Record Reviews

MICHAEL GARRICK ~ JAZZ PRAISES AT ST PAUL`S JAZZ ACADEMY 11 (Barcode: 5036098005783) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 1968 Released: 2005 British pianist / composer Michael GarrickFind albums by this artist’s Jazz escapades were always anything but conventional. His participation in the Jazz & Poetry sessions held in the mid 1960s was already a sign of his unusual approach to Jazz, which Garrick considers as part of an overall cultural / artistic milieu. This album is another daring step forward in expanding the confined borders of Jazz by mixing it with liturgical music, something Garrick was to return to several times during his career. The sheer audacity of Garrick’s notion to perform Jazz inside a cathedral, playing the organ as a part of a Jazz ensemble was staggering at the time, and only thanks to the open-mindedness and liberal atmosphere prevailing in Britain at the time such project was eventually successfully executed. The music was recorded live at the St Paul’s Cathedral, featuring Garrick’s sextet (Garrick – organ, Art ThemenFind albums by this artist – saxophone, clarinet and flute, Jim PhilipFind albums by this artist – saxophone, clarinet and flute, Ian CarrFind albums by this artist – trumpet and flugelhorn, Coleridge GoodeFind albums by this artist – bass and John MarshallFind albums by this artist – drums) with a large choir. Although recorded under Spartan conditions with just one microphone (mono) suspended over the performers, the sound is remarkably clear and well balanced. With the cathedral’s natural echo the music sounds even more devotional than initially intended. Miraculously it just all works out perfectly. Released originally as a double LP on the obscure AirboneFind albums by this artist label, it has been a priceless collector’s item for decades, only to become available again on Garrick’s own record label. This is a remarkable piece of British Jazz history.

Updated: 01/01/2016Posted:

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