Chris Biscoe
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Chris Biscoe - baritone & alto sax; Allison Neale - alto sax;
Jeremy Brown - bass; Matt Fishwick - drums
Jeremy Brown - bass; Matt Fishwick - drums
Exploring afresh the freewheeling, wonderfully melodic interpretations of standard material recorded 50 years ago by Gerry Mulligan and Paul Desmond on Blues in Time and Two of a Mind, this new band evokes the spirit of these classic recordings while giving free reign to the personalities of the musicians.
The Mulligan and Desmond recordings were by a quartet of baritone and alto sax, bass and drums. CD re-releases included some tracks with guitar added.
Arrangements drawn from the original Desmond/Mulligan records are featured, including Stardust, Stand Still, All The Things You Are, Easy Living, Lover, The Way You Look Tonight and Blight of the Fumble Bee. We also feature our arrangements of How Deep Is The Ocean and Indian Summer, as well as two new standards based compositions by Chris Biscoe, Then and Now and Rest Easy.
The Mulligan and Desmond recordings were by a quartet of baritone and alto sax, bass and drums. CD re-releases included some tracks with guitar added.
Arrangements drawn from the original Desmond/Mulligan records are featured, including Stardust, Stand Still, All The Things You Are, Easy Living, Lover, The Way You Look Tonight and Blight of the Fumble Bee. We also feature our arrangements of How Deep Is The Ocean and Indian Summer, as well as two new standards based compositions by Chris Biscoe, Then and Now and Rest Easy.
photo:
Ken Tollady ©
Ken Tollady ©
CHRIS BISCOE
Multi-instrumentalist Chris Biscoe has been featured on baritone sax with the big bands of Hermeto Pascoal, Tony Kinsey, Graham Collier and the New York Composers Orchestra, as well as in various Mike Westbrook Bands and John Williams’ Baritone Band.
Chris has released two CDs with Tony Kofi, and Profiles of Mingus with Henry Lowther.
Multi-instrumentalist Chris Biscoe has been featured on baritone sax with the big bands of Hermeto Pascoal, Tony Kinsey, Graham Collier and the New York Composers Orchestra, as well as in various Mike Westbrook Bands and John Williams’ Baritone Band.
Chris has released two CDs with Tony Kofi, and Profiles of Mingus with Henry Lowther.
ALLISON NEALE
American born altoist Allison Neale’s beautifully crafted lines evoke the spirit of Paul Desmond and Art Pepper, with whom she has a particular affinity.
She has performed with Adelaide Hall, Bud Shank and Scott Hamilton, as well as featuring in the John Dankworth Generations Band and the Back to Basie Orchestra.
Her latest CD is I Wished on the Moon (Trio tr593).
American born altoist Allison Neale’s beautifully crafted lines evoke the spirit of Paul Desmond and Art Pepper, with whom she has a particular affinity.
She has performed with Adelaide Hall, Bud Shank and Scott Hamilton, as well as featuring in the John Dankworth Generations Band and the Back to Basie Orchestra.
Her latest CD is I Wished on the Moon (Trio tr593).
photo:
Ken Tollady ©
Ken Tollady ©
JEREMY BROWN
One of the most sought after bass players on the UK scene, Jeremy’s credits include Peter King, Phil Woods, Art Farmer, Johnny Griffin, Anita Wardell, Curtis Stigers and Kate Williams.
One of the most sought after bass players on the UK scene, Jeremy’s credits include Peter King, Phil Woods, Art Farmer, Johnny Griffin, Anita Wardell, Curtis Stigers and Kate Williams.
photo:
Brian O'Connor ©
Brian O'Connor ©
MATT FISHWICK
Matt Fishwick brings his subtle and dynamic playing to bands with Steve Fishwick and Osian Roberts and has played in the UK and USA with Scott Hamilton, Harry Allen, Jim Mullen, Warren Vache, Cedar Walton, John Colliani, Anita O’Day and many others.
Matt Fishwick brings his subtle and dynamic playing to bands with Steve Fishwick and Osian Roberts and has played in the UK and USA with Scott Hamilton, Harry Allen, Jim Mullen, Warren Vache, Cedar Walton, John Colliani, Anita O’Day and many others.
FOR BOOKINGS OR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Chris Biscoe: email: chrisbiscoemail (at) gmail (dot) com
Chris Biscoe: email: chrisbiscoemail (at) gmail (dot) com
SOME REVIEWS:
Dave Gelly, The Observer, Sunday 19 March 2017/The Guardian ****
Two saxophonists, Chris Biscoe and Allison Neale, revisit the music of Gerry Mulligan and Paul Desmond. The baritone-and-alto interplay of this classic late 50s-early 60s partnership had the rare distinction of being both clever and tuneful, with touches of wit. The trouble was, they only made two albums together. Now, with perfect rapport, and a positively uncanny grasp of this elusive idiom, Biscoe and Neale have come up with more, including two Biscoe originals. The playing is immaculate……It all sounds bright, sharp and, well, modern.
Dave Gelly, The Observer, Sunday 19 March 2017/The Guardian ****
Two saxophonists, Chris Biscoe and Allison Neale, revisit the music of Gerry Mulligan and Paul Desmond. The baritone-and-alto interplay of this classic late 50s-early 60s partnership had the rare distinction of being both clever and tuneful, with touches of wit. The trouble was, they only made two albums together. Now, with perfect rapport, and a positively uncanny grasp of this elusive idiom, Biscoe and Neale have come up with more, including two Biscoe originals. The playing is immaculate……It all sounds bright, sharp and, well, modern.
The Music
Our new CD Then and Now (Trio tr597), includes three performances by the quartet and four with guitarist Colin Oxley
The Band
Richard Williams - The Blue Moment, June 2017
Chris Biscoe / Allison Neale: Then and Now (Trio). One of the unsung heroes of British jazz since his arrival as a promising saxophonist with NYJO in the early ’70s, Biscoe sticks to the baritone instrument on this release, joined by Neale’s alto saxophone as they explore the mood of the albums Gerry Mulligan made with Paul Desmond in the late ’50s and early ’60s. With Colin Oxley’s guitar, Jeremy Brown’s bass and Stu Butterfield’s drums in support, the approach is deceptively relaxed: this music may not bear the burden of innovation but it demands high standards of execution and integrity. The intricate improvised counterpoint on “The Way You Look Tonight” refracts Mulligan/Desmond through the Tristano prism.
Chris Biscoe / Allison Neale: Then and Now (Trio). One of the unsung heroes of British jazz since his arrival as a promising saxophonist with NYJO in the early ’70s, Biscoe sticks to the baritone instrument on this release, joined by Neale’s alto saxophone as they explore the mood of the albums Gerry Mulligan made with Paul Desmond in the late ’50s and early ’60s. With Colin Oxley’s guitar, Jeremy Brown’s bass and Stu Butterfield’s drums in support, the approach is deceptively relaxed: this music may not bear the burden of innovation but it demands high standards of execution and integrity. The intricate improvised counterpoint on “The Way You Look Tonight” refracts Mulligan/Desmond through the Tristano prism.
Jazzwise June 2017 – review by Peter Vacher Recommended ****
…small in scale perhaps, theirs is music that reaches the parts that other forms, more brash perhaps, simply don't.
…small in scale perhaps, theirs is music that reaches the parts that other forms, more brash perhaps, simply don't.
When I recorded Then and Now, with Allison Neale, there were some tracks which didn’t make it onto the CD. I’m making some of these available for listening on this website. There are two Gerry Mulligan originals, Stand Still and Fall Out, plus alternate takes of four of the tunes from the CD.
Listen here
Listen here
