STAN SULZMANN’S NEON ORCHESTRA, CBSO CENTRE, BIRMINGHAM, 30/11/2013.

Saxophonist and composer Stan Sulzmann is one the UK’s most respected jazz luminaries, a musician widely admired by his peers even if commercial success has remained relatively elusive throughout most of his long career. Sulzmann is a fluent improviser on both saxophone and flute and is also a skilled composer for both large and small ensembles.

In recent years Sulzmann has enjoyed a new lease of life with Neon Quartet, the increasingly democratic group in which he collaborates with members of a younger generation of musicians, pianist Kit Downes, vibraphonist Jim Hart and drummer Tim Giles. All four were part of the twenty strong Neon Orchestra assembled by Sulzmann in celebration of his sixty fifth birthday. It’s almost impossible to believe that Stan is sixty five and even more incredible to think that thirteen years have flown by since his I saw the Big Band he initially formed to celebrate his fiftieth, a gig that took place at the nearby Adrian Boult Hall. The Big Band recorded the album “Birthdays, Birthdays” for Basho Records which remains a rewarding listening experience but tonight’s show was to prove very different.

I had been expecting the Neon Orchestra to perform big band arrangements of tunes originally performed by the Neon Quartet, much in the way that Troyka have scaled up their compositions for performance by the large ensemble Troykestra. Instead tonight’s repertoire was a celebration of the music of some of the UK’s leading jazz composers, among them Sulzmann himself. The Birmingham show followed a successful London Jazz Festival performance plus a second date in Cardiff and the band’s familiarity with the material was apparent right from the start.

Under the baton of director Nick Smart Sulzmann was the principal soloist in a twenty piece line up that spanned the generations. Sulzmann was particularly proud of the cross generational aspect of the band and indeed he was in an uncharacteristically loquacious mood throughout- well it was his actual birthday.

Incidentally I’d enjoyed a nice little taster for this show as Radio 3’s Jazz Line Up had recorded a performance by Sulzmann’s quartet at the London Jazz Festival. The programme was being transmitted as I was driving up to Birmingham and helped to make the journey more enjoyable. Joining Sulzmann on that occasion were organist Ross Stanley, Tim Giles at the drums and the versatile Nick Smart on trumpet.

Turning now to tonight’s show and the Orchestra began with guitarist Mike Walker’s “The Clockmaker”, a tune from the repertoire of The Impossible Gentlemen. It’s a tribute to the arresting qualities of Walker’s tune that it still sounded memorable in a more “widescreen” setting with sparkling solos coming from trumpeter George Hogg, alto saxophonist Martin Hathaway and Sulzmann himself on soprano. The guitar of Alex Munk was also a significant presence in the arrangement.

Next came a tune from another guitarist, John Parricelli, a member of the “Birthdays, Birthdays” band. Named after a character in the film “Cinema Paradiso” this was a piece with a suitably relaxed Mediterranean feel that featured the warm sound of Sulzmann’s tenor alongside the trumpets of Freddie Gavita and Henry Lowther (a real bridging of the generational chasm) and the guitar of Munk.

Next came saxophonist Iain Ballamy’s “Recedar”, the composers tribute to Cedar Walton and a piece that has acquired an increased level of relevance and poignancy following Walton’s recent demise. A tune from the repertoire of Ballamy’s Anorak group the piece featured Sulzmann on soprano plus the tenor saxophone of long time associate Pete Hurt.

Pianist John Taylor is another musician who has enjoyed a long association with Sulzmann. His “Between Moons” in an arrangement by Sulzmann was a feature for the hitherto little heard Kit Downes, his pianistic explorations underscored by sonorous trombone voicings. Sulzmann was heard on tenor and trombone master Mark Nightingale was also given room to stretch out.

The first set concluded with “Up And Down”, a piece commissioned by London Jazz Festival and a celebration of Sulzmann’s early days spent on and around City Road, hence the disguised “Pop Goes The Weasel” allusions. The piece comprised of a rousing first half with solos from Sulzmann on tenor and Lowther on trumpet, and a more reflective second featuring Hathaway on alto and Mark Nightingale on trombone. All of this had been presaged by a quick burst of “Happy Birthday” from the band under the direction of Smart. It’s a tribute to Sulzmann and to the warmth of the occasion that the audience readily joined in.

Set two opened with Sulzmann’s “Jack Stix”, a tune dedicated to American drummer Bill Stewart which appears on Sulzmann’s 2004 album “The Jigsaw” (Basho Records) recorded in New York with Stewart, bassist Larry Grenadier and long time Sulzmann associate pianist Mark Copland. Here the Latin/tango tinged theme became a vehicle for Hart who adopted a woody, marimba like sound   as his four mallets flew over the bars of his vibes. We also heard from Robbie Harvey on trombone and Sulzmann himself on soprano. 

Sulzmann has always enjoyed a fruitful musical relationship with pianist and composer Nikki Iles.
Her tune “Westerly” added a folk element with solos coming from Downes on piano, Josh Arcoleo on tenor and Sulzmann on soprano. Arcoleo probed deeply, his solo was one of the best of the entire evening.

Kenny Wheeler provided the title track for the “Jigsaw” album and Sulzmann honoured his old friend with a rousing rendition of the tune here. Sulzmann’s stirring soprano soared over sumptuous horn voicings before handing over to Nightingale on trombone. Sulzmann subsequently returned on tenor and there were also features for Mike Chillingworth on alto and Lowther on trumpet. This was a very different arrangement to the recorded version which features Sulzmann on flute.

Pianist Gwilym Simcock was a member of the first edition of Neon, the initial incarnation being the trio of Sulzmann, Simcock and Hart. Simcock’s “I Know You Know” combined folk melody with avant garde impressionism beginning with James Allsopp’s brooding bass clarinet intro and progressing through Munk’s guitar scratching and Giles’ use of shakers to embrace more conventional and lyrical solos from Sulzmann on soprano and Hart on warm toned vibes.

“Chu Chu” was the only piece drawn from the Neon Quartet repertoire, Sulzmann’s dedication to the Colombian bassist Chucho Merchan who worked extensively in the UK in the late 70’s and 80’s including a stint with Ian Carr’s Nucleus. The piece adapted well to the big band setting, a tricky 11/8 time signature underpinned gritty solos from Sulzmann on tenor ,Chillingworth on alto and Harvey on trombone. There was also a stunning passage featuring the collected horns and Giles only, a thrilling study in the art of counterpoint.

This energetic finale galvanised the crowd who called for an encore which proved to be the only standard of the evening, “Taking A Chance On Love” written by Vernon Duke. An innovative arrangement began with a piano and vibes duet, a reminder of the music of Neon Quartet. Subsequent solos came from young trumpeter Tom Walsh and Sulzmann on soprano with Giles enjoying a final drum flourish.

This had been an excellent evening of music with some superb playing from a well blended band who mixed tight ensemble playing in the sections with commendable improvisational freedom on the solos, many of which were quite inspired. There was a genuine feeling of warmth and goodwill from the audience which helped to turn the performance into an “event”. It has been commented upon that the crowd was as inter generational as the band with the audience numbers swelled by the presence of many students from the Jazz Course at Birmingham Conservatoire.

Sulzmann himself certainly seemed to enjoy the occasion. His playing was excellent on both tenor and soprano and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him talk so much at a gig. His anecdotes included meeting a nervous fourteen year old Iain Ballamy at the Bull’s Head in Barnes but being blown away by the young man’s playing, Ballamy was specialising on alto in those days.
Then there was the tale of how after a gig in 1970’s Birmingham he and Karl Jenkins (the latter now a celebrated classical composer but then a jobbing jazz musician best known for being a former member of Soft Machine) failed to find a vacant hotel or guest house in either Birmingham or Wolverhampton and ended up kipping in Stan’s mini in what they thought to be a car park. They woke up to find that they were in the middle of Wolverhampton Bus Station. Happy days, Happy Birthday Stan. 

The full line up was; 

Stan Sulzmann solo saxophones
Nick Smart musical director / conductor
Tom Walsh trumpet
Henry Lowther trumpet
George Hogg trumpet
Freddie Gavita trumpet
Mark Nightingale trombone
Robbie Harvey trombone
Make Bassey trombone
Sarah Williams trombone
Martin Hathaway reeds
Mike Chillingworth reeds
Josh Arcoleo reeds
Pete Hurt reeds
James Allsopp reeds
Jim Hart vibraphone
Alex Munk guitar
Kit Downes piano
Dave Whitford bass
Tim Giles drums