Peter Furlan Project: Live At Maureen’s Jazz Cellar
Peter Furlan is a saxophonist, composer and educator whose career has seen him working alongside a diverse number of performers including Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Foster, The Temptations and The Four Tops. As well as leading the nonet featured on this release, he fronts a quintet and trio. In addition, he co-leads, with pianist Neil Alexander, the band Mr. Gone which specialises in the electric music of the 70s and 80s, taking in the work of Weather Report, Headhunters and many others.
On this live date, he brought together a mainly well-seasoned group of musicians, who collectively cover a wide range of musical experience, the only electricity present passing through Joel Newton’s guitar. All arrangements and compositions are Furlan originals including Perfidia, not the song made famous by the Glenn Miller Orchestra, nor to be confused with any other tune with the same title. This is just one of a good and solid collection which is performed expertly by a tight-knit unit, the ensembles being delivered as crisply as one would expect from such a line-up.
The solos fall into the good, rather than the outstanding category, with trumpeter Vinnie Cutro, pianist Alexander and the leader catching the ear. It’s a release which confirms the existence of decent bands still dedicated to straightahead jazz, rather than feeling the need to create some uncomfortable or wayward fusion.
Discography
Introductions; Return To The Be-Bop Tango; The Ice Committee: The Raconteur; Blues Squared; The Crawl Too; Time’s Arrow; Twisted River; Perfidia; Mrs. Clean Freak (77.18)
Vinnie Cutro (t, flh); Erick Storckman (tb); Furlan (ts, ss); Andrew Beals (as); Bard Hubbard (bar, bcl); Neil “Nail” Alexander (p); Joel Newton (g); Charlie Dougherty (b); Nadav Snir-Zelniker (d). Nyack, New York, 20 & 21 June 2025.
Beany Bops 2
Ferg’s Imaginary Big Band: The New Atomic
The front cover of this CD replicates in black and white the mushroom cloud that adorned the Atomic Mr Basie album in 1958 but this is where any similarity between the two ensembles finishes, for Ferg’s Imaginary Big Band present a very contemporary, not to say original take on the big-band tradition.
This enormous ensemble lay out their stall on the opening track J Surfing On Saturn, characterised by mood-shifting tempo changes, a passage taking in a classically inclined piano interlude, a suggestion of a marching band, possible cinematic references and a reed section suggesting an Ellington vibe. This is all topped off by some electronic wizardry.
Theme From “The New Atomic” has dirge-like qualities involving the whole band, Love Sick veers towards popular music, Do The Right Thing rocks along nicely and the uptempo Playing The Names has some slick section work, marred only by a little muddiness in the recording. As the title suggests, Besszilla is identified in the vocal as “Queen Of The Monsters”.
Bearing in mind the eclectic nature of this band, the listener shouldn’t be surprised by an unashamed nod to the swing era in the slow ballad Same Sky, complete with female vocal and authentic band work, including a sweet alto solo. And why shouldn’t the disc close with the spiritual I Shall Not Be Moved performed by a vocal choir with a closing flourish from the horns? All great fun but certainly not for big-band purists.
Discography
J Surfing On Saturn; Theme From “The New Atomic”; Love Sick; Do The Right Thing; Playing The Names; Besszilla; Same Sky; I Shall Not Be Moved (40.00)
Fergus Quill (ldr ,v) plus large ensemble involving over 40 musicians.
Trash City Records TCR/2026/06
Luke Bainbridge: Petstep
Award-winning drummer and composer Luke Bainbridge appears to tread a flexible line between jazz and classical music. On Petstep he leads a well-schooled group of musicians who collectively have plenty of varied experience under their belts both as leaders and sidemen. All the music is supplied by Bainbridge – a percussionist liking to lead from the drum stool as is evident on nearly every track. His restless urgings seem to direct the music from the bottom, with his cohorts happy to build a construction on these sound foundations.
Bainbridge was inspired to write Petstep by the death of the family dog, Olive, and says it is “ostensibly a jazz album but one whose inspirations range from Olivier Messiaen to MF Doom, operating subtly, beneath its surfaces”. The publicity describes the music as “exquisitely structured, using ‘palindromic’ compositional techniques” and that is apparent in the angular but logical structures heard here. The relatively unusual line-up includes the skilful trombonist Kieran McLead, who favours a true sound from his instrument, and the dextrous vibist Ralph Wylde, who blends nicely with his front-line colleague. Huw V Williams’ mobile bass keeps the whole together.
It’ll Pass, with its classical nod, is probably the only piece where the listener can hang on to a tangible melody or theme, for elsewhere it takes several play-throughs to work out the constructions. Aside from this is the powerful, expressive jazz-rap of Spillage In The Village, which will sound coherent or incoherent, according to the listener’s prejudices.
Discography
Hell’s Stairwell; Petstep; Hair Of The Dog; Spillage In The Village; It’ll Pass; Septstep; Well Farewell (44.50)
Kieran McLeod (tb); Ralph Wyld (vib); Huw V Williams (b); Luke Bainbridge (d). 15 & 16 July 2024.
Crossing Styx Records CSX001CD