GARETH LOCKRANE BIG BAND - Fistfight At The Barn Dance
Whirlwind WR4710
Gareth Lockrane - flutes, composer, arranger; Sam Mayne, James Gardiner-Bateman, Graeme Blevins, Paul Booth, Nadim Teimoori, Richard Shepherd - saxophones and clarinets; Andy Greenwood, Tom Walsh, Steve Fishwick, Henry Collins - trumpets & flugelhorns; Mark Nightingale, Barnaby Dickinson, Trevor Mires, Barry Clements - trombones; Mike Outram - guitar; Ross Stanley - keyboards
Ryan Trebilcock - bass; Ian Thomas - drums; Hugh Wilkinson - percussion; Jonny Mansfield - marimba
Anyone who’s seen Gareth Lockrane in concert, or met him in person, will surely have been impressed by his clean-cut, engaging and approachable personality and his seemingly inexhaustible reserves of energy and enthusiasm. He’s also respected as one of the UK’s foremost jazz virtuosi, notwithstanding the rather marginal place that his axe of choice has occupied in conventional jazz instrumentation. So it’s entirely appropriate that this offering from his big band features a wish-list line-up of superb UK players, and a dazzling display of technical prowess in writing, arrangement and performance that’s agreeably tempered by an accessible melodic sensibility and a palpable sense of fun. The title track lays out the stall - over a swinging New Orleans groove impeccably delivered by the impeccable Thomas and spiced with hammond organ from the indispensable Ross Stanley, the horns deliver tight, punchy riffs, the ingeniously interlocking parts making way for bravura solo statements from the trombones as the leader’s own flute soars weightlessly above. ‘Do It’ has a cop-show funky swagger - ‘We’ll Never Meet Again’ is a lushly arranged ballad setting for the leader’s cooing tones on alto flute and the endlessly inventive Mike Outram on guitar - ‘Aby7innia’ gives Thomas a stunning solo over the tricky metre, and ‘On The Fly’ has outstanding work by Fishwick and Paul Booth, but everyone rises to the occasion so magnificently that it’s impossible to single out a Man Of The Match. Incredibly, all eleven tunes here were recorded in just one day - given the depth and complexity of the arrangements, and extent to which they switch seamlessly from full ensemble passages to flexible small-group textures, it’s a real tribute to Lockheart’s skill as a bandleader as well as his cohorts level of musicality.
The sound, captured at the Fish Market by engineer Ben Lamdin, is rich and detailed, and Lockheart is generous with solo space, allowing each member of his multi-generational dream band space to shine. It’s ample evidence of the strength of the UK musical community’s talent, and the leader’s delight in every aspect of music making shines through in every aspect of this joyous recording.
Reviewed by Eddie Myer
Whirlwind WR4710
Gareth Lockrane - flutes, composer, arranger; Sam Mayne, James Gardiner-Bateman, Graeme Blevins, Paul Booth, Nadim Teimoori, Richard Shepherd - saxophones and clarinets; Andy Greenwood, Tom Walsh, Steve Fishwick, Henry Collins - trumpets & flugelhorns; Mark Nightingale, Barnaby Dickinson, Trevor Mires, Barry Clements - trombones; Mike Outram - guitar; Ross Stanley - keyboards
Ryan Trebilcock - bass; Ian Thomas - drums; Hugh Wilkinson - percussion; Jonny Mansfield - marimba
Anyone who’s seen Gareth Lockrane in concert, or met him in person, will surely have been impressed by his clean-cut, engaging and approachable personality and his seemingly inexhaustible reserves of energy and enthusiasm. He’s also respected as one of the UK’s foremost jazz virtuosi, notwithstanding the rather marginal place that his axe of choice has occupied in conventional jazz instrumentation. So it’s entirely appropriate that this offering from his big band features a wish-list line-up of superb UK players, and a dazzling display of technical prowess in writing, arrangement and performance that’s agreeably tempered by an accessible melodic sensibility and a palpable sense of fun. The title track lays out the stall - over a swinging New Orleans groove impeccably delivered by the impeccable Thomas and spiced with hammond organ from the indispensable Ross Stanley, the horns deliver tight, punchy riffs, the ingeniously interlocking parts making way for bravura solo statements from the trombones as the leader’s own flute soars weightlessly above. ‘Do It’ has a cop-show funky swagger - ‘We’ll Never Meet Again’ is a lushly arranged ballad setting for the leader’s cooing tones on alto flute and the endlessly inventive Mike Outram on guitar - ‘Aby7innia’ gives Thomas a stunning solo over the tricky metre, and ‘On The Fly’ has outstanding work by Fishwick and Paul Booth, but everyone rises to the occasion so magnificently that it’s impossible to single out a Man Of The Match. Incredibly, all eleven tunes here were recorded in just one day - given the depth and complexity of the arrangements, and extent to which they switch seamlessly from full ensemble passages to flexible small-group textures, it’s a real tribute to Lockheart’s skill as a bandleader as well as his cohorts level of musicality.
The sound, captured at the Fish Market by engineer Ben Lamdin, is rich and detailed, and Lockheart is generous with solo space, allowing each member of his multi-generational dream band space to shine. It’s ample evidence of the strength of the UK musical community’s talent, and the leader’s delight in every aspect of music making shines through in every aspect of this joyous recording.
Reviewed by Eddie Myer
