Record Reviews

JOHN DANKWORTH ~ WHAT THE DICKENS! / OFF DUTY! VOCALLION 8491 (Barcode: 765387849122) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 1963 - 1969 Released: 2012 This is a most welcome reissue of two albums recorded in the 1960s by saxophonist / composer / bandleader John DankworthFind albums by this artist and his orchestra. Considered a Godfather of the British Jazz scene, Dankworth managed to keep his orchestra going for decades, composing, arranging and recording some remarkable music on the way. As these two albums (recorded six years apart) show, Dankworth was always up to date with recent developments in Jazz and was open minded enough to incorporate them into his music. He also had a great ear as to finding the best players and his orchestra always exploded with talent. "What The Dickens!Find albums with this title" comprises of fifteen original compositions by Dankworth, all inspired by characters from the novels written by Charles Dickens. The compositions are all absolutely lovely and the orchestra performs them splendidly with grace, elegance and incredible Jazz feel. The best British Jazz musicians appear as guest soloist on this album and they include such superb players as saxophonists Tubby HayesFind albums by this artist, Dick MorrisseyFind albums by this artist, Peter KingFind albums by this artist, Ronnie ScottFind albums by this artist and Tony CoeFind albums by this artist. Trumpeter Kenny WheelerFind albums by this artist was a member of the orchestra at the time. This is some of the best orchestrated Jazz ever recorded and the finesse of these sounds is still nothing less of amazing. "Off Duty!", which was recorded by the end of the 1960s, when Jazz-Rock was already a significant part of the British scene, finds Dankworth and his orchestra playing both his original music (three of the twelve tracks are his compositions) as well as his arrangements of standards and (then) contemporary Pop material, played with a much more Jazz-Rock oriented edge than his earlier "pure" Jazz recordings. The orchestra includes keyboardist Laurie HollowayFind albums by this artist and two brilliant bassists: Herbie FlowersFind albums by this artist and Brian OdgersFind albums by this artist, who give it a brand new sound with a lot of Funk and simply delicious bass lines. The atmosphere is of course much more relaxed and entertaining, but the music, arrangements and performances are stellar. Beautifully remastered by Michael J. DuttonFind albums by this artist this reissue offers great glimpses of the past glory of the British Jazz in general and Dankworth´s contribution in particular. Like good wine, this music gets better with time and manages to stay relevant. Recommended, especially for lovers of the Jazz Big Band / Orchestra sound, which appears here at its full grandeur!

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend