Jim McNeely/Frankfurt Radio Big Band: Rituals

The first thirty-three minutes or so of Rituals, the latest album by the excellent Frankfurt Radio (hr) Big Band, is an homage to Igor Stravinsky's symphonic suite The Rite of Spring, which premiered in Paris in 1913, reimagined "in the Stravinsky spirit" by the group's director, Jim McNeely, in a big-band framework and featuring the acclaimed American tenor saxophonist Chris Potter. The first three movements are designated "Adoration," the next two "Sacrifice," and McNeely has added a sixth, "Rituals Rebirth," to complement four themes from Potter's library, rescored by McNeely for a large ensemble, which round out the album.

Fans of classical music in general and Stravinsky in particular may find the music regal and rewarding, others rather less so. There is certainly no doubt as to its symphonic origins, as McNeely draws heavily on Stravinsky for inspiration and Potter nestles easily into what is an essentially cumbersome groove. While Potter plays reasonably well within those parameters, they are far removed from the milieu in which he usually thrives, which is missing in action until Track 8, "The Wheel," on which Potter plays robust tenor and soprano sax.

The last two numbers, "Wine Dark" and "Okinawa," are also more or less jazz-oriented; whether that is enough to redeem what has come before—or if that even merits consideration—is for the listener to decide. As noted, some may deem the first half-dozen tracks, or "Rituals," splendid as written and performed. That the opinion here differs should not dissuade anyone from forming his/her own opinion. Not everyone is a Stravinsky aficionado, and one person's apathy may well be another's great pleasure.

McNeely certainly has a game plan, and he and the Frankfurt Radio Big Band engineer it perfectly. On the other hand, it leans far more toward classical than jazz, and even Potter's solos—which are by and large decent, in spite of some immoderate histrionics—can't redeem that. The score sounds at times like incidental music for a film or Broadway show (Leonard Bernstein's West Side Story springs to mind), at other times like a requiem or perhaps ceremonial excerpts from a prayer meeting.

The result is uneven. The band is fine, Potter's solos are reliable, and McNeely achieves what he set out to do. In that sense, one must consider the enterprise a success, even though its jazz component is for the most part negligible.

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