Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Tim Garland: Due North

347

Tim Garland: Due North

By

View read count
Tim Garland: Due North
Whitley Bay is not one of the world's great centers of jazz, but saxophonist Tim Garland's move to this town in English north-east has resulted in the creation of this fine album of big band jazz and hopefully there will be more to come.

Due North is a genuine big band album, with a core of 13 players augmented by keyboard player Gwilym Simcock on four tracks and vocalist Hannah Jones on three. Garland formed his first Underground Orchestra in London in 2000. His move to Whitely Bay has enabled him to establish an Orchestra in which players from the north of England predominate, although Simcock and drummer Asaf Sirkis have worked with Garland in other London-based projects.

The Northern Underground Orchestra pay due deference to big band traditions but bring a fresh approach to the set up. The strong part played by Stuart McCallum's guitar playing, for example, lends a more modern slant to the sound. The freshness is further enhanced by the inclusion of only one standard, "God Bless the Child," and even this has a new arrangement. Garland commissioned five tracks, with financial support from the Arts Council, which are inspired by the north of England. Of these, "Toon Town" by trumpeter Richard Iles is the most immediately enjoyable and accessible, but Simcock's "Prelude," a slow and beautiful piece which begins as a duet between Simcock and Garland, rewards repeated listening.

The three standout tracks are those that feature vocalist Hannah Jones. She sings "God Bless the Child" with a strong and assertive vocal that challenges, rather than succumbs to, the idea that "them that's got shall get," and manages to make "Just for Now" compelling despite its rather weak lyrics. Her finest performance, on opener "We Got a Future Together," is reminiscent of '80s British group Working Week, building on a powerful instrumental backing to create the standout track of the album.

An original and innovative big band is a rarity in these days of small combos and economic constraints. Hopefully Garland's project can keep going as a viable performing and recording unit—this is a powerful and talented group that makes a big and enjoyable noise.

Track Listing

We got a future together; Toon Town; Just for Now; Tynemouth Spray; Prelude; Flag March; God Bless the Child; Red Ellen; Voyage of Discovery; Angel of the North.

Personnel

Tim Garland
clarinet, bass

Tim Garland: tenor and soprano saxes, flute, bass clarinet; Andy Schofield: alto sax; Lewis Watson: tenor sax; Ryan Quigley: lead trumpet; Richard Iles: trumpet; Graham Hardy: trumpet; Dave Williamson: trombone; Dave Brocklesby: trombone; Rob O

Album information

Title: Due North | Year Released: 2008 | Record Label: Jazz Action

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT



Tim Garland Concerts


Support All About Jazz

Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Tramonto
John Taylor
Ki
Natsuki Tamura / Satoko Fujii
Duality Pt: 02
Dom Franks' Strayhorn
The Sound of Raspberry
Tatsuya Yoshida / Martín Escalante

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.