The Gareth Lockrane Big Band

“Box of Tricks”

(Whirlwind Recordings WR4839)

Gareth Lockrane – flute / alto flute / bass flute / piccolo / compositions
Tom Walsh – trumpet / flugelhorn
James Davison – trumpet / flugelhorn
Steve Fishwick – trumpet / flugelhorn
Henry Collins – trumpet / flugelhorn
Mark Nightingale – trombone
Trevor Mires – trombone
Olli Martin – trombone
Barry Clements – bass trombone
Sam Mayne – alto saxophone / clarinet
Mike Chillingworth – alto saxophone / clarinet / soprano saxophone
Graeme Blevins – tenor saxophone / flute
Nadim Teimoori – tenor saxophone / flute
Tom Smith – baritone saxophone / bass clarinet
Ross Stanley – piano / Hammond organ / Fender Rhodes
Mike Outram - guitar
Ryan Trebilcock – acoustic bass / electric bass
Ian Thomas – drums
Hugh Wilkinson – percussion
Pat Levett – chromatic harmonica
Nick Smart – conductor

Musician, composer and educator Gareth Lockrane has long been regarded as Britain’s premier jazz flautist. Born in 1976 he took up the instrument at the age of ten inspired by the likes of Frank Wess, Roland Kirk and James Moody among numerous others. He later studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London.

In addition to leading his own bands Lockrane has been a prolific sideman, appearing on a veritable myriad of projects, too numerous to list in full here. Predominately these have been jazz orientated but have also included pop and rock sessions and performing on movie soundtracks. Although he has recorded fairly sporadically as a leader he has appeared regularly on disc as a sideman across a wide variety of jazz and other music genres.

In 2002 he formed the quintet Grooveyard fronted by himself and saxophonist Alex Garnett and driven by the Hammond organ of firstly Pete Whittaker and latterly Ross Stanley. The group have released the albums ““Put The Cat Out” (2003) and “The Strut” (2012). The latter is reviewed here;
https://www.thejazzmann.com/reviews/review/the-strut

Lockrane has also fronted his own septet, a unit capable of generating a surprisingly big sound, with which he released the album “No Messin’ “back in 2010. Review here;
https://www.thejazzmann.com/reviews/review/no-messin

A former member of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NYJO), an organisation with whom he still retains close links, Lockrane first formed his own big band in 2008 but despite gigging regularly on the London jazz circuit the GLBB didn’t record until 2017 and the release of its debut album “Fistfight at The Barn Dance”, which is reviewed here;

In 2012 I reviewed a performance by the Big Band at the Spice of Life as part of that year’s London Jazz Festival but the line-up had changed substantially by 2017. However some of the 2012 repertoire found its way onto the eventual album release. I also dipped into another GLBB performance at the 2019 LJF but could only stay for what proved to be a very good first set at  The Other Palace, the venue previously known as St. James’ Theatre.
Some of the material performed that day can be heard on “Box of Tricks”.

Turning now to this second release from the GLBB which features many of the same musicians that appeared on the debut, some of whom have been band members since the very beginning.

Lockrane says of the line-up;
“The players are a multi-generational mix of my own peer group, older musicians I’ve always admired and people that I’ve taught at the colleges over the last 15 years - incredible talents who are now taking their place on the scene. I’m really happy with how this record turned out.”

The material features a mix of new tunes and fresh takes on older pieces and was recorded over the course of a single day at Livingston Studios in London with Lockrane commenting;
“I love writing for an ambitious project like this that’s big enough to combine all my favourite influences, and I never get over the thrill of a big band roaring away with the unique voices of the soloists shaping the music - it never gets old.”

He also adds;
“For me it’s about capturing not only the band in full flight but also those spontaneous improvised moments between musicians, wonderful gems of musical alchemy set against the epic backdrop of the jazz orchestra. Often these moments of magic happen on the very first take. I’m very proud of what we’ve created and this project stands as a testament to the world class playing and camaraderie of the musicians’ community in London.”

Lockrane’s flute introduces the gospel inspired “All The People” which combines rich horn voicings with an impressive rhythmic drive powered by Ian Thomas’s drums. Lockrane remains in the spotlight as he takes the first solo, establishing his credentials as a flute virtuoso. He’s followed by the earthier sounds of Mark Nightingale’s trombone and Ross Stanley’s rootsy, bluesy Hammond organ. An exciting and invigorating start.

Title track “Box of Tricks” is more open and expansive with a sophisticated arrangement in which Tom Smith’s bass clarinet is a distinctive component. Guitarist Mike Outram emerges as the first soloist, meandering with purpose. He’s followed by leader Lockrane, who again takes flight on flute with an ecstatically soaring solo.

I’d always wondered if “Dennis Irwin”, a piece that has been in the band’s repertoire for some time, was named for the American musician or the Irish footballer (Oldham Athletic, Manchester United). As I suspected it’s a tribute to the late bassist who died in 2008 from liver cancer aged just fifty six. Irwin was a former Jazz Messenger and also played with saxophonists Johnny Griffin, Scott Hamilton and Joe Lovano among numerous others. I know him best for his work with guitarist John Scofield, one of Lockrane’s musical heroes,  and recall seeing Irwin play with Scofield at a gig at Warwick Arts Centre back in the 1990s. However, I digress.

Lockrane says of the composition “Dennis Irwin”;
‘It’s a bass-driven gospel feel but with a healthy dose of Joe Henderson’s intervallic approach as well.’

A shuffling groove provides the impetus for a two tenor burn up between Nadim Teimoori and Graeme Blevins, their increasingly fiery exchanges followed by further solos from Steve Fishwick, one of Lockrane’s long time musical associates, on trumpet plus Lockrane himself on piccolo. It’s a rousing tribute to the late Irwin.

The title of the ballad “Memories in Widescreen” references Lockrane’s love of cinema and family trips to the pictures with his father, a player of the chromatic harmonica. Guest musician Pat Levett solos on that instrument here, sounding more than a little like the great Toots Thielemans. Elsewhere this gentle piece with its lush, sometimes sombre,  arrangements is introduced by an extended passage of unaccompanied piano from Ross Stanley. The other featured soloists are Tom Walsh on pure toned, melancholic trumpet and Lockrane himself on mellow bass flute, adding yet another instrument to his musical armoury.

The Latin flavoured “Grooverider” increases the pace once more with Hugh Wilkinson’s percussion and Stanley’s Hammond featuring prominently in the arrangement. The featured soloists include Henry Collins on exuberant, bright toned trumpet and a returning Blevins with an extended outing on earthy, increasingly impassioned tenor sax. The impressive Thomas weighs in with a hard hitting drum feature before Outram heads for the stratosphere with a spiralling, effects enhanced electric guitar.

I assume “Captain Kirkland” to be a dedication to the late, great American pianist and composer Kenny Kirkland (1955-98). If so then it’s not entirely surprising to find the versatile Stanley among the featured soloists, this time on acoustic piano. A rousing big band chart suggests that like the earlier Irwin dedication this is a celebration and not a lament. Stanley’s sparkling solo is followed by further features for Trevor Mires on trombone and Sam Mayne on alto sax, who exchange phrases in increasingly feisty fashion. Thomas features again with a fiery drum salvo towards the close.

“Plan B” cools things down again, an elegant jazz waltz introduced by a horn fanfare before settling into more mellow and lyrical territory with Thomas deploying brushes. Stanley on piano and Mike Chillingworth on soprano sax emerge as the featured soloists as the music gradually gathers momentum, the arrangement becoming fuller and lusher towards the close.

Thomas’ drums introduce the urgent odd meter funk of “Leviathan”, with Stanley now moving to Rhodes. The band sound is big and full with plenty of low register drive, this further embodied via the solos of Tom Smith on baritone sax and Olii Martin on trombone, two of the younger members of the band. The third featured soloist is Chillingworth, now on alto, whose solo begins with just Thomas’ drums for company before the rest of the band kick in once more.

The energy levels remain high for the closing “Lockup!”, the title presumably a play on the leader’s name. It’s a hypothesis supported by the fact that Lockrane is a featured soloist, his excursions on the flute followed by further solos from Teimoori on fluent and incisive tenor sax and Fishwick, displaying similar qualities, on trumpet. Thomas enjoys a final drum salvo and also links up with Wilkinson prior to the collective sign off.

Although it’s been a long time coming “Box of Tricks” has been well worth the wait. It’s a superb contemporary big band album featuring an intelligent and varied set of original compositions with sophisticated arrangements that consistently maintain the interest and attention of the listener. Lockrane impresses both as a writer and instrumentalist and his hand picked ensemble comprised of some of London’s leading jazz players do a superb job of interpreting his ideas. The ensemble playing is empathic, tightly honed and consistently excellent and there are superb individual solos peppered throughout the album. The engineering and production team also do a terrific job and ensure that both the compositions and the musicians are heard at their best. Lockrane has expressed himself to be delighted with the album – his listeners will be too.

 

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