Record Reviews

MICHEL GIBBS ORCHESTRA ~ BY THE WAY AH UM 016 (Barcode: 5017771102029) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 1993 Released: 1993 This is an album by British Jazz trombonist / composer / arranger / bandleader Michael GibbsFind albums by this artist and his Anglo-American Orchestra commemorating the orchestra´s 25th Anniversary. The members of the orchestra include many of the top British Jazz players, like trumpeter Kenny WheelerFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Evan ParkerFind albums by this artist, pianist John TaylorFind albums by this artist, drummer John MarshallFind albums by this artist and the young (at the time) saxophonist Julian ArguellesFind albums by this artist and guitarists Mike WalkerFind albums by this artist and John ParricelliFind albums by this artist. The Americans include saxophonist Charlie MarianoFind albums by this artist, bassist Steve SwallowFind albums by this artist and drummer Bob MosesFind albums by this artist. The album presents eleven original compositions, all by Gibbs, which span the entire 25 years period, some of which already appeared on earlier recordings and other that are performed here for the first time. Gibbs´ followers will find this album consistent with his earlier recordings and with his unique orchestral approach and sound colors. Gibbs treats the orchestra like a palette and paints bright sound vistas with zest and vivid imagination. As usual the pieces allow for extensive soloing, which on this album reaches many remarkable peaks. Gibbs´ affinity to Rock is also evident, as is his tendency to feature the guitar as one of the main ingredients of the orchestra with plenty of soloing, which on this album is performed by Walker, who has a profound Bluesy feel and sensitivity. Overall this is another superb album by a great Master of the orchestral Jazz idiom, who had very few parallels over the years and still dominates the scene today. This music lost nothing of its power or beauty over time and is a great document of the period, similar to the recently released album with the Gibbs Orchestra featuring John ScofieldFind albums by this artist from 1991 ("Symphony Hall, Birmingham 1991Find albums with this title"). This is one of the most obscure albums by Michael Gibbs, probably due to the fact that it was released by the short lived small independent British Ah UmFind albums on this label label, founded by musician / producer Nick PurnellFind albums by this artist, and has been available for many years. Wholeheartedly recommended and if you can dig it out somehow, don´t even think twice – grab it as it is worth its weight in gold! 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: 29/05/2018

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NICK PURNELL ~ ONETWOTHREE AH UM 006 ~ UK ~ Big Band Jazz Recorded: 1990 Released: 1991 This is the only album by British Jazz composer / arranger Nick PurnellFind albums by this artist, recorded with a dreamy large Orchestra, which included such luminaries as trumpeter Kenny WheelerFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Julian ArguellesFind albums by this artist, trombonist Michael GibbsFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Django BatesFind albums by this artist, pianist John TaylorFind albums by this artist and American drummer Peter ErskineFind albums by this artist among others. The album presents ten tracks, all original compositions by Purnell and arranged by him. The music is absolutely dreamy large ensemble Jazz, based on superbly composed themes and perfectly arranged to utilize the superb lineup, that performs the music. Wheler, Taylor and Arguelles performs dazzling soli through the whole album, and many other musicians also get an opportunity to show their chops. Although there are many musicians taking part in this recording, the music is rather subtle and delicate, which is rather typical of the British Jazz approach to orchestral music, which emphasizes the ensemble spirit and strong harmony, without utilizing the full power and might available, in favor of style and elegance, somewhat similar to the orchestral work by Michael Gibbs and his ensembles. Overall, this is a lovely piece of orchestral British Jazz, sadly completely forgotten but absolutely worthy of being remembered. The album is probably not that easy to find, but if it crosses your field of vision, do not hesitate for even one moment, before you grab it! 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: 11/02/2025

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JOHN TAYLOR / CREATIVE JAZZ ORCHESTRA ~ EXITS AND ENTRANCES OH NO! 1001 (Barcode: 5017771113025) ~ UK ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 1997 Released: 2001 This is an album by legendary British pianist / composer John TaylorFind albums by this artist recorded with the Creative Jazz OrchestraFind albums by this artist, which for this recording was a septet comprising of saxophonists Julian ArguellesFind albums by this artist and Andy SchofieldFind albums by this artist, clarinetist Iain DixonFind albums by this artist, trombonist Liam KirkmanFind albums by this artist, tuba player Oren MarshallFind albums by this artist, guitarist David ChevallierFind albums by this artist and drummer Steve ArguellesFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original compositions, all by Taylor. The music was commissioned by the Creative Arts Orchestra and the album was produced by the orchestra´s founder Nick PurnellFind albums by this artist, who also released this album on his own label Oh No!Find albums on this label, which turned out to be the only album released by that label. The music is a wonderful modern Jazz, based on Taylors themes but very open to improvisations by the orchestra, which often develop into conversations between duos, trios and quartets within the octet and come together to the full octet lineup only during the conclusions of the pieces. The bass parts, which are replaced by the tuba, change the entire rhythm section perception and leave the main rhythmic concept of the pieces to be driven by the drums. In many respects this album is one of the most open / improvised recordings by Taylor, who is usually associated with the typical British long melodic processions. There is till plenty of that in the music, but it is much more fragmented and loosely associated, which for lovers of Improvised Music is absolutely delightful. In retrospect this is one of the least known recordings by Taylor, which of course is criminally unjustified. At the time this music was recorded British Jazz almost entirely said farewell to Free Jazz / Improvised Music, which characterized the genre just a couple of decades earlier, and is a superb reminder of the fact, that Avant-Garde music can be not only extraordinary inventive but at the same time also insanely beautiful. Overall this is a wonderful album, which presents Taylor at his very best both as a pianist and even more so as a composer. Surrounded by some of the best British players at the time, Taylor managed to produce a monumental piece of ensemble music, which lost absolutely nothing of its power and beauty over time. For his many fans, as well as connoisseurs of British Jazz and collectors, this is a true marvel!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 02/04/2019

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JOHN TAYLOR / JOHN SURMAN ~ AMBLESIDE DAYS AH UM 013 (Barcode: 5017771100223) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 1992 Released: 1992 This is an insanely beautiful album by the duo of British Jazz Giants: pianist / composer John TaylorFind albums by this artist and saxophonist / clarinetist John SurmanFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight original compositions, all by Taylor. As if the presence of Taylor and Surman was not enough to make this album perfect, the music was recorded at the legendary Rainbow Studio in Oslo with the brilliant Jan Erik KongshaugFind albums by this artist at the helm, which results in a sublime sound quality and clarity. The music is everything one might expect from these two Masters; Taylor has been one of the greatest songweavers of British Jazz and the compositions present here are surely among his best ever. The intimate duos with Surman, who by playing the soprano and baritone saxophones and alto and bass clarinets is able to create a plethora of diverse moods and ambiences, which turn these pieces into fully developed musical vistas, which express a whole world of music despite the fact of being "just" duets. The telepathic conversations between Taylor and Surman are mind blowing and serve as a classic example of the "Art Of The Duo" idiom, which is one of the most challenging as much as rewarding Jazz environments. The album is sadly criminally obscure among the British Jazz fans and collectors. It was released on the short lived Ah UmFind albums on this label label founded by musician / producer Nick PurnellFind albums by this artist, which in the early 1990s released sixteen superb albums, all of which are treasures of the British Jazz legacy. Although quite difficult to find today, they are all worth pursuing and highly recommended. For Taylor and Surman connoisseurs this is of course an absolute must have, but all true Jazz lovers should find this an absolute masterpiece and an essential part of any serious European Jazz collection. 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: 30/03/2019

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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