The Brass Project

The Brass Project
Studio album by John Surman / John Warren
Publication (s)	1993
Label (s)	ECM records
Format (s)	LP, CD
Genre (s)	jazz
Title (number)	9
occupation	Conductor: John Warren Soprano saxophone , baritone saxophone , alto clarinet , bass clarinet , piano : John Surman Trumpet : Henry Lowther , Stephen Waterman , Stuart Brooks Trumpet : Malcolm Griffiths , Chris Pyne Bass trombone : David Stewart , Richard Edwards Double bass : Chris Laurence Drums : John Marshall
production	John Surman / Steve Lake
Studio (s)	Angel Studios, London
chronology Adventure Playground (1992) The Brass Project Stranger than Fiction (1994)

The Brass Project is a jazz album by John Surman and John Warren , recorded in London in April 1992 and released by ECM Records in 1993 .

The album

The Brass Project was created in 1981 and made its first public appearance in the London Roundhouse . John Surman had long thought of having his rhythm section and a choir of brass players accompany him. Surman invited the Canadian composer and arranger John Warren to take part in the realization of the Brass Project ; Surman and Warren had already worked together in the early 1970s for the album Tales of Algonquin (Deram 1971). The first plans included trumpets or flugelhorns and (bass) trombones as well as tuba and french horn , but were rejected by John Warren and Surman, who jointly led the project. After a short tour of Great Britain, the formation rarely met for performances and rehearsals, but performed internationally at festivals in Lisbon, Le Mans, Munich, Orvieto and the North Sea Jazz Festival . The formation played compositions by Surman and Warren.

Several members of the wind septet changed; so initially Kenny Wheeler , Guy Barker and Harry Beckett also participated in the Brass Project . Most musicians, however, remained constant; the central figures for the continued existence of the band were the drummer John Marshall and the bassist Chris Laurence .

Rating of the album

Richard Cook and Brian Morton comment in their Penguin Guide to Jazz that the Brass Project album is an excellent record, even if it unfortunately stands in the shadow of the Surman / Warren predecessor Tales of Algonquin . Surman's themes are played with the right mix of liveliness and reserve, the arrangements are often very subtle. The album also contains impressive solos from trumpeters Stephen Waterman and Henry Lowther ("Silent Lake"). In the Jazz Rough Guide, Ian Carr highlights the album from the extensive Surman discography as a diverse and emotionally touching album; He praises the superb rhythm section Marshall / Laurence and writes: "Everything sounds pretty complicated - a crossword puzzle of emotions." The album is "extremely recommendable" for Scott Yanow too.

Track list

1. The Returning Exile (Surman) - 7:41
2. Coastline (Surman) - 3:33
3. The New One Two, Part 1 (Warren) - 6:39
4. The New One Two, Part 2 (Warren) - 7:30
5. Spacial Motive (Warren) - 4:51
6. Against Vision (Surman) - 8:26
7. Silent Lake (Warren) - 5:56
8. Melstock Quire (Warren) / Tantrum Clangley (Surman) - 11:13
9. All For a Shadow (Warren / Surman) - 5:49

literature

• Ian Carr , Digby Fairweather , Brian Priestley : Rough Guide Jazz. The ultimate guide to jazz. 1800 bands and artists from the beginning until today. 2nd, expanded and updated edition. Metzler, Stuttgart / Weimar 2004, ISBN 3-476-01892-X .
• Richard Cook , Brian Morton : The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD . 6th edition. Penguin, London 2002, ISBN 0-14-051521-6 .
• John Surman: Liner Notes

Notes and individual references

1. ↑ Jan Erik Kongshaug was responsible for mixing the Gary Thomas recording
2. ↑ John Warren on Brass Project
3. ↑ Cook / Morton described this record as a masterpiece of English jazz and awarded it the highest grade (with crown).
4. ↑ Review at All Music Guide