BANSANGU ORCHESTRA
Pathway Records - PBCD0121
Paul Booth - saxophones, leader; Sammy Mayne - alto, flute; Jason Yarde - alto & soprano; Richard Beesley - tenor, clarinet; Ryan Quigley, Kevin Robinson, Andy Greenwod, Shanti Paul Jayasinha, Steve Fishwick - trumpet, flugel; Trevor Mires, Barnaby Dickinson, Robbie Harvey, Martin Gladdish, Richard Henry - trombones; Giorgio Serci - guitar, oud; Alex Wilson - piano; Davide Mantovani - bass; Satin Singh, Edwin Sanz - percussion; Rod Youngs, Tristan Banks - drums; Jonathan Mayer - sitar; Oli Rockberger - piano; Seckou Keita - kora
Recorded 6th & 7th January, 2016
Paul Booth is one of that rare elite of players known as musician’s musicians - a supreme technician, respected by his peers both for his mastery of his instrument and his ability to fit effortlessly into any number of commercial settings. Technical mastery and versatility are very much to the fore in this expansive set of recordings from the big band he co-leads with trumpeter Kevin Robinson and guitarist Giorgio Serci, as the compositions flit around the world to create a lushly arranged musical travelogue. Opener ‘Cross Channel’ sets out the stall with a mix of Lebanese and Afro-Cuban rhythms, some densely arranged horn parts with all manner of hip modern extensions, and sizzling solos from Booth and fellow luminaries Steve Fishwick and Rod Youngs; ‘The Long Road’ introduces Jonathan Mayer’s sitar for some evocative indo-jazz fusion.
Elsewhere there are African and Celtic flavours - ‘The Village’ marries a Celtic sounding theme to a dazzlingly athletic trombone from Barnaby Dickinson and some really intricate chart writing - and ‘Currulao Cool’ brings together Afro-Colombian percussion with lush Quincy Jones style big band horns. Versatile drummer Tristan Banks shows his mettle on the latter tune, providing the bridge between the pure energy of the percussionist’s folkloric feel and the sophistication of the topline writing, and contributing a truly spectacular solo on the tricky ‘Takes Three To Samba’ which, as composer Serci notes, is ‘a samba in 3/4 which features poly-chords and poly-rhythms’. Booth contributes two tunes, Serci one, and Kevin Robinson writes an arrangement of ‘Light My Fire’ - the rest of the book is generously opened up to the other band members, giving this the feel of a collective effort, and the writing, playing and arrangements are top class throughout.
The band’s name comes from a transliteration of Brazilian percussionist/bandleaders Airto Moreira’s attempts to say ‘band sounds good’, and he’d surely repeat the compliment if he heard these performances, all captured in the studio over a couple of days. The live shows should be spectacular.
Reviewed by Eddie Myer
Pathway Records - PBCD0121
Paul Booth - saxophones, leader; Sammy Mayne - alto, flute; Jason Yarde - alto & soprano; Richard Beesley - tenor, clarinet; Ryan Quigley, Kevin Robinson, Andy Greenwod, Shanti Paul Jayasinha, Steve Fishwick - trumpet, flugel; Trevor Mires, Barnaby Dickinson, Robbie Harvey, Martin Gladdish, Richard Henry - trombones; Giorgio Serci - guitar, oud; Alex Wilson - piano; Davide Mantovani - bass; Satin Singh, Edwin Sanz - percussion; Rod Youngs, Tristan Banks - drums; Jonathan Mayer - sitar; Oli Rockberger - piano; Seckou Keita - kora
Recorded 6th & 7th January, 2016
Paul Booth is one of that rare elite of players known as musician’s musicians - a supreme technician, respected by his peers both for his mastery of his instrument and his ability to fit effortlessly into any number of commercial settings. Technical mastery and versatility are very much to the fore in this expansive set of recordings from the big band he co-leads with trumpeter Kevin Robinson and guitarist Giorgio Serci, as the compositions flit around the world to create a lushly arranged musical travelogue. Opener ‘Cross Channel’ sets out the stall with a mix of Lebanese and Afro-Cuban rhythms, some densely arranged horn parts with all manner of hip modern extensions, and sizzling solos from Booth and fellow luminaries Steve Fishwick and Rod Youngs; ‘The Long Road’ introduces Jonathan Mayer’s sitar for some evocative indo-jazz fusion.
Elsewhere there are African and Celtic flavours - ‘The Village’ marries a Celtic sounding theme to a dazzlingly athletic trombone from Barnaby Dickinson and some really intricate chart writing - and ‘Currulao Cool’ brings together Afro-Colombian percussion with lush Quincy Jones style big band horns. Versatile drummer Tristan Banks shows his mettle on the latter tune, providing the bridge between the pure energy of the percussionist’s folkloric feel and the sophistication of the topline writing, and contributing a truly spectacular solo on the tricky ‘Takes Three To Samba’ which, as composer Serci notes, is ‘a samba in 3/4 which features poly-chords and poly-rhythms’. Booth contributes two tunes, Serci one, and Kevin Robinson writes an arrangement of ‘Light My Fire’ - the rest of the book is generously opened up to the other band members, giving this the feel of a collective effort, and the writing, playing and arrangements are top class throughout.
The band’s name comes from a transliteration of Brazilian percussionist/bandleaders Airto Moreira’s attempts to say ‘band sounds good’, and he’d surely repeat the compliment if he heard these performances, all captured in the studio over a couple of days. The live shows should be spectacular.
Reviewed by Eddie Myer
