If nothing else You Are Here serves as a testament to an undersung hero of British jazz. Keith Tippett’s oeuvre spanned catchy rock-like themes, large-scale orchestral jazz pieces and sensitive, totally improvised performances. But clearly this excellent paean to Tippett is a timely and thoughtful collection of numbers newly interpreted by Kevin Figes’ sextet with some truly standout moments.
Tippett’s compositional output and recorded works should rightly be revered. Saxophonist Figes, a former member of Tippett’s Tapestry big band clearly agrees with this proposition. He has selected for this recording some of Tippett’s most significant tunes or ones on which he played a crucial role. King Crimson’s single Cat Food would have been a lesser entity without Tippett’s helter-skelter soloing.
Figes also reminds us that following Chris McGregor’s untimely death Tippett stepped-in as pianist for Brotherhood Of Breath and its offshoot Spirits Rejoice. So it’s thrilling to hear Dudu Pukwana’s foot-tapping MRA and Harry Miller’s serpentine Traumatic Experience.
Tippett’s brilliant but overlooked debut You Are Here…I Am There (Polydor, 1970) is represented by the sultry, compelling I Wish There Was A Nowhere. The exhilarating Thoughts To Geoff is a reminder of his ground-breaking percussion-rich Dedicated To You But You Weren’t Listening (Vertigo, 1971). Later works include the lyrical Cider Dance from Mujician’s The Bristol Concert (What! Disc, 2000).
Figes has been fortunate in assembling such a talented group of musicians with which to execute this recording, not least Jim Blomfield who has the unenviable task of following in Tippett’s footsteps. Space doesn’t allow adequate praise for Tippett and Figes. Suffice it to say this is an important recording that satisfies both nostalgically and intellectually.
Discography
Thoughts To Geoff; Dedicated To You, But You Weren’t Listening; Sweet F.A.; Improvisation; Cat Food; I Wish There Was A Nowhere; Improvisation #2; Traumatic Experience; Improvisation #3; MRA; Dedicated To Mingus; Improvisation #4; Cider Dance; Echoes (62.53)
Figes (as, ss, arr); Pete Judge (t); Raphael Clarkson (tb); Jim Blomfield (p); Riaan Vosloo (b); Tony Orrell (d, pc). Bristol, 7-8 September, 2023.
Jazz Now Records JNO2SCD
