R.I.P. Alastair Robertson (1941-2024)

Aberdeen born Alastair Robertson, sadly passed away on October 23, 2024 in Perth at the age of 84. A great contributor to UK and USA jazz his label, Hep Records, emerged in 1974 and continued to trade until the present day. As a young Aberdonian, Robertson discovered jazz via  the syndicated broadcasts of  the Voice Of America (hosted by Willis Conover) and the American Forces Network (from Frankfurt) in the early 1950s. Hep was launched while Robertson was resident in Edinburgh teaching  Art A-Levels at the Portobello High School. His first LP released in 1974 was by the Boyd Raeburn Band, an innovative NYC ensemble from the mid 1940s.

Hep’s output consisted of three categories of genres. The Metronome (see graphics), 1000 and 2000 series. Metronome featured  reissues of classic works by the likes of Buddy DeFranco, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Claude Thornhill, Alec Wilder, David Allyn  and the Dorsey Brothers. Similarly, the 1000 Series would include many of the black big bands from as far back as the 1920s like Fletcher Henderson, Don Redman, Bennie Moten and Chick Webb as well as the small groups of jazz icons, Slim Gaillard, Roy Eldridge, Teddy Wilson, Stuff Smith and Coleman Hawkins.

Alastair’s unique and possibly most remarkable offering to jazz was his 2000 Series which commissioned studio recordings from “living” artists from the USA and UK. These would include Jimmy Deuchar, Don Lanphere, Eddie Thompson, Bobby Wellins, Tony Coe, Jim Mullen, Joe Temperley, Tina May and Americans, Frank Griffith, John Hart and Dan Nimmer (Wynton Marsalis’ pianist) among  countless others.

Hep’s final CD was recorded in June 2024 and is still awaiting release. Referred to by Alastair as “The Last Hurrah” it was a 10tet date celebrating Scots musicians and Scots-themed pieces. Among the stellar ensemble are Malcolm Macfarlane, Gordon Campbell, Dave Milligan, Tom Gordon, Konrad Wiszniewski and Ewan Hastie. I had the privilege of leading and organising the session as well as contributing five pieces along with  English trombonist/arranger Adrian Fry, who wrote three pieces and conducted.

Noted trumpeter/author Digby Fairweather had the following to say of Alastair:

“Alastair was a man of the highest integrity whose many reissues on Hep were of outstanding quality, paying a perfectionist’s attention to every issue of production from sound to album presentation.

His catalogue remains one of the finest in LP/CD formats; a lasting contribution to the world of jazz discography. He was also a hugely informed celebrant of the finest (and sometimes the more obscure or under-celebrated) areas of jazz. He was an extremely important figure in British jazz history and we shall not see his like again.”

Not a publicity hound or schmoozer in the public arena, Alastair could be  a bit gruff and not keen on suffering fools (he and I had plenty of “animated” exchanges in our 25 years of working collaborations together) but he’ll be remembered for his total and consistent perseverance in  producing 300 + recordings.

RIP Alastair…You and HEP Records will be remembered and treasured into eternity.

www.hepjazz.com. Frank Griffith*

*Frank Griffith is a Liverpool based saxophonist and arranger. His weekly radio show- The Jazz Cavern airs on www.purejazzradio.com