[6] He worked with most of the trad jazz bands of the day, including those of Ken Colyer, Cy Laurie, Sandy Brown, Kenny Ball, and Alex Welsh.

In 1958, he formed a quintet to replicate that sound, employing Dick Powell on violin, Danny Pursford and Nevil Skrimshire on rhythm guitars, and a range of double bassists including Tim Mahn.

The event included George Melly, Alex Welsh, Acker Bilk, Chris Barber, Kenny Ball, Ken Colyer, Monty Sunshine, Bob Wallis, Bruce Turner, Mick Mulligan, and Disley.

In the early to mid 1960s, the "trad" and skiffle booms were coming to an end and Disley moved across to the emerging folk club scene, developing a new persona as an entertainer/musical comedian with an act based on songs from trad jazz and the British music hall and other humorous ditties accompanied by lightly swinging guitar, monologues in the manner of Stanley Holloway (especially those penned by Marriott Edgar), banter with the audience, and a string of one-line jokes in the manner of W. C. Fields and Groucho Marx, always finding room at the end of the evening for some hot-club-style guitar instrumentals, often with the assistance of some unsuspecting second guitarist invited up from the audience.

[1] This began a collaboration between Grappelli and the Diz Disley Trio, sometimes billed The Hot Club of London, with tours of Australia, Europe, and the United States.

[1] Karl Dallas reported Disley as having "single-handedly created a revival of interest in the music of Stephane Grappelli, which has taken him to Carnegie Hall, Australia, and New Zealand" (the latter in September 1974).

In the early 1980s Disley formed a working partnership with gypsy jazz guitar prodigy Bireli Lagrene, with whom he again toured the world, including a return visit to Carnegie Hall.

Musicians with Kennedy were Jeff Green, Ian Cruickshank, Nils Solberg (guitars), and Dave Etheridge (bass), who had played with Disley and Denny Wright on their 1973 tour with Grappelli.

In the 1990s, during several years spent in Los Angeles, Disley recorded with blues saxophonist Big Jay McNeely and country-rockabilly musician Ray Campi.

But he was also influenced by plectrum-style players such as Eddie Lang, Lonnie Johnson, and Teddy Bunn,[14] During the early part of his career, Disley developed an accompaniment style that incorporated complex and subtle jazz harmonies, the ability to play in any key anywhere on the instrument, including traditionally "non guitar-friendly" keys such as B flat and E flat, the choice of numerous alternate voicings for any chord, plus the incorporation of moving figures in the bassline and internal notes of chords.

[15] Although much of Disley's playing in this respect remains undocumented from his folk club years except for a few amateur recordings, the two tracks on Dave Swarbrick's Rags, Reels & Airs album give an indication of his swinging accompaniment.

His rhythm playing is notable for the lightness and propulsion engendered by his right hand technique while using Selmer/Maccaferri-style instruments noted for their projection and bright open tone, as well as choice of appropriate chord voicings.

David "Brillo" Etheridge (double bass) and Chris Newman (guitar) have spoken highly of his mentoring and sharing of his musical knowledge at formative stages in their careers.