Description
From funk to free form, 1968 was a year of change for jazz. On CD One, we give you Britain’s finest and on CD Two some of the very best music coming out of the States. Includes unissued BBC recordings by British artists such as New Jazz Orchestra, John Surman, Tubby Hayes and Howard Riley Trio.
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The Jazz Goes Mod series put out by the British Rhythm and Blues Records is a series of two-CD sets that explore the jazz music of a particular year, starting in 1957. As with the others, Soho Scene ’68 has a disc of music covering a variety of artists from Great Britain, and one by musicians from the United States. While a handful of the selections on the American CD are available elsewhere, most of the others on this compilation (which is drawn from concerts, radio appearances, and television shows) are rare and obscure. They range from hard bop and soul jazz to originals that were inspired or influenced by the r&b/pop music of the period (particularly rhythmically), along with some avant-garde explorations. The British CD has a performance apiece by pianist Michael Garrick’s sextet (the exotic Indian-flavored “Temple Dance”), altoist Joe Harriott (with trumpeter Kenny Wheeler on Horace Silver’s “Psychedelic Sally”), guitarist Terry Smith, baritonist John Surman, the great tenor Tubby Hayes (with guitarist Louis Stewart), Michael Gibbs’ New Jazz Orchestra, pianist Howard Riley’s rather adventurous trio with bassist Barry Guy, a quintet co-led by tenor-saxophonist Don Rendell and trumpeter Ian Carr, the Alan Cohen Big Band (playing a low-down blues), guitarist Ray Russell (“Dragon Hill” which is filled with tempo and mood changes worthy of Charles Mingus), the Spontaneous Music Ensemble (mostly playing jarring long tones for six minutes), and the duo of guitarist Shawn Weaver and organist Mick Phillips.
The American half of the ambitious collection has performances by Eddie Harris, guitarist Wally Richardson (“Senor Boogaloo”), Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Horace Silver, organist Lloyd Wallace, Hugh Masekela (a live version of “Grazing In The Grass”), the Orpheus Four, Charles Lloyd, vibraphonist Freddie McCoy (“Listen Here”), Harold Mabern’s quintet (featuring George Coleman), Wes Montgomery and his brothers (“California Nights”), Hank Mobley (“Airegin”), Lionel Hampton (a brief throwaway ensemble piece), the Prince James Quartette, and trumpeter Don Cherry leading a ten-piece band.
The typically superior liner notes by Simon Spillett summarize the jazz scene in Great Britain during 1968 quite well but unfortunately say nothing much about the performances on this twofer. However, the music does a good job of speaking for itself, giving listeners a fine overview of some of the exciting jazz sounds of 1968. Scott Yanow Los Angeles Jazz Scene
