Most of the works Heining
focuses on were recorded in the sixties and seventies which was a time when
British (and European) jazz was breaking away from the music’s purely American
origins and these musicians were amongst those who sought to combine the jazz they
loved with other sources to create something particularly British. Indeed,
Mayer would combine jazz with the classical music of both India and Europe. It was a time of very ambitious creations
involving, in many cases, large ensembles and there is a thread of energetic
optimism running through the writing. Whilst the landscape for the music in the
UK has changed dramatically since then the idea of combining jazz with music
from other parts of the world from beyond America has grown to the point where
jazz in the UK now fuses African, Caribbean, Urban, electronica, dub and
hip-hop themes (to name just a few). This is the legacy that these six (and
others) created.
I got to meet a couple of
the characters discussed and it is Michael Garrick that stands out as a genial,
unassuming man to talk to but what a great and imaginative composer.
For anyone with an
interest in the music of this era, I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
The first 1000 copies come with a 2 CD set of recordings by the six composers
and at £20 that makes it a real bargain. It is available from the Jazz
in Britain web page Dave Sayer
Published by Jazz in Britain. (ISBN: 978-1-9163206-6-6)
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