1986! Blimey. I’m trying to remember what I was driving then and how
many kids I had. Whatever the answers, one of the certainties is that I would
have been playing the cassette of this album in the car. Plucked out of Woolies' bargain bin for buttons I played this such a lot, even now, nearly forty years
later and me, still just over twenty one it brings a smile to the face. I would
prescribe it to anyone going through dark times. This is the light that must
fall, even on them. I bet it could make an orange man forget about tariffs.
Charlie put this Orchestra together during a break from his day job with
another group, aided and abetted by his long-time pal Dave Green. They picked a
large group of stalwarts from recent decades and added the cream of the crop of that current new wave of British jazz. By all accounts the musicians loved
the project because, amongst other reasons, Charlie paid them £1,000 a week.
The Orchestra played a couple of dates in London and some festivals in America
and Europe and it was all captured on this album and a few fuzzy (but great
sounding) videos on YouTube.
So what makes this a special album? Easy. It has an unmatched, joyful
exuberance from the opening bars of an absolutely storming Stomping at the Savoy that carries on into Lester Leaps In. It’s not a wall, but a mountain of sound with so
much going on. Principal melody lines are supported by what seems like dozens
of others taking flight, pushing and challenging all over the top of a barrage
of rhythm from three (THREE!) drummers and two bassists. A beautifully elegant
run through of Moonglow with two on
the vibes and Dave Green supporting is one of only two drop offs in ferocity,
along with a frantic bass duet on Scrapple
From The Apple. The other two tracks (Robbins' Nest, Flying Home) are both, similarly,
from the golden age of swing, that is from during Charlie’s formative years.
However, this is not an homage, but a celebration. You’ve got to love the
closing minutes of Flying Home which
just keeps getting bigger and louder with every go round. Stomping, indeed. Watts had, over the years, put together
a variety of jazz ensembles including quintets, a tentet and even a turn with
the Danish Radio Big Band and produced some great albums and wonderful
music. None of those come close to the impact, the sheer joy and the life in this
album.
This album has been out on CD before but became increasingly rare in recent years and the price went up quicker than that of a flat in Mayfair. Last year saw a first release on vinyl (I think) for Record Store Day and the CD has now come along a year later at a pocket money price. My advice is just get it. Dave Sayer
2 comments :
I've had this on vinyl for a few years now and although it cost me considerably less than a flat in Mayfair it would still have been a bargain if it had! As it was, I think I discovered it in a Newcastle charity shop. Come Hogmanay, it will be way up high on my Reissues of the Year list.
Sky Arts showed one of the gigs in full a couple of years back I luckily spotted and recorded it , one of the reasons I won't upgrade my TIVO box.
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