16th December 2015: Three Whirlwind releases on The Telegraph’s ‘Best Jazz Album’s of 2015’ list.
Three recent Whirlwind releases: NYJO FIFTY, String Theory and Spirit House appear on The Telegraph’s ‘Best Jazz Albums of 2015’ list. Read the full article here and find out more about the albums below:
NYJO FIFTY celebrates the 50th anniversary of a British institution, The National Youth Jazz Orchestra, who have recorded well over 40 albums to date with this their first release for Whirlwind. A double-disc album, the band’s contemporary material makes up Disc 1 with more traditional material on Disc 2. The album features special guest soloists in Mark Nightingale (trombone), Gareth Lockrane (flute), saxophonist Julian Siegel whilst guest pianist Zoe Rahman’s ‘Red Squirrel’ gets a reworking from its original piano-trio version into a full-scale big band arrangement by NYJO Artistic & Music Director Mark Armstrong.
String Theory is the third release from London-based Partikel (Duncan Eagles, Max Luthert and Eric Ford), a group that is heralded as a significant new band on the European scene. Their latest album sees them pushing their own sonic and compositional boundaries by teaming up with four respected string players of the UK scene, fusing their love of jazz, rock and world music with the textures of a string quartet to create music that showcases an array of unique soundscapes. The string quartet has been integrated seamlessly into Partikel’s trademark style of raw emotion and fiercely interactive improvisations, striking a balance between intensity and rich harmony.
A broad-thinking musician with a prolific and extensive back catalog of releases – from duo and chamber to big band formats, from West African to North Indian collaborations – renowned Washington DC-born guitarist and composer Joel Harrison now turns his attention to a quintet recording featuring the intriguing front line of trumpet (Cuong Vu) and bassoon (Paul Hanson). Completed by NYC bassist Kermit Driscoll (bass) and the influential eminence of drummer Brian Blade, Harrison has created a genuine improvisers’ record on Spirit House with a conceptual focus very much on the intuitive skills of these specific players.