Pianist Garrick’s group are frequently to be found at Jeremy Robson’s poetry ’n’ jazz jamborees, where the music is invariably infinitely more interesting than the verse. Thankfully the poets laid out on this date – the representative recording was under Michael’s leadership. He is shown in the triple roles of composer, arranger and pianist. Several of his tunes (Little Girl, Sketches and October Woman) indicate a promising talent, but the writing elsewhere is a let-down, being vapid. Return is a meandering, directionless trio exercise; Sweet merely a mawkish piece of let’s-get-back-to-the-funky-roots.
Garrick’s piano playing pays homage to Bill Evans, Wynton Kelly and John Lewis, but on Seven Pillars, a waltz, he reminded me of the Chicagoan Eddie Higgins – purely a coincidental likeness, one assumes.
Joe Harriott (alto) and Shake Keane (trumpet and flugelhorn) form the front-line. According to Garrick’s liner he wrote this material specifically with them in mind. Both play well, especially on Sketches, where Shake shoves a mute into his horn and interplays nicely with the leader. At this point I would ask where Joe and Shake stand in relation to free-form. They seem able to switch from conventional blowing to freedom stuff at will. We get a dose of it here on Anthem. But are they really committed to the new thing? Or are they being merely fashionable? I’m sure Coltrane could no longer play conventionally if he tried because he is totally involved.
Bassist Coleridge Goode seems to have picked up that annoying habit, cultivated by Slam Stewart and Major Holley, of bowing and moaning in unison, a practice which has wasted much valuable vinyl. Be warned he does it on Sweet And Blue. Too bad, Mr. Goode! An uneven collection then, but I expect better results from Mr. Garrick next time. Incidentally, perhaps Mr. Thiele at Impulse would note the playing time? And the quality is acceptable.
Discography
(a) Seven Pillars; (a) Little Girl; (a) Sweet And Sugary Candy; (b) Blue Scene; (a) Anthem (25 min) – (b) Return Of An Angel; (a) Sketches Of Israel; (a) October Woman; (a) Echoes; (b) Fairies Of Oneiro’s (24 min)
(a) Shake Keane (tpt/fl-horn); Joe Harriott (alt); Michael Garrick (p); Coleridge Goode (bs); Colin Barnes (d). London, 1965.
(Argo DA 33/ ZDA 33 12inLP 32s. 2d.)
