…an album that surely will find its place in many ‘Albums of the Year’ listings before the year is out.
Ubuntu Music UBU0180CD
Josephine Davies – conductor, composer, arranger, tenor saxophone; Mike Chillingworth – alto saxophone; Rachel Cohen – alto saxophone; Helena Kay – tenor saxophone; Adam Bishop – tenor saxophone/flute/clarinet; Tamar Osborn – baritone saxophone/bass clarinet;Noel Langley – trumpet/flugelhorn; Rueben Fowler – trumpet/flugelhorn; Nick Smart – trumpet/flugelhorn; Robbie Robson – trumpet/flugelhorn; Anna Drysdale – horn; Olli Martin – trombone; Maddie Dowdeswell – trombone; Eddie Curtis – bass trombone; Alcyona Mick – piano; Dave Whitford – double bass; Shane Forbes – drums
Recorded 21st May 2023
This is an astonishing album, and an ambitious piece of writing that seems to encapsulate everything that composing for a large ensemble should be; with a little originality thrown in for good measure.
For anyone who has been following the career of saxophonist and composer Joesphine Davies, the above will come as no surprise. No stranger to writing for big band, Davies was the saxophonist and resident composer for the London Jazz Orchestra for a five year period that began in 2011. Since then she has written music for both large and small ensemble taking her influence from the great Maria Schneider in addition to developing her own unique sound and style on tenor and soprano saxophone.
Over the years the saxophonist has forged many strong musical associations, and many of her recent collaborators are featured within The Ensō Ensemble. In having the opportunity to write for musicians she knows well has added considerable depth and personality to the music, and their individual voices make up a big band that roar or whisper at the drop of a hat.
The balance between ensemble parts and space for individual soloists has been carefully considered, and the solos appear organically out of the written parts. The suite finds Davies initially being inspired to revisit an earlier work, but as is often the case the music was rewritten in parts, re-arranged and new sections composed to bring forth this eight part suite that features a year long journey through Celtic seasonal festivals, while the Ensō circle is a traditional Zen Buddhist symbol that is drawn in one continuous brushstroke, and so the music itself appears to follow a similar continuous circle or cycle.
The music is deeply passionate and full of incident from the opening ‘Eos (summer solstice) that pay homage to the Goddess of the Dawn and ‘Gaia’s Breath (winter solstice) that brings a darker hue to the score. These two long pieces, along with ‘Ostara’ are the standout compositions as Davies’s music is beautifully poised and crafted in such a way that allowing them time to breathe and evolve brings forth music of great beauty and detail.
Selflessly Davies takes only one solo herself, and that itself is more splendid dialogue with trombonist Olli Martin on ‘Mabon’ over a fairly static bassline and solid drum pattern punctuated to wonderful effect by the horns. Elswhere solos of not can be heard from pianist Alcyona Mick and altoist Rachel Cohen on ‘Eos’; tenor saxophonist Helena Kay on ‘Ostara’, trumpeter Nick Smart on ‘Lammas’ and on ‘Gaia’s Breath’ there are superb solos from the trumpet of Robbie Robson and drummer Shane Forbes.
However, at the end of the day the success of such a project falls on the shoulders of the composer and Josephine Davies with The Celtic Wheel of the Year Suite has shown that she is more than up to the task, in an album that surely will find its place in many ‘Albums of the Year’ listings before the year is out.
