GRAHAM COLLIER — Deep Dark Blue Centre (review)

GRAHAM COLLIER — Deep Dark Blue Centre album cover

Album · 1967 · Progressive Big Band

4.5/5 · 2011-05-20
Sean Trane

Among the first British jazz albums that really rocked my boat, Graham Collier’s early 67debut masterpiece DDBC is certainly among my all-time faves for over twenty years now. Actually its splendid artwork did entice me to jump on this album in a used-vinyl store, at a time when I was not entirely convinced I wanted to head more conventional jazz genres, outside the JR/F vein and some Coltrane works. Indeed the trumpet with a guitar head in its centre and the keyboard notes as trumpet piston is one of the most brilliant jazz artwork ever, and it allowed me to find something to admire while I soaked in the jazz. Of course the personnel on the present album was definitely the second implacable argument: Karl Jenkins, Phil Lee and John Marshall were definitely the wide-open baits. Note that back then, Wheeler, Beckett and Lowther (not present here) were unknown to this writer, but nowadays their presence in an album line-up triggers automatically my curiosity.

Don’t get me wrong, this wasn’t a cinch or a shoe-in, quite the opposite. Coming from a much faster JR/F realm, this relatively slow-paced jazz with some almost-standard twist took some time to sink in yours truly’s thick skull… and still nowadays I have to be in a mood for it. A very 50’s-like Blue Walls opens the album, and it actually doesn’t help often (too Gil Evans-y for me), so I often skip and start with the slower but more dramatic Miklos where Wheeler’s flugelhorn, Jenkins’ sax and Lee’s guitar develop some very interesting climates (much more modern for 67), but “you ain’t seen nuthin’ yet”!! Hirayochi (bless you!! ;o))) Suite is just content of mixing the two genres just explored, thus provoking a need or craving for more of the precedent hors d’oeuvre. That track seems to prefer an older Mingus spirit, laced with some pre-fusion Miles. Closing the A-side is that Crumblin’ Cookie returns a bit on the Evans territory but the ascending three-note riff is rather cool.

It’s mostly the flipside that does it for me: the opening Jenkins-played oboe of Conversations is the warning that some dramatics are on the way: underlined by Lee’s guitar and Aaron’s flute, we’re engaged into certain distraught, but soon transformed by the flute and flugel’s lines, leading Beckett’s trumpet into a slightly Spanish-sound. Superbly slow stuff, really!! Of course, “le cloud du spectacle” is the 13-mins+ title track, a sort of dramatic epic, filled with some Morricone-type f ambiances, especially with Wheeler’s trumpet. Just like the previous intense moments on the DDBC album, it’s when the music is at its slowest that it becomes really enthralling, and in this case, Collier’s bass is certainly enhancing the solemnity, Lee’s guitar is adding some tension, underlining Wheeler’s

Awesome stuff, really!!! Anyway, Collier would go on to greater things with the spectacular follow-up Down Another Road, but it’s definitely all started with a good half of the Deep Dark Blue Centre, which expression came from Hoagy Carmichael’s “ I don’t mind what they do with jazz, as long as they keep the deep dark blue centre”. And the least we can say is that Collier certainlt managed it successfully with the present.