UltraSound was a contemporary jazz orchestra/big band based in Bristol in the mid 1990s. Led by saxophonist Mark McKergow, the band wrote and recorded this CD as a project based around the International Festival of the Sea, Bristol, May 1996. A key theme of the festival was John Cabot's voyage aboard the Matthew from Bristol to the new world five hundred years before. This work includes a set of 'Matthew Variations' along with other nautically inspired works by band members. The music was premiered at the Festival and subsequently performed at venues including London's South Bank Centre (Purcell Room). 1. Opening (Jonathan Taylor) (VERY quiet at the start...)
2. Oceanology (Jonathan Taylor) (1:48)
3. The Matthew Variations, Variation I (Ralf Dorrell) (13:40)
4. Ocean Blue (Savio Pacini) (15:10)
5. Variation II (Ralf Dorrell) (24:00)
6. All At Sea (Kevin Figes) (25:59)
7. Variation III (Ralf Dorrell) (36:02)
8. Eighth Voyage (Andy Keep) (37:09)
9. Variation IV (Ralf Dorrell) (45:44)
10. A Thousand Miles Or More* (Jake McMurchie) (47:36)
11. Breaking Water (Jon Stein) (1:00:44)
(followed by Variation V, Ralf Dorrell) (1:06:54)
*concert recording
UltraSound were (for this project)
Mark McKergow (soprano saxophone)
Kevin Figes (alto & baritone saxophones & flute)
Jake McMurchie (tenor & alto saxophones)
Ben Waghorn (saxophones, flute and clarinet)
Mike Daniels (trumpet)
Andy Hague (trumpet and flugelhorn)
Pete Judge (trumpet)
Ralf Dorrell (trombone and bass trombone)
Savio Pacini (trombone)
Nicky Sullivan (trombone)
Jonathan Taylor (keyboards)
Jon Stein (keyboards)
Clive Radford (guitar)
Andy Keep (bass guitar)
Simon Gore (drums)
Matthew Griffiths (vibraphone, marimba and percussion)
Recorded at QEH Theatre, Bristol 2-4 March 1996. Engineer Jonathan Lane. Producer, Andy Keep. Executive Producer, Mark McKergow. Recorded live with no overdubs. Thanks to Kevin Buckland and Edna Jarvis at South West Jazz, South West Arts, Steve Moles, The Foundation for Sport and Arts, and Elizabeth Workman at the International Festival of the Sea. Sleeve design by John Underwood @ Fab4Studio, Bristol. Band photos by Mark Simmons. Music commissioned by the International Festival of the Sea, Bristol 1996. Copyright to all the compositions is owned by the composers.
A replica of John Cabot's Matthew ship was being constructed in Bristol during the run-up to the festival, and the band photos on the sleeve (visible in the video) were taken around the shipyard. The ship was dedicated during the festival and successfully voyaged across the Atlantic during 1997, recreating Cabot's trail-blazing voyage of 1497. She is currently moored in Bristol.
0 Comments