and fellow Sun member, drummer Gary Norwell, recorded some jazz tracks with fellow musicians Justin McCoy and Robert Luckey when local Point Five Studio offered them use of its facility during a free downtime.

As a nod to their luck in securing the studio, the musicians named the album Free Time, but it was not completed or released. Shadwick held onto the tapes, and revived work on the recording in 1984, with guitarist Billy Jenkins, and again in 2005, with guitarist Mike Wollenberg.

All About Jazz notes that Shadwick was motivated to finish the album in 2005, when he was diagnosed with mesothelioma, and completed the project in 2007, although it is unlikely that he lived long enough to see its official pressing, which was delivered to his home right around the time of his death. The album was produced and released by Candid Records in the UK.

The Special Edition of the Free Time CD is available in limited release through the Candid Records web site, with all proceeds benefitting Bart’s Mesothelioma Research. Cost is £9.99 plus shipping, which totals around $24 U.S.

SOURCE: myMeso › Shadwick CD benefits mesothelioma research