An exciting hour of innovative big band jazz, featuring many of Britain’s finest musicians making happy, even thrilling music. A wide variety of sounds flow from the unusual instrumentation, and the performance is enlivened by consistently precise teamwork punctuated by splendid solos.
This live recording, at Ronnie Scott’s Club before an appreciative audience, sets new standards of brilliant engineering which exceed the quality of many dedicated studios. I Got Rheumatics, based firmly on George and Ira, kicks off to a blazing start. Nightingale’s ballad Just Once More features fine flugel work from Presencer and the sonorous bass of Alec Dankworth. Dave Powell’s tuba introduces Around The Track, where the remarkable power of Mark Nightingale’s trombone impresses, as does the high-register work of Gerard Presencer, heard here on trumpet. Jelly Mould Blues, another quirkily titled JD original, brings the flute of Andy Panayi into focus and there is some gutsy mute manipulation by Noel Langley. The tenor of Tim Garland is also prominent on this track.
Tim returns on his own composition Going Back, Going On in which we enjoy the bass and guitar work of Alec and Stuart Hall. Thoughts is an introspective piece in which the other guitarist, John Parricelli, constructs a delicate set of improvisations. Pig’s Head Copanitza is an incredible piece, written by Stuart Hall, who appears to be fascinated by Bulgarian wedding-dances! His violin works overtime, the tenor players overlay some bluesy choruses and a churning big band adds to the excitement. Robin Aspland on piano takes solo honours alongside the booting baritone of Jimmy Hastings on a roaring All Things which brings to a conclusion a dramatic album that it may be hard to better this year.
Discography
I Got Rheumatics; Just Once More; Around The Track; Jelly Mould Blues; Going Back, Going On; Thoughts; Pigs Head Copanitza; AII Things (59.55)
John Dankworth (ss, cms, cl); Tim Garland (ss, ts, f); Andy Panayi (as, f); Jimmy Hastings (bar, cl); Guy Barker (t, monette); Noel Langley, Gerald Presencer (t, flh); Mark Nightingale (tb); Dave Laurence (frh); Dave Powell (tu); Stuart Hall (vn, g); or John Parricelli (g); Alec Dankworth (b); Robin Aspland (p); Ralph Salmins (d). Ronnie Scott’s, London, July 12 and 13 1995.
(Jazzhouse JHCD 043)
