David Patrick (pno/orchestration); Sam Coombes (fl/sop/alt); Brian Molley (sop/alt/ten); Calum Robertson (Bb/Eb/bs clt); Tom MacNiven (tpt/flug); John Kenny (various tmbs); Andrew Robb (bs); Ole Seimetz (dms).
(Review by Lance).
Yon side of Hadrian's Wall the natives seem to have become embroiled in the time old game of 'Jazzin' the classics'. The SNJO's take on Rhapsody in Blue and their subsequent re-working of Mozart's Jeunehomme being typical examples.
Strav's Rites of Spring is an even more inviting challenge. Whereas Gershwin's Rhapsody already had a foot in the door of the jazz idiom of his day with it's generous dash of 'blue notes'. and the Mozart, from a few centuries earlier offered a simpler, albeit no less demanding task, The Rites of Spring is indeed a 'rite of passage".
Stravinsky, a composer more attuned to modern harmonies than Gershwin, acknowledged by, and possibly an influence on, jazzmen such as Parker, Ornette and others is also remembered for his Ebony Concerto for the 1946 Herman herd.
What makes this recording stand out is the retention of the original themes and orchestrations - reworked for octet - whilst still leaving space for the soloists to improvise. A beautiful integration of two worlds.
Recent Jazz Coop visitor Brian Molley impresses here as he did at the Globe. Listen to this and you'll wonder why you didn't make the effort to get the number 22 down to Railway St.!
Another superb soloist is Coombes. I reviewed his new trio disc a couple of days ago and here he is again, But, that's how it goes, you wait for ages then two Coombes along...(sorry).
But, rising above the soloing, is the orchestration by David Patrick. The old and the new are integrated seamlessly.
A triumph!
Available now - itunes/Amazon.
Lance.
Excellent record!
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