Record Reviews

KEITH TIPPETT ~ THE NINE DANCES OF PATRICK O`GONOGON DISCUS 056 (Barcode: 5051078947426) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 2014 Released: 2016 This is an album by veteran and truly legendary British pianist / composer Keith TippettFind albums by this artist, recorded with his octet which also includes Italian trumpeter Fulvio SigurtaFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Sam MayneFind albums by this artist and James GardinerFind albums by this artist, trombonists Kieran McLeodFind albums by this artist and Rob HarveyFind albums by this artist, bassist Tom McCredieFind albums by this artist and drummer Peter FaircloughFind albums by this artist. Tippett´s wife, vocalist Julie TippettsFind albums by this artist, guests on one track. Apart from Sigurta, Fairclough and the leader of course, the other members of the octet are young players, graduates of RAM (Royal Academy of Music) who represent the new generation of British Jazz musicians. Keith Tippett was there at the very epicenter of the British Jazz revolution and emancipation almost form the very beginning. His unique approach to music, unrestrained chutzpah to ignore all restrictions and constant pursue of uncharted territory have characterized his musical creations over the years, moving in scope from solo piano works to music for large orchestras. He is also one of the very few British Jazz artists, who remained active, recorded ferociously and maintained his position in the vanguard of the British Jazz to this very day. As I am getting older the longing for the Golden Decade (1965-1975) of the British Jazz becomes notably more intense. Although I keep my ears close to the grapevine and follow what is happening on the British scene at all times, it seems to me that the spark of genius, the inventiveness and the joy of creation have all noticeably withered over time. Of course it is also possible that my personal perception of music has changed, or I am becoming senile and overwhelmed by nostalgic silliness, and yet the statistics are overwhelming: in my collection there are thousands of British Jazz albums recorded during (and around) the Golden Decade and only a few hundreds of albums recorded since. It that a coincidence? This album, however, is a ray of hope, which proves that not everything is lost and great music is still being made today. The overall character of this album, its concept and execution are all deeply rooted in the Golden Age tradition. The music smoothly incorporates composed music and improvised passages, it is melody based, but hides the melodic threads behind veils of multilayered arrangements and improvised parts, it incorporates folkloristic influences and it swings beautifully, but only occasionally; in short exactly the same characteristics that stood behind British Jazz some fifty years ago. As the album´s title suggests, Tippett re-examines and re-visits typical Irish motifs, some clearly audible other much more subtly concealed within the long suite-like composition. Although broken into separate tracks, the music on this album constitutes a complete, coherent and continuous entity, which can only be treated as a complete musical statement. There are plenty of great performances here, between the brilliant Tippett´s solo passages to the powerful octet statements. The dynamic range of this music keeps the listener in constant tension, trying to guess what the composer´s next move will bring. But as usual with Tippett, he is full of surprises, which means that there are no dull moments here. Is Tippett getting mellower in time? Perhaps this is the case, as this album is certainly more "listener friendly", melodic and simply wonderfully beautiful than most of his work so far. This attitude was quite surprising for me, but since it works brilliantly well with the more complex parts of this album, it makes me perfectly happy. Being a free spirit, musically or otherwise, and yet at the same time being able to communicate with a large audience is a rare and precious quality, and Tippett proves he´s got it all. Overall this is a brilliant, deeply moving piece of music, beautifully executed and standing up to the highest aesthetic echelons of British Jazz, established half a Century ago and still very much valid today. I can´t imagine any serious British Jazz connoisseur missing this album in his collection. Absolutely essential listening!

Updated: 02/01/2021Posted: 11/11/2017

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