WESTBROOK BLAKE (THE)BRIGHT AS FIRE (SETTINGS OF WILLIAM BLAKE BY MIKE WESTBROOK)
Original Issue: 1980 Original (ORA 203
)
Reissue: 1991 Impetus (IMP CD 18013
)
Margot-meter: 3,5 moons / 5
You should have understood that JAZZ is not "my-cup-of-tea" and, in general terms, I do not agree with the tone of the reviews here after reported.
Anyway, if you love William Blake (as I do) you should consider to listen to this one, even because the renditions of "A poison tree" and "London song" are really superb!
I was angry with my friend:
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe:
I told it not, my wrath did grow.
And I watered it in fears
Night and morning with my tears,
And I sunned it with smiles
And with soft deceitful wiles.
And it grew both day and night,
Till it bore an apple bright,
And my foe beheld it shine,
And he knew that it was mine -
And into my garden stole
When the night had veiled the pole;
In the morning, glad, I see
My foe outstretched beneath the tree.
1 The Fields (5:40)
2 I See Thy Form (3:55)
3 London Song (7:10)
4 A Poison Tree (2:30)
5 Holy Thursday (15:00)
6 Let The Slave / The Price Of Experience (9:07)
From various reviews
"...Arguably the most majestic work to appear in recent years. It's marriage of Inspirational lyrics and uplifting scoring, performed by some of the most talented musicians in Europe, harks back to the jazz suites of Ellington..."
THE GUARDIAN
"Mike Westbrook makes full use of his two striking vocalists, Kate Westbrook and Phil Minton, and coaxes fervent performances from horn men Chris Biscoe and Alan Wakeman. He finds music to snatch the ecstasy of 'I See Thy Form' and desolation of 'London Song', turns 'A Poison Tree' into a blood-curdling tango. and fashions a magnificent anthem for 'Let The Slave/The Price of Experience' , Blake's great paeans to freedom, dignity, and compassion."
THE WIRE
"Perhaps the greatest work in all British jazz"
INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY.
"Westbrook's settings are among the greatest British music of the century...bold, optimistic and inspiring".
THE INDEPENDENT.
"Bright as Fire pulls no emotional punches, Blake's visionary words matched by some of Westbrook's most trenchant writing".
THE TIMES
"It's one of the great fortuitous yokings together of the century: Blake's forthright lyrics, and Westbrook's English-Ellington music, the words brilliantly sung by Kate Westbrook and Phil Minton and accompanied by a septet with three great sax players in Peter Whyman, Chris Biscoe and Alan Wakeman".
THE INDEPENDENT
