Record Reviews

STEVE ARGUELLES ~ STEVE ARGUELLES AH UM 007 ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 1990 Released: 1990 This is the debut album as a leader by British drummer / composer Steve ArguellesFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quintet setting with his brother, saxophonist Julian ArguellesFind albums by this artist, guitarist / violinist Stuart HallFind albums by this artist, accordionist Kim BurtonFind albums by this artist and bassist Mick HuttonFind albums by this artist. The album presents twelve tracks, six of which are original compositions by Steve Arguelles, five are by Julian Arguelles and one is a standard. The music is a brilliant and completely unique collection of tunes, which offer a cross-genre humorous mixture of Jazz, Folklore and vaudeville / Circus music, which is quite sophisticated, despite the external appearance and features superb instrumental performances by the quintet members. As such, this music eschews classification and is completely non-commercial, which explains why it was released on the miniscule legendary Ah UmFind albums on this label label. The Arguelles brothers contributed greatly to the process of shaping the British Jazz scene in the 1990s as members of such bands like Loose Tubes, Human Chain and other collaborations with Django Bates, with Steve becoming later a respected producer and owner of his record label. Overall, this is a charming reminder of the “new age” of British Jazz scene, which started in the 1990s and radically changed its character with the influx of new blood infused by the young generation, preserving the wonderful urge to innovate and discover new vistas. Not easy to find a copy of this jewel these days, but definitely worth an effort. 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: 21/05/2025Posted: 21/05/2025

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DJANGO BATES ~ MUSIC FOR THE THIRD POLICEMAN AH UM 003 ~ UK ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 1990 Released: 1990 This is a wonderful and completely obscure album by British pianist / composer / bandleader Django BatesFind albums by this artist, recorded with and octet comprising of saxophonist Steve BuckleyFind albums by this artist, cellist / bassist Steve BerryFind albums by this artist, drummer Martin FranceFind albums by this artist, guitarist Stuart HallFind albums by this artist, violinist Sarah HarrisonFind albums by this artist, bassoonist Robert JuritzFind albums by this artist and clarinetist Dai PritchardFind albums by this artist. Three additional guest musician participate on selected tracks. The album presents thirteen movements / pieces based on the book “The Third Policeman” by Irish writer Flann O`BrienFind albums by this artist. The album was released on the short-lived legendary Ah Um label. The album offers quite unusual instrumentation, similar to a small orchestra, as well as beautiful cross-genre compositions, which combine Jazz with Classical Music, cinematic, vaudeville, Irish Folklore and other influences, and is a superb example of Bates’ great talent as a composer / orchestrator. The music is quite complex and reflects the convoluted plot of the book, which of course is worth reading on its own merits. In some respects, one can look at the album as a soundtrack to a movie, based on the book, which alas was not yet filmed, but surely deserves to be, with the soundtrack already ready. The album is a great opportunity to discover a different musical personality of Bates, much unlike his more familiar Jazz image. It remains to be one of my favorite albums in his extensive recorded legacy. Overall, this is another hidden British Jazz gem, which took me years to find a copy of, but the wait was definitely worth it big time. If you can find a copy, grab it, no questions asked! 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: 12/03/2025Posted: 12/03/2025

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DJANGO BATES / HR BIG BAND ~ SALUTING SGT. PEPPER EDITION 1094 (Barcode: 5060509790104) ~ UK ~ Jazz-Pop Fusion Recorded: 2016 Released: 2017 This is an album by British Jazz keyboardist / composer / bandleader Django BatesFind albums by this artist, recorded with the German HR Big BandFind albums by this artist and guests: British guitarist Stuart HallFind albums by this artist and the Danish Eggs Laid By TigersFind albums by this artist trio, who are in charge of the lead vocals and rhythm section (bass & drums) parts. As the title suggests, the album presents a tribute to the BeatlesFind albums by this artist’ timeless masterpiece “Sgt. Pepper`s Lonely Hearts Club BandFind albums with this title”, arranged by Bates in order to feature a Jazz Big Band. The album presents thirteen tracks and is a faithful reproduction of the original album from 1967. The music is quite “shocking” at the initial meeting, especially for people who encountered the original album on the day of its release, and it became an inseparable part of the soundtrack of their lives. Many people might consider any attempt to touch the original as sacrilegious, but Art must have its liberties and everything may be forgotten, as long as it does not brutally vandalize the source, which obviously is not the case here. Bates is a highly talented and respected musician, which he proved time and again over time, so an open-minded listener should give him some slack here. The Big Band arrangements herein are all quite sophisticated and unique, with a large dose of humor and imagination, and are of course perfectly executed by the members of this great Big Band. The vocal parts are as close as possible to the original, which is rather surprising under these circumstances, but perhaps Bates did not wish to take things even more drastically away from the original. Overall, this is a very unique and courageous attempt to reinterpret a classic, which after all is largely a question of taste. It would be a grave mistake to judge this album after just one listening attempt, as the arrangements are quite complex and the rhythmic twists and turns are challenging. Personally I had a great fun listening to this album and I wholeheartedly recommend it to the brave hearted music explorers.

Updated: 01/05/2026Posted: 01/05/2026

CD 1 Slipcase Recommend To A Friend