Record Reviews

HENRY LOWTHER / JIM MULLEN QUARTET ~ FUNGII MAMA NOT ON LABEL 444 ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 2002 Released: 2002 This is a live album by the quartet co-led by British Jazz trumpeter / composer Henry LowtherFind albums by this artist and guitarist / composer Jim MullenFind albums by this artist, which also included the legendary bassist Dave GreenFind albums by this artist and drummer Stu ButterfieldFind albums by this artist. Saxophonist Simon PicardFind albums by this artist guests on one track. The quartet was later renamed as The Great Wee BandFind albums by this artist and released two further albums under that moniker on TrioFind albums on this label Records. The album presents seven tracks, all of which are standards. This album was never officially released and exists only as a CD-R promo, which is extremely difficult to find, but offers excellent sound quality. Thanks to Tim HillayFind albums by this artist for sending me a copy of this Holy Grail :) The music is a wonderful example of a relaxed, but highly satisfying mainstream Jazz, beautifully performed by the quartet members. It is also a splendid opportunity to hear extended trumpet soloing by Lowther, who rarely gets so much exposure on the albums he plays on as a sideman. The same goes for Mulllen’s guitar, here in its Jazziest incarnation, as opposed to the more Fusiony or even Rocky side of his playing, which appears on most of his recordings. Green is, as usual, in superb form and his elegant bass lines are simply delightful and Butterfield keeps the swing of things right in place. Overall, this is a delightful document of British Jazz, played in a pub with no fuss or pretense, offering a glimpse of elegance and relaxed joy of playing, which the musicians and the public seem to enjoy as one. For Lowther’s many admirers, this is a great showcase of his playing, which of course is worth listening to, and a worthy item in his discography. Beg or steal, but find a copy ;)

Updated: 09/01/2023Posted: 09/01/2023

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

STAN TRACEY ~ ZACH`S DREAM TRIO 560 (Barcode: 5060052775603) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 2002 Released: 2002 This is a live album by British Jazz pianist / composer / bandleader Stan TraceyFind albums by this artist, recorded in a classic Jazz Piano trio setting with bassist Andrew CleyndertFind albums by this artist and drummer Clark TraceyFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven tracks, one of which is an original composition by Tracey and the rest are standards, including two compositions by Thelonious MonkFind albums by this artist. The album offers an incredible sound quality, which emphasizes the perfect balance and ambience of the Jazz piano trio. The music is a perfect mixture of Jazz stylistic variations and the intimate trio setting offers a brilliant portrait of one of the greatest Jazz pianists ever and a close portrait of Tracey’s late career. His close connection with Cleyndert and his son Clark are pretty obvious and the entire album is simply a sublime musical experience. Tracey’s sublime stylistic touches and his marvelous idiosyncrasies are present fully within the music here, and his unique modernism, which made him so special, is clearly heard here, even within his interpretations of mainstream Jazz tunes. Listeners familiar with his extensive recorded legacy will of course be able to follow the synthesis of all his styles, which range from romanticism to avant-garde, always aesthetically perfect and elegant, with a dash of typical British humor. I have no idea why it took me do long to find a copy of this album, but I am happy to own a copy now, better late than never, which closes a gap in the collection of Tracey’s albums numbering in several dozens, all of them being musical treasures. Overall, this is a brilliant album, which represents Stan Tracey’s late period (he died in 2013), which is a marvel of an album and a must to all British Jazz enthusiasts, Jazz piano trio recordings lovers and of course Stan Tracey followers the world over.

Updated: 04/12/2025Posted: 04/12/2025

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

GREAT WEE BAND ~ THE SOUND OF MUSIC TRIO 584 (Barcode: 5060052775849) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 2009 Released: 2010 This is the debut album by the Great Wee BandFind albums by this artist quartet co-led by British Jazz trumpeter / composer Henry LowtherFind albums by this artist and guitarist / composer Jim MullenFind albums by this artist, which also included the legendary bassist Dave GreenFind albums by this artist and drummer Stu ButterfieldFind albums by this artist. The quartet was founded in 1999, some ten years before this studio album was recorded, and released a demo live album in 2002. The album presents eight tracks, seven of which are standards and one is an arrangement of a Classical piece. The music is all mainstream Jazz oriented, with no surprises as to the stylistic direction, obviously played for fun and camaraderie by musicians who know each other for years. This enables the listener to concentrate on hearing the intricacies of the performances by the individual musicians, which are truly delightful. Lowther on trumpet and flugelhorn delivers many outstanding solos, as does Mullen on his guitar, and the rhythm section plays amicably and always exactly on time, as appropriate for the veterans of their statue. Overall, this is a great opportunity to hear these musicians in an intimate, relaxed and friendly environment, often presenting a lesser known facet of their careers. This is classic mainstream Jazz with a British aftertaste, which is always a charming experience.

Updated: 11/01/2023Posted: 11/01/2023

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

GREAT WEE BAND ~ LIGHT BLUE TRIO 589 (Barcode: 5060052775894) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 2011 Released: 2011 This is the second (and last) album by the Great Wee Band quartet co-led by British Jazz trumpeter / composer Henry LowtherFind albums by this artist and guitarist / composer Jim MullenFind albums by this artist, which also included the legendary bassist Dave GreenFind albums by this artist and drummer Stu ButterfieldFind albums by this artist. Saxophonist Stan SultzmannFind albums by this artist guests on three tracks. The quartet was founded in 1999, some ten years before their debut studio album was recorded, and released a demo live album in 2002. The album presents eleven tracks, nine of which are standards and one each is an original by Lowther and Mullen. The music is all mainstream Jazz oriented, with no surprises as to the stylistic direction, obviously played for fun and camaraderie by musicians who know each other for years. This enables the listener to concentrate on hearing the intricacies of the performances by the individual musicians, which are truly delightful. Lowther on trumpet and flugelhorn delivers many outstanding solos, as does Mullen on his guitar, and the rhythm section plays amicably and always exactly on time, as appropriate for the veterans of their statue. Overall, this is a great opportunity to hear these musicians in an intimate, relaxed and friendly environment, often presenting a lesser known facet of their careers. This is classic mainstream Jazz with a British aftertaste, which is always a charming experience.

Updated: 11/04/2023Posted: 11/04/2023

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

KAREN SHARP ~ THE SUN, THE MOON AND YOU TRIO 603 (Barcode: 5060052776037) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2018 This is the 6th album by British saxophonist / composer Karen SharpFind albums by this artist and her 2nd release with the quartet, which includes pianist Nikki IlesFind albums by this artist, bassist Dave GreenFind albums by this artist and drummer Steve BrownFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten tracks, two of which are original compositions by Sharp, one is by Iles, and the rest are standards. The music is everything one might expect from this excellent team, with Sharp and Iles soloing elegantly, superbly supported by the rhythm section. Veteran Green lost nothing of his wonderful touch, which has been featured on countless epic British Jazz recordings, and his long term work with Brown makes them one of the most respected rhythm sections on the scene. Iles, well respected for her delicate and sophisticated touch on the keyboard, is an ideal partner to Sharp’s highly melodic and lyrical saxophone playing. Although most of the material consists of standards, some of them are lesser known and with the original material added, the album offers an interesting listening experience, which is a delightful escape from all that racket, that engulfs our daily existence. Overall, this is first class Jazz, solid, beautifully played and elegant all the way, which is surely able to bring a smile of gratitude and familiarity to the listener. Thank you Ladies and Gents for your talents and love of the music we so deeply cherish.

Updated: 11/11/2025Posted: 11/11/2025

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

CHRIS BISCOE ~ MUSIC IS: PLAYS MIKE WESTBROOK TRIO 607 (Barcode: 5052442022947) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 2021 - 2022 Released: 2022 This is an album by British Jazz saxophonist / clarinetist / composer Chris BiscoeFind albums by this artist, recorded with pianist Kate WilliamsFind albums by this artist, guitarist Mike OutramFind albums by this artist, bassist Dave WhitfordFind albums by this artist and drummer Jon ScottFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight tracks, all of which, as the title suggests, were composed by British pianist / composer Mike WestbrookFind albums by this artist. Biscoe has been a member of the various ensembles led by Mike Westbrook and his wife Kate WestbrookFind albums by this artist since 1979 and participated in many recordings by these ensembles, consistently demonstrating his brilliant technique and talent. On this album he arranged some of his favorite Westbrook compositions and performs them with different musicians, often in a new and quite surprising way. The music is absolutely brilliant of course, not only because of the strength of these compositions, but in this case especially due to the treatment these compositions receive, mostly with a surprising freedom of interpretation, which dominates the proceedings. Biscoe’s sublime performances are not surprising of course, but the level of musicianship by the entire team, which I am not familiar with, is also excellent throughout. The music manages to swing splendidly due to the superb work by the rhythm section, which drives the pulse steadily, even if the rhythm dances around unevenly, purposely of course. Williams’ and Outram’s solos are also perfectly structured, and are a bliss to listen to. One of the tracks is performed by Biscoe using multi-tracking of different saxophones and the clarinet, creating a wonderful orchestral effect, and another track is a solo saxophone recording, both being among the highlights of this album. All the music is wonderfully recorded and the sound quality is superb for the entire duration. Overall, this is an outstanding and highly unusual album by one of the British Jazz less spotlighted heroes, who certainly deserves all the compliments for his consistently splendid work as a sideman over the years, and has a lot to offer as a leader as well, as this album proves beyond any doubt. A wonderful surprise and an immediate favorite of mine; well done indeed!

Updated: 15/08/2023Posted: 15/08/2023

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend