Release Date: 04 November 2022
Label: Westbrook Records
Packaging Type: Digipak
No of Units: 1
Barcode: 5052442022893
Genres: Jazz Contemporary
Description
The first-ever release of this stunning 1990 recording of esteemed British jazz composer/pianist Mike Westbrook's two-and-a-half-hour composition for voice, jazz orchestra and chamber orchestra, "London Bridge is Broken Down".
A collaboration between composer Mike Westbrook and vocalist/librettist Kate Westbrook, the work was inspired by travelling and performing in the mid 1980's through a Europe at that time divided by the Berlin Wall. It includes settings of poetry in French, German and English. Its five movements are entitled London Bridge, Wenceslas Square, Berlin Wall, Vienna and Picardie.
First performed in Amiens in 1987 with Le Sinfonietta de Picardie, 'London Bridge' was recorded at the Pathé Marconi Studios in Paris and released on Virgin Venture. The UK premiere of London Bridge took place on November 9th 1990 at St Anne's Church, Limehouse in the Jazz Lunarcy Festival and involved the Docklands Sinfonietta (35-piece string and woodwind ensemble) directed by Rupert Bond.
The following day the ensemble flew to Switzerland to appear in the Zürich International Jazz Festival. The new album 'London Bridge Live in Zürich 1990' is taken from the 'live' recording of that concert made for SRF radio. This was to be the last time that London Bridge was performed in its entirety.
In 1989 the Berlin Wall had been taken down. Europe's conflicted history is not easily swept away. Richard Williams wrote of 'London Bridge "we are left in little doubt that here is a lament for the endless folly to which man is heir, pierced by the knowledge of his curious resilience and half-buried instinct for good."
'A dense, haunting contemplation of irony, ambiguity, courage and love' - Chris Parker, The Wire
Kate Westbrook: voice
Mike Westbrook: piano
Graham Russell: trumpet, flugelhorn
Paul Nieman: trombone, electronics
Pete Whyman: clarinet, alto and soprano saxophones
Alan Wakeman: tenor and soprano saxophones
Chris Biscoe: baritone, alto and soprano saxophones, alto clarinet
Andy Grappy: tuba
Brian Godding: guitar
Tim Harries bass: guitar
Peter Fairclough: drums
Docklands Sinfonietta conducted by Rupert Bond
Press:
"The music is monumental, in the best sense, its vibe spanning gentle intimacy on to the cruelty of autocracy and (in "Picardie") the horror of war. It never descends into cheap sentimentality. The standard of musicianship, like that of the material, is of the highest calibre." - **** All About Jazz
"Even if you already have the original release, I recommend hearing this one, too, for the exceptional spirit with which the work is played and sung." - The Blue Moment
"These marvellous musical evocations of human follies and foibles date from a time when Europe lookedforward to reaping the benefits of enduring peace, and of new-found liberation in the Eastern bloc. Theygain poignancy in a darker climate three decades on. In both eras, London Bridge stands out as one of themost accomplished works from one who has been a remarkable creative force for more than half acentury." - London Jazz News
"Mike Westbrook's music is hardly unique in not receiving the acclaim it deserves, and this double CD is a case in point...the soloists bring innate, almost Ellingtonian understanding to the table in a manner that reminds us of the potency of longstanding musical associations. " - Jazz Journal
"The music is bold and adventuress yet does not seek to dilute the reality of war behind soft melodies but evokes the harshness of the scenario it depicts with some hard hitting and stark writing for both his orchestra and the Dockland's Sinfonietta. A most welcome release that is perhaps not for the faint hearted, but nevertheless the descriptive power of the music makes for compelling listening." - Jazz Views
"There are touches of rock, cabaret (Kate Westbrook's singing is as theatrical as ever), classical, serialism, swing, bebop, free-form, electronics and densely textured orchestral writing of an almost Ellingtonian elegance and sophistication, all woven together to produce one of Westbrook's most ambitious works." - Notes and Observations by Geoff Andrew
Tracklisting
Mike Westbrook
Mike Westbrook
Mike Westbrook
Mike Westbrook
Mike Westbrook
Mike Westbrook
Mike Westbrook
Mike Westbrook
Mike Westbrook
Mike Westbrook Orchestra
Westbrook Trio
Kate Westbrook & Mike Westbrook
Kate Westbrook
Mike Westbrook & Company
Westbrook Trio
