Tom Green Septet - Tipping Point

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:53
Size: 133,1 MB
Art: Front

( 6:52)  1. Tipping Point
( 7:21)  2. Champagne Sky
( 7:14)  3. Kaleidoscope
( 7:45)  4. Between Now And Never
(11:29)  5. Seatoller
( 3:41)  6. My Old Man
( 8:18)  7. Jack O' Lantern
( 5:11)  8. Chorale

The second album from British trombonist, composer and arranger Tom Green's Septet follows the little-big-band's locally acclaimed Skyline (Spark), released back in 2015. Rather remarkably, the only change to the lineup since then is the replacement of alto and soprano saxophonist Matthew Herd by Tommy Andrews. Green's specialism appears to be big bands. His other core project is the Patchwork Jazz Orchestra, a co-operative 17-piece in which some of the Septet's members play. Patchwork's debut, The Adventures Of Mr Pottercakes, was released in 2019 on Spark, a label Green set up with drummer JJ Wheeler in 2014 after graduating from London's Royal Academy of Music's jazz course.

A skilled arranger, Green scores intricate, richly-textured orchestrations which make the Septet sound like a much larger outfit. He also writes strong tunes and all the pieces on Tipping Point are originals, Joni Mitchell's "My Old Man" excepted. On top of this, Green is well served by six technically adroit musicians, of whom Andrews, trumpeter James Davison and pianist Sam James make particular impressions as soloists. So far, so good. What some listeners might like to hear more of in Tipping Point is passion. There is a palpable sense of commitment, a necessary prerequisite for successfully negotiating Green's complex and nuanced arrangements. But, by the end of the album, it is hard to escape the feeling that you have been listening to an academic exercise, one overly concerned with musicianly and writerly technique. There is energy on display here, yes, but energy is not necessarily vibrancy. It is a shame, because everything else about the album is first rate. ~ Chris May https://www.allaboutjazz.com/tipping-point-tom-green-septet-spark

Personnel: Tom Green: trombone; Tommy Andrews: saxophone, alto; Sam Miles: saxophone, tenor; James Davison: trumpet; Sam James: piano; Misha Mullov-Abbado: bass, acoustic; Scott Chapman: drums.

Tipping Point

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Tom Green Septet - Skyline

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:06
Size: 149.0 MB
Styles: Trombone jazz
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[ 6:14] 1. Sticks And Stones
[12:56] 2. Equilibrium
[ 8:40] 3. Arctic Sun
[ 7:45] 4. Peace Of Mind
[ 5:34] 5. Mirage
[ 6:10] 6. Skylark
[11:36] 7. Winter Halo
[ 6:08] 8. Diy

Tom Green: trombone; Matthew Herd: soprano saxophone, alto saxophone; Sam Miles: tenor saxophone; James Davison: trumpet, flugelhorn; Sam James: piano; Misha Mullov-Abbado: double bass; Scott Chapman: drums.

Skyline is the debut release from the Tom Green Septet, a young band from the UK led by trombonist and composer Tom Green. A graduate of the Royal Academy Of Music and winner of the 2013 Dankworth Prize for jazz composition, Green wrote all of the tunes on Skyline with the exception of Hoagy Carmichael's "Skylark."

The eight tunes range from the upbeat "DIY," influenced by New Orleans second lines, to the quickfire, skittish "Sticks And Stones" and the cool, sophisticated "Mirage"—evidence of Green's wide range of influences and his talent for putting them together in a myriad of combinations. Green offers plenty of space for solos and his bandmates take up his offer with alacrity. He puts his own stamp on the solos, too. "Mirage" probably shows his playing to best advantage, the relatively spacious accompaniment enabling him to play with subtlety and to reveal a rich tone that conveys emotion as well as demonstrating his technical command. "Winter Halo" also features a fine trombone solo. It's a tune that readily evokes the beauty of a crisp winter's day, with Matthew Herd's soprano darting and fluttering like a happy robin and the pairing of Misha Mullov-Abbado's bass and Sam James's piano capturing the sparkle of the sun on the morning frost. "Equilibrium" hands the spotlight to the saxophonists, Herd and tenorist Sam Miles, both of whom deliver energetic and inventive solos. The tune shifts from its slinky, swaying, first half to a slower and more dramatic closing section—a free-blowing, aggressive, mid-section disrupts the melodic flow but is over pretty quickly. "Arctic Sun" builds more consistently, from its calm beginning towards a swinging conclusion. The ensemble playing is particularly fine, a mellow horn section sound flowing over the assertive rhythm section.

Although the Tom Green Septet owes much to its leader—compositions, arrangements, organisation and some strong solos—it comes over as much more than a bunch of hired hands. This group of seven players has the genuine feel of an ensemble: each musician matters as an individual, a personality whose particular approach to his instrument is integral to Green's compositions and to the success of Skyline. ~Bruce Lindsay

Skyline mc
Skyline zippy

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