Songs and Stories(Stunt Records)
Callum Au & Claire Martin
Released June 26, 2020
Jazzwise Top 10 Releases of 2020
YouTube:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mZzCmVYVlGLYW1BBNilRc2hjXlS_5Vy5A
Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/album/6SKtNO4Z6j7JnIHzoGff8x?si=K67Ec97lTaCquQTtreEJ0g
About:
Two leading lights of the British jazz scene: composer, arranger and trombonist, Callum Au, and internationally admired singer, Claire Martin, join forces for a new album, “Songs and Stories” on the Copenhagen-based Stunt label. The album, featuring a total of 82 exceptional musicians, from the UK, Europe and the USA, is a stunningly arranged selection of jazz standards and American Songbook classics, given compelling, sensitive, modern orchestral and big band treatments, whilst drawing extensive style and influence from the definitive peaks of this genre in past eras.
This is Claire Martin’s first big band or large orchestral recording – and she is thrilled to be working with Callum Au, who she regards as a “major talent”, with many great successes ahead of him. The album features a superb line-up of soloists and lead musicians including Ryan Quigley, Andy Wood, Freddie Gavita, Nadim Teimoori, Sam Mayne, Louis Dowdeswell, Andy Martin, Matt Skelton and John Mills – plus conductor Mark Nightingale.
The Bricusse-Newley standard “Pure Imagination” opens the album with a warm, stately, brass-led fanfare, blending gently into a lilting rhythm, at perfect tempo, ushering in Claire Martin’s sublime, mellow tones, reflecting all the wonder of the song’s lyrics.
Strings help expand the flawless sound, as Claire sensitively builds the song, halting for an immaculate trumpet solo by Freddie Gavita.
The album continues with a punchy, swinging take on the Loesser-McHugh classic “Let’s Get Lost”; then a fabulously romantic reading of Hoagy Carmichael’s happy-sad “I Get Along Without You Very Well” with its flowing, shimmering strings and sumptuous arrangement.
Claire Martin has the ability to breathe fresh life and meaning into songs that have perhaps become taken for granted, and her vocal on “The Folks Who Live on the Hill” does just that – with the faultless emphasis and control for which she is renowned.
“Hello, Young Lovers!” is snappy, pacey and exhilarating spotlighting, as indeed the whole album does, Callum Au’s inspired approach to the arrangement – in this case, with a respectful bow to the golden age of jazz big Track six sees Cole Porter’s “I Concentrate on You” receive a remarkable transformation – with a delightfully insidious melodic riff, introduced initially on piano before the full band and strings gradually infuse the piece with colour and touch, including a fine tenor sax solo by Nadim Teimoori. This track is a high point on an album of undeniable peaks.
Claire’s vocal is, once again, outstanding – revealing her consummate ability to interpret lyrics, apply the ideal emphasis, and judge just when to employ a soft, restrained voice and when to let the controlled power of her singing have free rein.
The thoughtfully-chosen material continues with “I Never Went Away” (Richard Rodney Bennett), “The Night We Called It a Day” (Matt Denis-Tom Adair), “Stars Fell on Alabama” (Parish-Perkins), “Don’t Like Goodbyes” (Harold Arlen & Truman Capote) and “You and the Night and the Music” (Schwartz-Dietz). The whole album is sheer joy – full of invention, talent, virtuosity, passion and an overwhelming feeling that a large collective of musicians were all in absolute unison and enjoying every minute of it… as indeed every listener should, as well.
Callum Au has composed and arranged music in numerous genres, but especially for big band and large jazz ensembles. He has worked with some of the world’s leading artists, including Quincy Jones, Jamie Cullum and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – and on London stage shows including ‘The Rat Pack’, and ‘The Songbook of Judy Garland’; as well as BBC Radio 2’s Friday Night is Music Night and The Proms.
Claire Martin, OBE, needs no introduction to followers of music. One of the very finest jazz singers in UK history, and indeed high on any world list. She has won British Jazz Awards eight times; received an OBE and a BASCA Gold Badge Award for her contributions to jazz; recorded over 20 albums, including 18 for her customary label, Linn Records; and has collaborated with a host of musical celebrities including Kenny Barron, Stephane Grappelli, Richard Rodney Bennett, Martin Taylor, John Martyn and Jim Mullen.
Track Listing:
1. Pure Imagination 5:42
2. Let’s Get Lost 4:14
3. I Get Along Without You Very Well 4:24
4. The Folks Who Live on the Hill 3:39
5. Hello, Young Lovers! 2:34
6. I Concentrate on You 6:57
7. I Never Went Away 3:55
8. The Night We Called It a Day 4:33
9. Stars Fell on Alabama 3:37
10. Don’t Like Goodbyes 3:58
11. You and the Night and the Music 2:56
Personnel:
Claire Martin: vocals
Big Band
Trumpets: Louis Dowdeswell, Tom Walsh, George Hogg, James Davison
Trombones: Callum Au, Andy Wood, Chris Traves, Barry Clements
Saxophones: Sam Mayne, Simon Marsh, Paul Booth, Tom Richards, Martin Williams
Piano: Rob Barron
Guitar: Tommy Emmerton
Bass: Jeremy Brown
Drums: Matt Skelton
Percussion: James Turner
Orchestra
Conductor: Mark Nightingale
Violins: John Mills (leader), Jeremy Isaac, Anna Harpham, Ben Buckton, Charis Jenson, Charles Mutter, Ciaran McCabe, Emma Parker, Everton Nelson, Helena Wood, Gemma Sharples, Katerina Nazarova, Kate Robinson, Lizzie Ball, Marianne Haynes, Maria Spengler, Matt Elston, Natalia Bonner, Nicole Wilson, Patrick Savage, Pete Graham, Ruth Rogers, Thom Gould, Tom Piggott Smith
Violas: Lydia Lowndes-Northcott, Anna Cooper, Annie Beilby,
Ben Newton, Bruce White, Bryony Mycroft, Jonathan Barritt, Kay Stephen, Celli Bozidar Vukotic, Adrian Bradbury, Frank Schaeffer,
James Barralet, Magda Pietraszewska, Rowena Calvert Basses: Dom Worsley, Richard Pryce, Laurence Ungless
Woodwind: Karen Jones, Monica McCarron, Jane Marshall, Howard McGill, Simon Marsh, Jessamy Holder, Peter Long
Horns: Richard Watkins, Katy Woolley, Corrine Bailey, Matt Gunner
Trombones: Andy Wood, Matt Lewis, Barry Clements
Tuba: Owen Slade
Rhythm Bass: Laurence Ungless
Drums: Matt Skelton
Percussion: James Turner
Piano & Celesta: Rob Barron
Guitar: Tommy Emmerton
Harp: Hugh Webb
Big Band recorded February 11 – 13, 2019, at Stadium Studios, Wembley, London, UK
Orchestra recorded March 20, 2019, at Lyndhurst Hall, Air Studios, London, UK
Produced by Callum Au and Louis Dowdeswell
Recording engineer: Geoff Foster
Assistant engineer: Laurence Anslow
Mixing: Louis Dowdeswell
Mastering: Gavin Lurssen
Photography by Kenny McCracken
Styling by Bec Salmon
Graphic Design by Nadja von Massow / nad.works
Review:
Recorded at London’s Stadium and Air Studios last year and released on the Copenhagen-based Stunt Records, composer, arranger and trombonist Callum Au and renowned vocalist Claire Martin join forces on this outstanding new album. Built on a foundation of jazz standards and American Songbook classics, the engulfing beauty of ‘Pure Imagination’ sets the scene on Martin’s first orchestral/big band recording. The musical surface shimmers and sparkles on ‘Let’s Get Lost’, while ‘I Get Along Without You Very Well’ perfectly showcases the unfathomable loveliness of Martin’s voice in an arrangement that also features a tender muted trombone solo from Andy Wood.
‘Hello, Young Lovers!’ detonates an incendiary thrill, the music coursing with a fierce energy, further lit up by Sam Mayne’s alto sax solo. Au’s arrangement of ‘I Concentrate on You’ is a tour de force of impassioned eloquence, with singing and playing of beguiling sensuousness and a terrific solo from tenorist Nadim Teimoori. Further treats include Martin’s take on ‘I Never Went Away’, composed by her late friend and collaborator, Richard Rodney Bennett, and a luxuriant treatment of ‘The Night We Called It A Day’. Arranging masters such as Johnny Mandel, Vince Mendoza and Nelson Riddle are called to mind at various points, but Au clearly possesses his own 24-carat storytelling gift. A special shout-out must also go to Louis Dowdeswell for performing the heroic triple shift of lead trumpeter, mix engineer and co-producer.
Peter Quinn (Jazzwise)
