MIKE WESTBROOK — Marching Song Vol. 1 (review)

MIKE WESTBROOK — Marching Song Vol. 1 album cover Album · 1969 · Progressive Big Band Buy this album from MMA partners
3/5 ·
Sean Trane
If memory serves, Westbrook and a few London jazz scene stalwarts all were part of their armies’ jazz marching bands; and apparently for some, it had some lasting impact, to the point of dedicating album in the course of the pacifist-era in the heart of the Cold War. Ok, I’m exaggerating a tad, because not every one of these tracks are actually marching-band tunes. Indeed the ones where Westbrook plays piano are not marching band tunes (never seen a piano – even a portable one - out on a stroll). With a consequent cast of musical strollers - 13 brasswind players (incl. Wheeler, Lowther, Griffiths, Rutherford, Gibbs) and seven woodwind players (incl. Surman, Osborne, Skidmore, Warren, Smith), we’re also finding three bassists (Miller, Bare Phillips and Laurence) and two drummers (Marshall – then in Soft Machine - and Jackson). Quite the fµçqing crowd, uh?? Anyway, this is the first of two albums, and they will have similar wartime child drawings and both will find a Decca subsidiary label Deram release, within a few months of each other.

Well this type of musical endeavour has its schizophrenia bouts with the very brassy war marches like the opening Hooray and Marching Song(which is rather un-marching-like and the much more-intimate, experimental & sombre compositions like Landscape I & II, and Other World. Only one track is really quite down my own alley: Waltz For Joanna. The semi-chaotic end of the closing Marching song is relatively interesting, but comes a bit late in the album. Sooo As far as I am concerned, this is not that much of an album for me, but it’s not to say that it wouldn’t be for you.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Jazz Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

Bow Code Post-Fusion Contemporary
SAMPO HIUKKANEN
Buy this album from MMA partners
Anthem For No Man’s Land Jazz Related Improv/Composition
ANDREAS SCHAERER
Buy this album from MMA partners
Cabaret Eclectic Fusion
MARIUS NESET
Buy this album from MMA partners
Living Ghosts Post-Fusion Contemporary
MICHAEL WOLLNY
Buy this album from MMA partners
Live at Donte's, Vol. 1 Vocal Jazz
MIKE CAMPBELL
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

Sunday afternoon
FURIO DI CASTRI
snobb· 8 hours ago
Harmônicos
FABIANO DO NASCIMENTO
js· 22 hours ago
Con Alma
GENE BERTONCINI
js· 1 day ago
Our Walk (Live)
BEN MARKLEY
js· 1 day ago
Solar (feat. Vicente Archer & Otis Brown III)
JERRY LÉONIDE
js· 1 day ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed