Inspired by Jacques' soliloquy in Shakespeare's As You Like it and, despite my fears, the seven movement suite plus two introductory pieces turns out to be rather beautiful. The tranquillity of the orchestral settings brought the Forest of Arden to life maybe even more so than the words of the immortal bard himself. Strong words I know but, back then, Bill didn't have Tim and Jason to hand.
Both musicians are at the top of their game, providing fire and tenderness as the mood demands. The pastoral beauty of the strings, the arrangements and the compositions along with Mansfield's vibes make this something to treasure. Is it jazz? Is it improvised classical music? Who cares? Was it Louis or Fats who posed the question that if you've got to ask....?
As You Like it was my first brush with Shakespeare (Flora Robson Theatre, Newcastle), apart from struggling to make sense of Macbeth and Hamlet at school that is. It became an, albeit temporary, passion that, fuelled by Cleo's Shakespeare and all That Jazz and Duke's Such Sweet Thunder, never totally left me.
With this album, it's back again and I'm envisaging Jacques' melancholic lines merged with the music rather in the manner of Ken Rattenbury's Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Rattenbury, incidentally, also composed a suite based around Seven Ages of Man. This was about fifty years ago and although not as an elaborate a setting is worth checking out if you can find it.
This version, out on Ubuntu Records on Oct. 6, is sublime and I like it very much. Lance.
Origins; Gestation; Infant; Schoolboy; Lover; Soldier; Judge; Pantaloon; Old Age.
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