Roger Farbey

The Westbrook Blake, Blackheath 20.12.25 What may well be the last performance of The Westbrook Blake by its founding cast took place last night at Blackheath's famous Concert Hall. A full house greeted the Westbrook ensemble featuring stalwarts Kate Westbook, Phil Minton on vocals and Chris Biscoe on soprano and alto saxophone. They were augmented by accordionist Karen Street, violinist Billy Thompson, pianist Matthew Bourne and bassist Steve Berry. The concert was also underpinned by the superb Blackheath Halls Community Choir conducted by Paul Ayres. Mike Westbrook appeared last on stage in a wheelchair and took up residence by the grand piano but left it to Bourne to play the instrument which he did with great aplomb. The ninety minute performance with no interval was hugely impressive not least by the vocalists. Despite being in his mid-eighties, Minton's vocal gymnastics have lost none of their power and ability to amaze. Kate Westbrook too, another octogenarian, delivered a stunning performance. Mike - now 89 - contributed spoken recitals of two Blake poems, his voice as lithe and dramatic as it ever was. He even was seen adding vibra slap percussion on one number. Minton's renditions of Long John Brown And Little Mary Bell and the grand finale I See Thy Form, were terrific and typically memorable to the point where some (including me) might regard him as the greatest vocal improviser in British jazz. It's incredible to think that I witnessed Minton singing and playing trumpet in Mike Westbrook's jazz rock outfit Solid Gold Cadillac at the late lamented Phoenix pub in Cavendish Square well over 50 years ago. Minton, unbelievably, sounded just the same as way back then. Whilst Mike Westbrook and others regard his major works as Citadel/Room 315, The Cortege and On Duke's Birthday it is undoubtedly The Westbrook Blake which stands out as a timeless and genre-crossing work, originated from the late Adrian Mitchell's 1971 National Theatre production of Tyger for which Westbrook wrote the music. It has truly taken on a life of its own and Blackheath's concert reminded us, if any needed reminding, that Mike Westbrook is the ne plus ultra of British jazz.

Neil Ardley's excellent Kaleidoscope Of Rainbows is set for a double vinyl reissue in December on Analogue October Records having been half speed remastered https://analogueoctober.com/product/neil-ardley-kaleidoscope-of-rainbows-vinyl-reissue-aor003st/?audiogallery_startitem_ag2=0

Thanks for that info about Impex Recordswhich gives me more confidence about purchasing this premium product. Just makes me wish I had an SACD player.

Interesting new one from the Mahavishnu - see link. Released 14 November on vinyl and CD but the latter is nearly $35 albeit for an SACD. Never heard of the label but I guess this is because it's a movie score. https://www.impexrecords.com/john-mclaughlin-music-for-abandoned-heights-180g-33rpm-lp/#:~:text=Experience guitar legend John McLaughlin's stunning 2025,Music for Abandoned Heights%2C on HQ-180g vinyl.

Decca has released today a vinyl reissue of The John Cameron Quartet's Off Centre featuring Harold McNair, Danny Thompson and Tony Carr. I think it's only ever has a CD reissue on Vocalion. The album's reissue was curated by the inimitable Tony Higgins who also wrote new sleeve notes.

John Dankworth's own label Sepia reissued the quartet of themed albums he recorded in a box set several years ago. These comprised in chronological order What The Dickens!, Zodiac Variations, Million $ Collection and Lifeline. I seem to remember when Vocalion were still reissuing jazz more actively they reissued the Dankworth albums without pairing these four albums that Dankworth himself had linked as part of a series. Nevertheless, Vocalion did the jazz fraternity a favour by reissuing them at all since the Sepia box was difficult to obtain (and probably OOP now) and Decca/Universal seem(ed) oblivious to their intrinsic value. IMO they are probably Dankworth's finest albums.

Agreed. A true innovator and a very nice guy. I'm currently listening to two of his two albums, recorded for CBS, Angle and The Day Will Come. Like other British jazz musicians, the opportunity to record for major labels was a fleeting opportunity (I'm thinking also of his occasional co-collaborator, the late Tony Oxley). But I treasure those albums not for their rareity but for their sheer brilliance. RIP Howard.

He was voted top organist for four years (1971-1974) in the Melody Maker Jazz Polls British Section. During part of that period Soft Machine were voted top small group (toppling Nucleus for that position) and Soft Machine Six top album. But Mike Ratledge was a true innovator and his compositions, especially on Third, are timeless classics. RIP Mike.

Same here - looking forward to this one

VARIOUS ARTISTS: A NEW AWAKENING - ADVENTURES IN BRITISH JAZZ 1966-1971, 3CD BOX SET This is a forthcoming box set from Cherry Red (due end Feb 2025). I think I probably have around 90% of the tracks and imagine that Brit Jazz fans would probably have around the same. A few I don't know eg Satisfaction (the band) but almost all the tracks have been found on albums reissued in the past 10-15 years. Much as I love this stuff I don't have room for another box set that duplicates most of my collection, even with liner notes by Duncan Heining. However, for anyone not familiar with this ouevre, this probably represent a good primer for the "Golden Age" of British Jazz.

I can only guess that the earlier one was taken from the mono television session as on the DVD and they then went back and recorded tracks in a proper recording studio in stereo. But I agree that some kind of explanation would have been helpful especially with the line-up/date coincidence. It certainly confused me.

Further update(!)... Steve at Cuneiform bas confirmed that Flashpoint (2011) and Flashpoints & Undercurrents are two completely different sessions, hence F & U being in stereo. I'll stop with the updates now.

Update: on checking my copy of Flashpoint (2011) this seems to my ears to be in mono, however the teaser track One Upon A Time on Cuneiform's Bandcamp site of the new release is in glorious stereo! (it is advertised as stereo). Let joy be unconfined!

noted and corrected, thank you.

Flashpoints and Undercurrents is a forthcoming double CD archival release from a 1969 session released by Cuneiform Records January 31 and details on Bandcamp. From the track/personnel/rec. date it would appear that 5 of the 15 tracks were released on Flashpoint (Cuneiform, 2011). This is a good session with the cream of UK jazz participating plus some Austrian musicians and highlights Surman's virtuoso playing and excellent compositional skills.

Yeh, same for me (<500) so only a "small" collection.

I had several online conversations with John when I was involved in AAJ. He was a great writer and often championed British jazz artists such as Ian Carr. I knew he had been in poor health for some years but his sudden passing is a shock. RIP John.

There are indeed quite a few vinyl copies on eBay in the UK. I just bought one in pristine condition despite already having the CD. The perils of "completeism". In fairness, I don't think it's Ardley's best album but anything that he was involved in was imo significant. He was, like Ian Carr, a true innovator.

Neil Ardley's Harmony Of The Spheres (with Ian Carr, Barbara Thompson, Tony Coe et al) is receiving a limited vinyl reissue in November. Details here: https://www.analogueoctober.com/product/neil-ardley-harmony-of-the-spheres/

Grachan Moncur III - Evolution

I think this is the reason. It became irksome to license - each track individually - and UMG has very slowly been reissuing some of the British Jazz golden era material on vinyl. Some on CD and DL too. I think there may be more in the pipeline but heard nothing concrete and anyway things move at a glacial pace with these albums. However, on a slightly less downbeat note, at least three Nucleus albums have been reissue this year on CD by the French company Musea. I realise this doesn't help folk eager to have older stuff reissued but it will happen,eventually (he said, optimistically). Meanwhile ECM has reissued the wonderful Azimuth (Taylor, Winstone and Wheeler) debut album on vinyl.

Only available from outside UK, so around $50+

Re: Never Let It End, what a fabulous album. Never heard of it until now, so thanks for that. Just purchased on iTunes for a remarkably reasonable price. I wish MPS would make more of their back catalogue available in physical formats.

Tangentially, but related to HB, the recent Soft Machine 7" single features an excellent version of Harry's composition The Dew At Dawn. He was as good a composer as he was a trumpeter, and is very much missed.

Yes, and of course he played with Soft Machine too! A true Canterburyan.