When i listened to the Clarke-Boland big band earlier I thought it was a workmanlike big band with some decent soloists but not much more than that. How wrong I was! The band here is absolutely on fire, with some resplendent solo work and exciting and original arrangements. It all comes from a live session at Ronnie Scott's in 1969 and that of itself is a surprise. most big bands recorded live in a small club sound cramped but this band shouts loud and clear.
Three of the soloists stand out. Benny Bailey, both as soloist and lead, is an absolute master with years of experience in big bands. Had he not chosen to live in Europe from the early sixties he would undoubtedly have been considered one of the greats on his instrument. He had complete control of his horn, great originality in what he played and how he played it, and subtlety. A master musician, here on top form. Idrees Sulieman, alongside him, never was a big name, but always a good, honest and respected player. here he plays fluently, with a brassy tone, soloing at length in a most satisfying way. The third main soloist is Johnny Griffin, the fastest gun in the West, and here he is, as fast and exciting as ever, but always getting to the heart of the music. However fast he may be, he is never superficial.
Of course there are plenty of other good soloists on display here. Dusko Gojkovic on trumpet, quieter, but subtle and streamlined, for example, and Ake Persson, on trombone. The remainder of the reed section, Derek Humble, Ronnie Scott, Tony Coe, and Sahib Shihab, are all good players on good form here, although Coe's delicate style is possibly not entirely at home.
In the rhythm section the drummers push the band along with power, as does Ron Matthieson on bass, and the co-leader on piano, although not really a soloist, has some idiosyncratic interludes.
Boland's arrangements are what you might call vigorous but are also subtle and complex when appropriate. This side of his music has developed considerably from when it could best be described as efficient. It just shows the benefits of keeping good musical company. At the time of recording probably there was not a better or more exciting big band anywhere in the world than this.
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