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Courtney Pine might be dubbed the
cause of black jazz musicians, which ultimately
“Wynton Marsalis of British jazz,” given Courtney Pine congealed the epochal Jazz Warriors big band.
his standing as spokesman and abettor of
He recently revitalized this group—with new
his home country’s music. Queen Elizabeth, no Keeps His Finger members—with the release of Afropeans (Destinless,
acknowledged the saxophonist with an Order
E). Pine’s 1986 debut CD, Journey To The Urge
on the Pulse of the
of the British Empire medal in 2000.
Within (Island Masters), sold large quantities for a
When he presented “A Night of British Jazz”
Progressive
jazz album, and his balanced confidence and
at the IAJE conference in Toronto in January—a
articulate manner made him the poster-child for a
concert featuring Empirical, Martin Taylor’s Emerging British new guard.
Freternity, Tommy Smith Youth Jazz Orchestra
One of the few English jazz musicians with
and Dennis Rollins’ Badbone & Co.—Pine Jazz Scene
any appreciable collateral in the U.S., Pine’s
offered the conference attendees a progressive and
sophomore album, The Vision’s Tale (Island
world-class sampling of British musicians. At his
Masters), was recorded in the company of Ellis
hotel the day after the show and during an afternoon
showcase of British jazz at Toronto’s Rex Michael Jackson States a half-dozen times earlier in his career, fre-
Story and Photos by
Marsalis and Jeff “Tain” Watts. He toured the
Hotel Jazz and Blues Bar, Pine eagerly bragged
quently employing top U.S. musicians. Though
about his protégés on the bill, the young quintet Empirical, which he he has heeded the call of Jones, George Russell and Cassandra Wilson,
signed to his own Destin-E Records for their 2007 eponymous debut. An Pine elected to mine what he has subsequently termed his “Afropean” via
outstanding group that triumphed at the North Sea Jazz Festival’s Caribbean ancestry, recording for Island and remaining in London rather
European Jazz Competition in 2007, Empirical includes trumpeter Jay than accepting the offer to join Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers.
Phelps, alto saxophonist Nathaniel Facey, pianist Kit Downes, bassist Subsequently, Pine’s music, influenced at root by his formative tenure in
Tom Farmer and drummer Shaney Forbes. Strong on composition, reggae and funk bands, has maintained an eclectic bent and a high energy
Empirical shares the thrust of progressive small-group U.S. jazz, with presentation, keeping abreast of popular styles and technological
some bourgeoning ideas of their own.
advances.
Drummer Forbes’ playing reminds Pine of Elvin Jones. “I don’t think
he ever saw Elvin, and since I played with Elvin I know the difference,” Pine’s tall frame has filled out, and his long, thick mane of dreads
Pine said. “But he’s got some stuff. Though he is a bit young to have that makes him an imposing figure. But he laughs readily, mixing
kind of impact and is from the U.K., watch out for this guy.”
Northwest London vernacular—everyone deserving is a
Pine also hails saxophonist Facey “He is a great composer,” he said. “geezer”—with hints of his second-generation Jamaican background,
“Give him a big band and it’s going to be incredible.”
most evident as he appears disarmingly unsnobbish.
Pine’s conference showcase also featured trombonist Rollins, a charter Discussion of powerful drummers like Jones was prompted by the
member of Pine’s Jazz Warriors and one of Maceo Parker’s favorite sidemen.
His youthful sextet is dominated by Rollins’ taste for funk, rap, likes it loud.
comment that Pine, as evinced by his 2005 album, Resistance (V2),
gospel and disco, melded together by his prolific talent for sound processing.
“[He’s] the finest exponent of modern day trombone Europe has to loud,” he said. “But I remember seeing the McCoy Tyner trio in 1983 and
“There is a perception that when you play with a certain intensity, it’s
offer,” Pine said.
the music was so loud, but not in volume, just in the use of the
Given his history, Pine has an authoritative ear about the talent level of Africanism, the spectrum of notes. I heard Tony Williams play for 45
European jazz. He shot to fame as an instigator of the London scene back minutes solo in Brazil. I stood on stage and it wasn’t just the volume, it
in the ’80s. Before he was 20 he had formed Abibi Jazz Arts to further the was the information that he was dealing with.”
38 DOWNBEAT September 2008