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Chris Biscoe Profiles Quartet: Live At Campus West
ByLive At Campus West was recorded on January 30th 2011 and features four of Dolphy's compositions alongside Charles Mingus' "Fables Of Faubus" and "The Man Who Never Sleeps," Thelonious Monk's "Epistrophy" and Biscoe's "Open Book." Partnering Biscoe in the Profiles Quartet front line is fellow reeds player Tony Kofi. The pair both double on instrumentsBiscoe on alto sax and the relatively unusual alto flute, Kofi on alto and tenor saxophonesand make excellent use of the different combinations on offer.
Biscoe and Kofi may grab the lion's share of the spotlight, but their success is due in no small part to bassist Larry Bartley and drummer Stu Butterfield's sterling rhythm section playing. The four men thrive on each other's energy, respecting the compositions while investing them with terrific verve and enthusiasm. The result is a fiery display of musical skill, dynamics and almost telepathic understanding between the players. There are sensitive moments too, most notably Biscoe's unaccompanied alto sax on "Something Sweet, Something Tender" and the interplay between Biscoe and Kofi on "The Man Who Never Sleeps."
Although the excellent sound of this recording readily brings to mind images of smoky jazz cellars, the Campus West referred to in the album's title is not a glamorous Californian nitespot from the glory days of Dolphy, Mingus, Monk and the rest. It's in the marginally less glamorous Welwyn Garden City, a few miles north of Londonbut on the evidence of Live At Campus West it was for at least a few hours one January night a place where the spirit of those great players one again burned bright.
Track Listing
Les; Epistrophy; Fable Of Faubus; Open Book; The Man Who Never Sleeps; Something Sweet, Something Tender; Out To Lunch; Potsa Lotsa.
Personnel
Chris Biscoe
saxophoneChris Biscoe: alto saxophone, alto clarinet; Toni Kofi: alto saxophone, tenor saxophone; Larry Bartley: double bass; Stu Butterfield: drums.
Album information
Title: Live At Campus West | Year Released: 2013 | Record Label: Trio Records