FINAL MAG

SPRING 2017 THE TROMBONIST
REVIEWS
REVIEWS
NOT SO STANDARDS
JIGGS WHIGHAM –
INTERNATIONAL TRIO
– LIVE AT NIGHTTOWN
AZICA RECORDS 2015
REVIEWED BY ROSS ANDERSON
Jiggs Whigham’s album, Not So
Standards is indeed not the same old
standards you would have heard a
hundred times before. Each of the six
tracks has a modern spin, which sets
it apart from any other version I have
heard previously.
Recorded live at the Nighttown Club
in Cleveland, it boasts six one-takewonders
from the trio of creative minds
that is the Jiggs Whigham International
trio.
Opening with the dulcet tones of Jiggs
himself, the first track Days of Wine
and Roses is a master class in melodic
soloing. Flying around the trombone
with ease, he shows why he is classed as
one of the world’s top jazz musicians.
Following this is an extended piano
introduction into track two, Autumn
Leaves. Florian Weber’s ethereal
introduction give this otherwise
overplayed tune a new lease of life,
setting the base for the whole track.
Jiggs shows off his own compositional
prowess in track 3, entitled Steve, a
gentle ballad-like chart dedicated to the
late great British pianist and composer,
Steve Gray.
In contrast to the previous tune, track
4 starts with the rhythmical presence
of Decebal Badila on bass, playing the
repetitive pedal under the well-known
song, Some Day my Prince Will Come.
After the introduction, the piece
launched into its well-known jazz waltz
feel, with Decebal providing a solid
rhythmic and harmonic foundation
for Florian and Jiggs to blow over.
Decebal’s solo near the end of the
track is as virtuosic as any front line
player and shows how important it is
to feature players who would otherwise
remain hidden in the depths of a rhythm
section. Perhaps the most ‘standard’
sounding track on the album is track 5,
Milt Jackson’s Bags Groove. A favourite
for jazz educators owing to its simplistic
12-bar blues changes and easy to
remember head, the trio have managed
to turn this well-known tune into an
interestingly groovy foot tapper.
Track 6 is Sonny Rollins’ Saint Thomas
as you have never heard it before.
With an interesting take on the tune,
they create an exciting and different
version of this classic melody.
If you have a spare hour or so, this
album is definitely worth a spin.
I would recommend putting the kettle
on, making a nice cup of tea and sitting
down to fully appreciate this wonderful
trio, as it demands your full attention
to catch all the fantastic nuances and
intricacies it has to offer.
PETER MOORE
(TROMBONE) AND
JAMES BAILLIEU
(PIANO)
WIGMORE HALL
RECITAL: MONDAY
30TH JANUARY –
1:00PM
REVIEWED BY JOSH CIRTINA
The BBC Radio 3 Monday lunchtime
recital series has gained great popularity
in recent times thanks to the featuring of
internationally renowned artists every
week – and Peter Moore with pianist
James Baillieu were no different!
To begin the recital was a thrilling world
première of a new commission by James
Maynard, a colleague of Peter’s as 2nd
Trombone in the London Symphony
Orchestra. Urban Variations opens
with a 6-note theme that the composer
sketched in his Beijing City Guidebook
after hearing a ‘hawker’ on the street.
The following movements are variations
upon this theme and are based on a
park in St John’s Wood in London and
the hustle and bustle of New York
City. Maynard writes so descriptively,
captivating the audience immediately
from the initial declamatory yet solemn
theme, all the way to the frenetic and
chaotic last movement. Moore really
showed off his mastery of the trombone
throughout this work, in my opinion
totally capturing the composer’s
intentions.
In a sudden juxtaposition, Peter and
James followed this with Schumann’s
Fantasiestücke, Op. 73. The two
musicians here so masterfully
interpreted this romantic work,
originally written for clarinet and piano
in 1849. They both performed with the
highest levels of control and sympathy
towards the music.
To follow was Axel Jørgensen’s
Romance Op. 21 for trombone and
piano and Henri Duparc’s La vie
anterieure from 1884. These works
both feature wonderfully smooth and
swooping melodies, which really suit
the soloist and his accompanist. Peter’s
rich sound has a singing quality that
few rarely achieve and this is heard in
particular in his slow, melodic playing.
Moore truly spoils the audience with his
ability to play with such sensitivity and
maturity that belies his age.
For me, the highlight of the recital
was Rachmaninov’s Cello Sonata in G
minor Op. 19 (3rd movt.). Originally
written for the cello, it is understandably
something of challenge to play this
on the trombone, yet Moore displayed
effortless virtuosity throughout the
entire range during this performance,
with unparalleled musicality.
We were next treated to further evidence
of the impressive talents of pianist
James Baillieu, alongside Peter, in
Hindemith’s Sonata for trombone and
piano, a piece renowned for its fiendish
piano part. Both musicians performed
with exceptional ability and really
succeeded in bringing this work to life
in very exciting ways.
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