MIKE WESTBROOK — Love/Dream And Variations (review)

MIKE WESTBROOK — Love/Dream And Variations album cover Album · 1976 · Big Band Buy this album from MMA partners
2.5/5 ·
Sean Trane
With the present album, Westbrook shows that his love for Duke Ellington’s big band jazz and that by 76, he still thought it was pertinent enough to still engage in this kind of musical endeavour. With some seven brasswind players – 4 trumpets (including Lowther) and 3 trombones (incl. Rutherford) – and four woodwind players – all playing flute, sax and clarinet – the group is also seeing ex-Blossom Toes guitarist Godding, ex-Matching Mole Dave McRae (el. Piano) and the “usual suspects” of Laurence (bass), Jackson (drums) and Mitchell (vibes & percs). Quite a program that generally not well announced by the rain-drenched resort of the artwork, but right from the first note, it cannot be clearer that this is going to be an Ellington-ian homage.

Don’t look for anything revolutionary in the present album though, despite a lot of the names into the JR/F and avant-garde realms; in here we’re very much stuck in late-40’s and early 50’s big band stuff, even if there is the odd bit that sounds a tad more dramatic and tense. It’s mostly gentle happy swing-style compositions; and to be honest, we don’t hear much piano (el. or ac.) and guitar in the mix, outside some rare more-dedicated passages. The origins of the commissioned works date from almost three years prior to its release, getting its first live rendition late 74 in Liverpool, but here we get the early 76 studio version. Definitely not my cup of tea, but if you’re into big-band stuff, you’ll likely love this mid-70’s release
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