The line-up is: John Surman - soprano and baritone saxophone, bass clarinet; Alan Skidmore - tenor saxophone and flute; Ronnie Scott - tenor saxophone; Mike Osborne - alto saxophone; Malcolm Griffiths – trombone; Erich Kleinschuster - trombone; Kenny Wheeler - trumpet and flugelhorn; Fritz Pauer - piano; Harry Miller –-bass and Alan Jackson – drums, and the recording was made on 18th April, 1969 live in Hamburg.
‘Jackknife’ starts the concert with aplomb, a widescreen infectious piece, the solos flowing from trombone to sax to trumpet, backed symbiotically by jogging bass and counterpointed piano chords. Double bass introduces ‘Gratuliere’, a 10-minute balladic piece with an extravagant flugelhorn solo and more brass exchanges; ‘Hallo Thursday’ is another 10-minute number with extensive piano soloing, a double bass solo, more trombone and a brass fuelled concluding riff that touches the borders of rock. ‘Undercurrent’ is slightly shorter with some bowed bass, more improvisational and avant-garde than what has preceded it, growing increasingly agitato with explorative drumming turning into marching drums, and varied brass soloing; ‘Mayflower’ has a slight Latin or perhaps Caribbean vibe in the percussion and flute, an insistent brass line and a soulful piano break; ‘Puzzle; is well-named as it weaves its way through some top-notch mazey instrumental excursions, with a short but satisfying drum solo near its conclusion. ‘Background’ is another mesmerising 10-minute piece with some experimental piano/ bass/ drum exchanges leading to a melodic passage of play. ‘The free-blowing Aqua Regis’ is the shortest piece at just over 4 minutes. The two concluding pieces total 20-minutes and are representative of the general style of a highly accomplished ‘little big band’ album with some breathtaking brass playing at its core and enough melody to satisfy anyone remotely interested in jazz music.
To sum-up “Flashpoints and Undercurrents” is an absolute gem; the standard never lets up over not too far short of two hours of absorbing music; it must have been an amazing concert to attend, and it is brilliant to hear such a great audio representation of it 56 years later!
Comments