One of the delights of recovering jazz recordings from the archives is hearing studio chatter among the musicians, busy sound checking, rehearsing or simply debating what to play next. A good example is eavesdropping on the 1941 Charlie Christian-led warm up jam ‘Waiting for Benny’ with members of the Goodman Sextet including Cootie Williams on trumpet. ‘Stand by!’ orders the engineer. Then there is the fly-on-the-wall experience of hearing Lee Morgan discussing mic settings with engineer Rudy Van Gelder before launching into ‘Moanin’’ with the Jazz Messengers back in 1958.

Now we can be whisked back into the studio for an even more extensive ‘fly-on- the-wall experience’ with this impressive three-CD set. Remember Mingus unveils historic sessions by Fingers, a unique group comprising the cream of British jazz musicians taped between 1979 and 1993. We have bass player supreme Dave Green and producer John Thurlow to thank for this limited edition package, which includes live as well as studio recordings by a group that highlights the pairing of veteran mainstream alto saxophonist Bruce ‘Dad’ Turner, famed for his work with Humphrey Lyttelton, and Lol Coxhill.

Explains Dave: “Late in 1978 I had the idea of bringing together old friends…with a deep love of jazz music. At the session Bruce and Lol, much to my delight hit it off immediately.” Green’s friendship with pianist Michael Garrick went back to gigging with Dick Morrissey at the Marquee Club and Dave also loved Michael’s work as composer with the Rendell-Carr Quintet. Drummer Alan Jackson was another old friend who could span styles from free to funk.

The first CD begins with Bruce and Dave ‘Warming Up to Softly’ a slow-paced improv that builds into a successful structure accomplished amidst much laughter. The full band plays the standard ‘Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise’ up-tempo with a warm and nimble bass solo from Dave. There are three takes of ‘Tears Inside’ the unison horns delineating the tune while Coxhill cheerily chats off mic with Bruce.

Charles Mingus’ standard ‘Alice’s Wonderland’ closes CD1 and opens the next disc with virtuoso double bass-ing from the leader before a surreal sounding saxophone goes down the rabbit hole in search of distant jazz worlds.

An assertive voice states, “We’re playing collectively” on the Parker-Gillespie theme ‘Anthropology’, countered by Lol Coxhill saying, “Yeah but Bruce and I are playing independently.” Jackson leads the band in with funky grooves that head towards a terrific bass and drum finale.

Bruce reverts to clarinet for two readings of Ellington’s ‘Mood Indigo’ while Coxhill’s soprano sax adds atmosphere to ‘Remember Mingus’ a piece invoking the spirit of Dave Green’s hero.

Disc three has eight live tracks recorded at (long-closed) London venue Merlin’s Cave and various BBC radio studios. Among the highlights are ‘Too Marvellous For Words’, the atmosphere boosted by the audience reaction while ‘A Child Is Born’ has Lol’s soprano sax at its most sensitive. Michael contributes an extensive intro to ‘She’s Funny That Way’ before a medley climaxes with an uppish ‘Anthropology’. And it’s nice to hear BBC announcer Charles Fox wishing us all ‘a Happy 1980.’

More swinging radio-friendly performances follow before Lol sings ‘Embraceable You’ and we hear the final item ‘Goodbye Dad’ a tribute to Bruce Turner who sadly died in 1993. We can now remember Bruce as well as Mingus.