THE GUEST STARS - Out At Night
Independent self produced release 1985
Deirdre Cartwright (gtr's), Laka Daisical (pno,vcl), Ruthie Smith (sax's, vcl), Alison Raynor (fretless bs,vcl), Linda De Mango (perc', congas,vcl), Josefina Cupido (drs,vcl)
Side A) Montezuma's Mother 4:55, Miles Apart 6:30, Amy's Bounce 5:55, What Means Love 5:00.
Side B) The Wind Is Getting Angry 4:42, Song Of The Bridge 3:25, Uranus In Jeopardy 6:00, Birds Of A Feather 6:25.
British sextet "The Guest Stars" were formed in 1977 on an unashamedly self-confessed feminist ticket. They were highly popular on the club and festival circuits throughout the UK and Europe for over a decade with spasmodic dips into the U.S. scene including performances at New York's Blue Note club. Their highest profile member at the time was guitarist Deirdre Cartwright whose eighties "Rockschool" tutorials on BBC 2 gave her a wide public profile. Bassist and composer Alison Raynor's career continues to blossom to this day with her own multi award winning cross gender band A.R.Q. All members of the original Guest Stars played in other aggregations during the eighties including the frighteningly titled big band "The Sisters Of Spit". Above all, everyone of the players were very good musicians and together produced uplifting performances of Latin and Caribbean flavoured jazz with nearly all of their compositions coming from within the group. They made only three albums during their playing days, this one in 1985, preceded by a self titled release in 1984 and lastly Live In Berlin during 1987. Deidre Cartwright went on to form a successful partnership with fellow guitarist Kathy Dyson entitled "Emily Remembered", as a tribute duo to the late great American guitar player Emily Remler. Laka Daisical, real name Dorota Koch, went on to perform under the auspices of "The Fire Collective" and "Blow The Fuse" with other bands including the five piece vocal group "The Hip Cats". The other players have somewhat faded from the scene in recent years, although drummer Josefina Cupido has made some appearances with "The Grand Union Orchestra".
As for the album, it's both uplifting and inspiring from start to finish with high quality writing, arranging and playing on every track. It is a surprise that the electric bass playing of Alison Raynor was not given the critical acclaim thirty five years ago that it enjoys today. She had her own individual voice on the instrument then, as she does now, with some overtones of Stanley Clarke as a bonus. This becomes clear right from the opening track, a tune that she composed with Deirdre Cartwright, Montezuma's Mother, where her dynamic playing both in the ensemble and behind the guitar and piano solo's lift this melodic medium paced composition well above the ordinary. There is a good mix of vocal led pieces along with the instrumentals that give the set balance. Miles Apart is a good example, it's a song written and sung by Laka Daisical, bluesy in parts, exotic in others with an outstanding guitar solo and close harmony background vocals along the way. The composing is well shared among the band with Josefina Cupido's music with lyrics by herself and the guitarist on The Wind Is Getting Angry up there with the best. Ruthie Smith's soprano sax is also featured on this atmospheric and inspiring one which is also full of great exchanges between drums and percussion. Song Of The Bridge is a slow burner, once again it's the unique lines from the fretless electric bass that holds the listeners attention on this well structured piece that once again showcases some very fine saxophone that would hold sway in many of today's bands. There are no disappointing moments on the album at all, but if there was one track that had to be the outstanding highlight, it would have to be Ruthie Smith's, slightly questionably titled Uranus In Jeopardy. The opening is in fact along the lines of the theme to 2001 A Space Odyssey but soon morphs into an up-tempo ensemble piece with Coltrane like tenor, and "Rockschool" influenced guitar to the fore.
Overall, this band always showed a togetherness and common sense of purpose, that elevated them above the norm' of most nineteen eighties British jazz. This comes across perfectly on the album as it also did at their EFG London Jazz Festival reunion performance of 2019.
Reviewed by Jim Burlong
This review is in regard to the original vinyl. There is no CD equivalent, but the music is available on various digital media platforms.
Independent self produced release 1985
Deirdre Cartwright (gtr's), Laka Daisical (pno,vcl), Ruthie Smith (sax's, vcl), Alison Raynor (fretless bs,vcl), Linda De Mango (perc', congas,vcl), Josefina Cupido (drs,vcl)
Side A) Montezuma's Mother 4:55, Miles Apart 6:30, Amy's Bounce 5:55, What Means Love 5:00.
Side B) The Wind Is Getting Angry 4:42, Song Of The Bridge 3:25, Uranus In Jeopardy 6:00, Birds Of A Feather 6:25.
British sextet "The Guest Stars" were formed in 1977 on an unashamedly self-confessed feminist ticket. They were highly popular on the club and festival circuits throughout the UK and Europe for over a decade with spasmodic dips into the U.S. scene including performances at New York's Blue Note club. Their highest profile member at the time was guitarist Deirdre Cartwright whose eighties "Rockschool" tutorials on BBC 2 gave her a wide public profile. Bassist and composer Alison Raynor's career continues to blossom to this day with her own multi award winning cross gender band A.R.Q. All members of the original Guest Stars played in other aggregations during the eighties including the frighteningly titled big band "The Sisters Of Spit". Above all, everyone of the players were very good musicians and together produced uplifting performances of Latin and Caribbean flavoured jazz with nearly all of their compositions coming from within the group. They made only three albums during their playing days, this one in 1985, preceded by a self titled release in 1984 and lastly Live In Berlin during 1987. Deidre Cartwright went on to form a successful partnership with fellow guitarist Kathy Dyson entitled "Emily Remembered", as a tribute duo to the late great American guitar player Emily Remler. Laka Daisical, real name Dorota Koch, went on to perform under the auspices of "The Fire Collective" and "Blow The Fuse" with other bands including the five piece vocal group "The Hip Cats". The other players have somewhat faded from the scene in recent years, although drummer Josefina Cupido has made some appearances with "The Grand Union Orchestra".
As for the album, it's both uplifting and inspiring from start to finish with high quality writing, arranging and playing on every track. It is a surprise that the electric bass playing of Alison Raynor was not given the critical acclaim thirty five years ago that it enjoys today. She had her own individual voice on the instrument then, as she does now, with some overtones of Stanley Clarke as a bonus. This becomes clear right from the opening track, a tune that she composed with Deirdre Cartwright, Montezuma's Mother, where her dynamic playing both in the ensemble and behind the guitar and piano solo's lift this melodic medium paced composition well above the ordinary. There is a good mix of vocal led pieces along with the instrumentals that give the set balance. Miles Apart is a good example, it's a song written and sung by Laka Daisical, bluesy in parts, exotic in others with an outstanding guitar solo and close harmony background vocals along the way. The composing is well shared among the band with Josefina Cupido's music with lyrics by herself and the guitarist on The Wind Is Getting Angry up there with the best. Ruthie Smith's soprano sax is also featured on this atmospheric and inspiring one which is also full of great exchanges between drums and percussion. Song Of The Bridge is a slow burner, once again it's the unique lines from the fretless electric bass that holds the listeners attention on this well structured piece that once again showcases some very fine saxophone that would hold sway in many of today's bands. There are no disappointing moments on the album at all, but if there was one track that had to be the outstanding highlight, it would have to be Ruthie Smith's, slightly questionably titled Uranus In Jeopardy. The opening is in fact along the lines of the theme to 2001 A Space Odyssey but soon morphs into an up-tempo ensemble piece with Coltrane like tenor, and "Rockschool" influenced guitar to the fore.
Overall, this band always showed a togetherness and common sense of purpose, that elevated them above the norm' of most nineteen eighties British jazz. This comes across perfectly on the album as it also did at their EFG London Jazz Festival reunion performance of 2019.
Reviewed by Jim Burlong
This review is in regard to the original vinyl. There is no CD equivalent, but the music is available on various digital media platforms.
