1. Hoe Down
2. Chronometry
3. Gentle Piece
4. A Night in Tunisia
5. Cottontail
6. Now
Joe Locke - Vibes
Rachael Cohen - Alto sax, soprano sax
Adam Jackson - Alto sax
Ben Bryden, Joseph Wright, John Fleming -
Tenor saxes
Bill Fleming - Baritone sax
Ryan Quigley, Tom MacNiven, Kim Macari, Liam
Heath - Trumpets
Michael Campbell, Kieran McLeod, Patrick Kenny,
Richard Foote - Trombones
Michael Owers - Bass trombone
Euan Fulton, Alan Benzie - Piano
Daniel Short - Guitar
Michael Janisch - Bass
Ross Whyte - Drums
So-called
"rehearsal bands" (which give concerts as
well as rehearsing) provide useful training
grounds for musicians learning the ropes,
as I know from having played in several; of
them. My experience has made me aware of the
benefits and pitfalls of such groups. The
main benefit is that the tyro musician can
learn his craft in the company of other inexperienced
players who are mostly all learners - and
therefore sympathetic to the struggles of
their fellows. One of the main drawbacks is
that playing in a big band teaches you big-band
music, which may well differ from what you
find if you go on to play in a small group.
Another drawback is that many of these rehearsal
bands use the same old tired arrangements
which lack any spark of excitement.
At
least this last accusation cannot be levelled
at Tommy Smith's Youth Jazz Orchestra. The
sleeve-note gives no indication of who wrote
the arrangements but I assume that Tommy did
them himself - and they are enterprising as
well as varied. The band tackles them skilfully,
with polished ensemble work that probably
benefited from the tour which preceded this
recording. If the ensemble is this band's
strength, its main weakness is in the solos
- another common feature of many such bands.
However well trained they are, most young
musicians cannot be expected to have mastered
the intricacies of improvisation, and many
of the solos on this CD are lacklustre. In
the very first track, baritone saxist Bill
Fleming and trombonist Michael Campbell sound
slightly uncomfortable with the fast tempo
and their solos lack fluency. Pianist Alan
Benzie gets out of synch with the rhythm in
his solo. The best solo on this track comes
from Joe Locke, but then he is one of the
professional guests. In fact he is featured
on all six tunes: soloing at the end of each
of the first five and at the start of the
sixth.
Chronometry
sets the band some difficult ensemble passages,
which they negotiate brilliantly. Kenny Wheeler's
well-titled Gentle Piece allows the
soloists more elbow room, with pianist Euan
Fulton and tenorist Joe Wright outstanding.
A Night in Tunisia is a hard tune to
get right but the band triumphs, although
the solos are again of variable quality. Tackling
a tune like Cottontail challenges comparison
with the Ellington original, and tenorist
Ben Bryden cannot be expected to compete with
Ben Webster. Too often on this recording,
the soloists sound as if they are trying to
get through their solos instead of fashioning
something creative. But Ben Whyte's drumming
here and throughout the album pushes the band
along splendidly.
Tommy
Smith formed this band in 2002 and he deserves
praise for keeping it together as a breeding
ground for the next generation of Scottish
musicians. This debut CD testifies to their
high standard as a cohesive group but also
suggests areas where their potential has yet
to be fully realised. I'm judging the album
by the highest standard - but that's the only
acceptable standard for young musicians aiming
to be among the best.
Tony
Augarde
CD Reviews
Spartacus
STS 012
