Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Roger Garfitt, Nikki Iles, John Williams Octet: In All M...
Roger Garfitt, Nikki Iles, John Williams Octet: In All My Holy Mountain
BySo all these years later, this poetry and jazz session comes as a welcome surprise. In 1999 John Williams commissioned Nikki Iles to write for an octet of players and this was duly performed the same year at the Soho Jazz Festival. In 2015, a recording was made of this music and is dedicated to the late British bass virtuoso Jeff Clyne for whom the bass part was written. As to the poetry, In All My Holy Mountain tells the story of romantic novelist Mary Webb whose stories, written early in the last century, were set primarily in the English Shropshire countryside. Poet Roger Garfitt's words reflect this aspect in his often bucolic imagery; check out "Listening For The Sedge Warbler" replete with recorder solo. Two tracks on the album have alternative versions elsewhere, "Westerly" was also used on Iles's album made with Norma Winstone and The Printmakers on their 2015 debut album, it also appeared on Iles's 2009 album (with saxophonist Martin Speake) Secret. "The Wedding Breakfast" also appeared on The Printmakers's album under the title of "High Lands."
Saxophonist John Williams, who leads an octet of fine musicians, and who shouldn't be confused with the American composer of the same name, has been a stalwart of the British jazz scene for many years. Williams has previous form pairing poetry and jazz, as witnessed by 1996's Spotlite album of especially commissioned jazz songs based on A. E. Housman's poetry, Five Housman Settings And Other Jazz Works. He also collaborated with Garfitt on an earlier project Presences of Jazzlaunched in 1999 and which was performed live with Williams's septet and Nikki Iles.
Tracks such as "The Haunting" are imbued with all the joie de vivre that is typical of Iles's compositions, and is centred on a breezy serpentine riff played by the ensemble. There's even a boisterous guitar solo from Dave Warren thrown in for good measure. The compositions throughout are characterised by warmth and vitality and are embellished by the piquancy of Garfitt's spoken words, adding a literary perspective rarely found in jazz these days.
Track Listing
Westerly; Listening For The Sedge Warbler; Fatherless; The Wedding Breakfast; The Haunting; The Part Song.
Personnel
Roger Garfitt: poet; John Williams: baritone sax, bass clarinet, recorder; Dick Pearce: trumpet, flugelhorn; Pete Hurt: alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, bass clarinet; Bob Sydor : tenor saxophone (1, 2), flute; Karen Sharp: tenor sax (1 solo, 3-6), clarinet; Nikki Iles: piano, accordion; Dave Warren: guitar, violin; Tom Mark: bass; Trevor Tomkins: drums, percussion.
Album information
Title: In All My Holy Mountain | Year Released: 2017 | Record Label: Restringing The Lyre