GLASGOW INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL PREVIEW
LATIN JAZZ JAZZ COMPOSITION Kenny Mathleson finds tsaxophonlst Tommy iSmlth in his usual hyper- 5 active mode, in a dazzling festival commission with ' renowned Glasgow poet oran Smith: running wild l EdWIn MOFgant and advance at all. but he knew excellent sextet (in which bass player l leading an important new instinctively what I would need. and Chris Lawrence stands in for Alec - . - -, I that is exactly what he came up with. Dankworth). but also involved in the ._i 'l arrlval 0“ the SCOttlSh .ldlz He would fax me the poems as he Glasgow premiere ofthe new Scottish " scene. finished them. and I would write the National Jazz Orchestra. which he co- . music — we did the whole thing in leads with Bobby Wishart. ’ l The festival’s composer-in-residence about three months. I found the poems A national jazs orchestra has long project has not produced all that much really eye-Opening» alld "’3 Chimng [he been disciussed "1 lull CIFCIFS» Pm “‘8 Fourth “MIA: 3080, Flora and AII’IO l of real substance but Tommy Smith‘s way I see things in the countryside opportunity [0 turn that notion into a ; Beasts ()fSi'n/laiid is definitely an now.‘ reality has come abmit partly throngh The last time Flora Purim and Airto ' exception. Unlike previous years. the For his pait. Morgan continued that Smith and Wishatt's Involvemenltln the Moreira appeared in Scotland. they new work was relensetl in advance by there was little discussion involved or National Jazz Institute at Jordanhlll. were members of the Dizzy Gillespie Linn Records at the end of May. and needed. but added that ‘the knowledge WhiCh has acted 35 3 SPnngboard for United Nation Orchestra, a project proved to be his most satisfying alhnin that Tommy would be writing music for W launCh 0f the band. i which accorded well with their own to dnte‘ out the eoneen Will and n the poems was very much in my mind. It is made up Of prOICSSlonal notions of bringing people and music Cotiple ofcxtm dimensions to the They were written as I would usually musicians some from the usual big together in harmony. The band they ptoieeti write my poems. and I think they are hand background-9. and others who are appear with this year is a very different Tommy‘s ten compositions are identifiany in my style. but I tried to better known as soloists or small groilp one, but those principles still apply. settings of t,oems written speeit-ienlly give each of them a different mood that players. Smith has presented them wrth Flora and Airto formed the Latin.jazz- tor the wtnnnssion by Edwin Morgan. might be attractive to a composer. some attractive but demanding charts fusion outfit Fourth World in I99], and the music will be performed with ‘I enjoy projecting my imagination by. contemporary arrangers like Bob along with the Brazilian guitar hero Morgan lending his works for the first into the minds of other creatures. and Mintzer. Rob McConnell and Chick Jose Neto. The personnel has shifted a time. The best entries from on that is what I have tried to do in some Corea. and may include something of little over the years, but the central trio assoeinted an Comnetition will also be of these poems. As I went along on his own in the Glasgow conceit. has remained constant, with Neto’s on View. them, I gradually realised that a theme They will share the Auld Alliance guitar arguably the most dominant Smith explained: two began thinking — of survival. I suppose — was Jazz bill with the Orchestre National de instrumental voice in their music, about a project on too years of emerging, and that became stronger as 1 Jazz. currently under the direction of The current line-up also includes Glasgow, but no one else liked it, so we wrote them. I think I Will probably band-leader Laurant Cugny. As in the fellow Brazilian keyboard player and convened with the festival and the publish them as a group at some point. ONJ’s previous festival back in I989. flautist Jovino Santos Neto, and record company in Cafe condom, nnd in the chronological order in which I 'Tommy Smith will join them as a ' American bass player Gary Brown, talked through a whole lot of ideas wrote them, which is different from the featured soloist, wrth trumpeter FIavro whose interaction with Jose Neto is one Eventually somebody said the wot-d way Tommy has arranged them, Boltro returning the COmPllmiem- of the compelling features of their bestinry, there was a pause‘ and we all because that has its own interest.‘ Auld Alliance Jazz. McEwan s Old music. said yeah. Smith will play the ten settings - F ruitmarkei, Wed 3. 7.30pm; Beasts of Although Fourth World aim very Edwin went off and started wn'ting. ranging from the humble midge Scotland. McEwan it Old F ruitmarket. consciously to move beyond stylistic we didn't really discuss much in through to the eagle and wolf — with his Thurs 4. 7.30pm.
barriers and idioms. the Brazilian roots of the band are never very far away in
the music. Both Flora and Airto have The last fling saxophonist Bob Berg 1"“ 303” a“ l 3‘3"“ and“! 350“
worked with a wide range of other visited tho testing], he path“ stain the mam am..ng om" 9009th “my
u oi the band allowed us to hear one M a "m' to“ "Will- 'Wfll‘ P009" slits oi his work, while oarlicr Scottish ""0 ""9 m! “8'0" 8"" "m it. a“
fusion - Airto with Miles Davis and
musicians from jazz and rock. however. ' ' ' "thought in an oddly-situated In“ l" “"53 0“ "73- w‘ m“ to and before forming their own attomoon conceit with the Chick do something Which '0'” “W partnership, were in at the birth of jazz- "can; quartet, mg acoustic tan sat. POOP”: In" my.” *9 l“8t W
Weather Report, and Flora with Return
To Forever. column, "mt Mike sum who people who llkod the more straight- The most radical development has features separately In till: year’s ahead 3”" mm“ no" 0' M" come in Flora Purim‘s approach to motion", with at." 904“ «mm 33"! luck“ "P 0" lan m" “WWW singing, which has not only expanded annuals“ in. (“in 3“. of his IMO "'0 3cm” band in "0' '0'“: 3‘ in terms of the musical content, but in - paying, $093 M8 "belnfllflfl l" "'0 m 0' "'0
her whole conception of how she wishes to use her voice. a process which she has attempted to explain by analogy with another art form.
‘As a jazz singer l was kind of mellow, but now I use my voice more than ever for sounds. It’s as if I was pointing a picture — the texture of the paint is my new exploration, its colours, its sounds, its rhythms and melodies. I love Brazilian music, and I' draw a lot from it. but now I draw from the music of the world. My music is very conceptual now - it’s not a
in; most recent mainline, m city’s cclcctic musical mix as a very
continued to work back and iorward Wm" “Will” “I "30"-
hctttosn the two, with tho bop-domed " “0' PM“! comith marl-ii , neonate at 5,“, 11,, 3,1," holne bctwccn diiiorcnt aroas of music. I I
such an extremist, In the sense titati mo‘lz'fiizt'stg: annualmt m anti, got so much into whatever I'll doing
~ " titled) mules, with toiiott sit-Miles "9'" "0' "'3' fl “"818 '0'“ l” “'3' aim...” it... “an. e, tmtltteon pet is what I want to do for over. But than
this welt he no, men“ to the in a little while I'll start to tool tho acoustic ionnat, in a band tosiioo by mi to "1 Min! obo- PM W. iticlthioncthoassintomsotwftiooto ‘l goosstllonloslc ismy dotioitoly M ton-m tradition going to be room In tho Enter The “We in unreach- (Item singer's music any more, it's a 3,1," "in. I in" that all,” m 3 mm.) musician's music.’ I Al (I pretty W 0' M ( 0e mm er) 90“ 0' McEwus all From, Mon 1,
McEwan 's ow Fruitmarket. Sat 6. . ‘ aspect oi , and whoa It 10.30pm. - Bob lur- W '0' Wk". can’tii't’i’i'il'i'm coo, ' 1-301-
20 The List 28 Jun-Ii Jul loos.