CD Review: National Youth Jazz Orchestra - NYJO FIFTY

A gem! Surely the big band album of the year! Over the years (50 of them!) NYJO has spawned a host of the UK's most outstanding jazz artists - four of them guest on this half-centennial celebration and they are walking/blowing adverts for their alma mater. However, we already know the skills of Rahman, Siegel, Nightingale and Lochrane and, whilst it's always good to hear then in whatever the setting, the ace in the hole here is in spotting the stars of the future and, take my word for it, there's a whole galaxy of them!

Sam Glaser's work out on A Foggy Day singles him out as an alto man to watch although fellow altoist Jim Gold makes him go the distance in their alto joust on Matt Wates' Never the Twain.

More musicuffs on Chris Smith's Going Dutch where Healey and Ridout lock tenors. I can't give a decision as I don't know who went first suffice to say that if it had been a fist fight there'd have been plenty blood around!

Neither of the trombone soloists top Nightingale's feature on Jerome Kern's Bill but, after hearing Dunnett and Dawson, he's probably looking over his shoulder!

Then there's Jessica Radcliffe! What a discovery! Finding My Feet, composed by NYJO's first md Bill Ashton OBE is one of those beautiful songs that bring to mind Alice Faye in a '30s Hollywood musical . It has that feel, but Jessica's voice and Paul Hart's arrangement aren't at all dated.

It's a double CD and space prevents me highlighting everything so, take my word, every track's a highlight!

It was released on Friday Nov. 13 on Whirlwind Recordings WR4679. (Samples).

Lance.

Mark Armstrong - Musical Director

Rosie Stano (flute), Jim Gold, Sam Glaser (alto sax, clarinet), David Healey, Tom Ridout (tenor sax, clarinet), Jessamy Holder (bari sax, flute, clarinet), Alex Chadwick (bari sax);

James Davison, Tom Dennis, James Copus, Tom Gardner, Alistair Martin, Matthew Yardley, Jake Labazzi  (trumpet, flugelhorn); Anna Drysdale, Eddie Morgan (French horn);

Tom Dunnett, Owen Dawson, Chris Valentine, Maddie Dowdeswell, Chris Saunders, Jasper Rose (trombone); James Buckle (bass trombone); Rupert Cox (piano); Rob Luft, Nick Fitch (guitar); Joe Downard (bass); David Dyson (drums); Max Mills (percussion); Jessica Radcliffe (voice).​

GUEST ARTISTS​

Zoe Rahman - piano (Red Squirrel); Julian Siegel - tenor sax (Mama Badgers); Mark Nightingale - trombone (Bill); Gareth Lockrane - flute (Rush Hour).