Record Reviews

LONDON TROMBONE QUARTET ~ SOME OF OUR BEST FRIENDS ASC 011 (Barcode: 5029716000239) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 1995 Released: 1995 This is the only album by the British Jazz ensemble called London Trombone QuartetFind albums by this artist, which consisted of four trombonists: Pete BeachillFind albums by this artist, Richard EdwardsFind albums by this artist, Mark NightingaleFind albums by this artist and Dave StewartFind albums by this artist. The album was recorded with some top British Jazz musicians active at the time: pianists Pete SabertonFind albums by this artist, John HorlerFind albums by this artist and Dave ArchFind albums by this artist, bassists Chris LaurenceFind albums by this artist, Geraint RobertsFind albums by this artist and Laurence CottleFind albums by this artist, drummers Ian ThomasFind albums by this artist and Dave BryantFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Stan SultzmannFind albums by this artist, Pete HurtFind albums by this artist, Andy MacintoshFind albums by this artist, Julian ArguellesFind albums by this artist and Dave O`HigginsFind albums by this artist, guitarists Mike WalkerFind albums by this artist and John ParricelliFind albums by this artist, percussionist Frank RicottiFind albums by this artist, trumpeters Derek WatkinsFind albums by this artist, Henry LowtherFind albums by this artist and Gerard PresencerFind albums by this artist. The album presents eleven original compositions by Beachill (3), Sultzmann (2), and one each by Kenny WheelerFind albums by this artist, Arch, Nightingale, Colin TownsFind albums by this artist, Dick WalterFind albums by this artist and Saberton. Although Wheeler did not play on this album, one of his tunes was recorded. This is one of Wheeler’s recordings, which remains almost completely obscure and does not appear in most of his discographies. I was very lucky to get it from Kenny’s private collection. The music is a marvelous example of modern British Jazz, based on excellent original compositions and performed by the crème de la crème of British Jazz musicians active in the 1990s. The trombone quartet was quite a unique ensemble of course and they offered very unique arrangements featuring the trombone at the focus, proving the possibilities of the instrument in the hands of great musicians. Overall, this is an excellent British Jazz album, performed by first class musicians, which is absolutely worth digging for to discover the splendid music and superb performances by the entire team.

Updated: 06/04/2023Posted: 06/04/2023

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TREVOR TOMKINS / SEXTANT ~ FOR FUTURE REFERENCE JAZZ IN BRITAIN 37 (Barcode: 5060774190395) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 1980 - 1983 Released: 2023 This is an archival live album by British Jazz drummer Trevor TomkinsFind albums by this artist and his sextet called SextantFind albums by this artist, which also included saxophonist Jimmy HastingsFind albums by this artist, trombonist Chris PyneFind albums by this artist, pianist John HorlerFind albums by this artist, guitarist Phil LeeFind albums by this artist and bassist Paul BridgeFind albums by this artist. Saxophonist Brian SmithFind albums by this artist replaces Hastings on one of the recording sessions. The 2CD album, recorded in four different sessions between 1980 and 1983, presents fifteen tracks, six of which were composed by Lee, three by Horler, two are standards, three are by British Jazz composers: Stan SulzmannFind albums by this artist, Kenny WheelerFind albums by this artist and Henry LowtherFind albums by this artist and finally one is by American composer Ralph TownerFind albums by this artist. The album offers splendid sound quality, which is close to studio recording excellence, and includes an extensive essay by Simon SpillettFind albums by this artist. Although Tomkins was almost omnipresent on the British Jazz scene since the early 1960, and appears on dozens of seminal albums recorded over the decades, he never released an album as a leader and only one little know album as co-leader – an amazing fact, which is difficult to believe but true nevertheless. Following his death just a few months ago, the wonderful Jazz In BritainFind albums on this label label rushed to release this, his first album as a leader, to commemorate his invaluable input into making British Jazz what it is. The music is, as expected, absolutely brilliant, all within the modern British Jazz mainstream, featuring mostly original compositions by the sextet members, which are highly melodic and beautifully structured. The members of the sextet, especially Hastings and Lee, had close ties with British Jazz-Rock Fusion and Progressive Rock / Canterbury Scene in the 1970s, being members of CaravanFind albums by this artist / Hatfield And The NorthFind albums by this artist / National HealthFind albums by this artist / Soft MachineFind albums by this artist / GilgameshFind albums by this artist (which also included Tomkins), but the music on this album has no relation to these excursions, being much closer to the work Tomkins experienced with the Don Rendell / Ian Carr QuintetFind albums by this artist or Michael GarrickFind albums by this artist ensembles in the 1960s and early 1970s. Both the teamwork and the individual performances by the sextet members are absolutely phenomenal, showing great comradeship and mutual respect between the musicians. Horler plays some brilliant piano lines and is the quintessential catalyst, always there with his harmonic support behind the soloists. Lee plays amazing guitar soli and proves again that he deserves way more respect for his unique style and consistency. Hastings / Smith offer the Jazzy core with their solid presentations of the themes and inspired soloing. Pyne is a trombone virtuoso and his solos are all absolute gems. Bridge, a superb bassist, who sadly passed away prematurely in 2001, keeps the music swinging steadily, working hand in hand with the leader, who is more reliable than a Swiss clock and never ceases to amaze with his inventiveness. Overall, this is another great addition to the string of releases produced by the Jazz In Britain aficionados, which makes our lives not only more interesting, but also bearable, all things considered. This music is so good it would have been a crime to leave it forgotten, so now when it is available, don’t hesitate even for a split second… This is an absolutely essential piece of British Jazz legacy!

Updated: 12/03/2023Posted: 12/03/2023

CD 2 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

KENNY WHEELER ~ KAYAK AH UM 012 (Barcode: 5017771001223) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 1992 Released: 1992 This is a criminally little known album by the celebrated British Jazz trumpeter / composer Kenny WheelerFind albums by this artist, released on the short-lived and sadly forgotten Ah UmFind albums on this label Records, owned by Nick PurnellFind albums by this artist. Wheeler leads a splendid ensemble, which comprises of the absolute crème de la crème of the British Jazz scene at the time: saxophonists Stan SulzmannFind albums by this artist and Julian ArguellesFind albums by this artist, French horn player John RookFind albums by this artist, trombonists Dave HorlerFind albums by this artist and Dave StewartFind albums by this artist, pianist John TaylorFind albums by this artist, bassist Chris LaurenceFind albums by this artist and American drummer Peter ErskineFind albums by this artist. Trombonist Chris PyneFind albums by this artist and pianist John HorlerFind albums by this artist are added on the four last tracks only. The album presents seven Wheeler originals, the last four of which create a suite. All the music was recorded during a one-day session, which is absolutely amazing considering the complexity of the arrangements, but of course all these musicians were absolute Masters of the trade. The music is obviously absolutely brilliant, as everything Wheeler ever created and most of it was never recorded by Wheeler again with other ensembles. He briefly describes the origin of all the compositions on the album in the liner notes, one of which is a wonderfully crafted tribute to Chick CoreaFind albums by this artist´s compositions, a rather unlikely connection, but nevertheless true. The playing is of course also magnificent from start to finish, with plenty of wonderful solos by the participants and a superb ensemble performance, typical of British Jazz at its absolute best. The music was also excellently recorded with wonderful separation and perfect sound quality, which of curse enhances the listening pleasure even more. Overall this is lost perfect gem which deserves a proud place in any serious British Jazz collection, and although quite difficult to come by these days, it is by all means worth the effort needed to hunt for it. Essential Kenny Wheeler! Side Note British composer / arranger Nick PurnellFind albums by this artist founded the short-lived Ah UmFind albums on this label label in 1989, which existed until 1993 and released a total of sixteen albums with some of the top British Jazz musicians of that period and a few American guests, which remain as of the finest recordings of that period. For some inexplicable reason all these albums are almost completely obsolete today, despite their excellent musical value, which is a shame, as they all deserve an honorable place in any decent British Jazz collection.

Updated: 11/02/2025Posted: 16/03/2019

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend