This CD celebrates Stephen McNeff's period from 2005-2008 as the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra’s Composer in the House, an inspired, groundbreaking scheme initiated and funded by the Royal Philharmonic Society and the PRS for Music Foundation. It features four varied, colourful works McNeff composed during his residency. The diverting Sinfonia was composed as a concert opener and hearkens back to the 18th century symphonies of William Boyce. Heiligenstadt was composed at Marin Alsop’s request for a work to precede Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, McNeff responding with a work inspired by Beethoven’s struggles to come to terms with his increasing deafness. Weathers was conceived for the Bournemouth Symphony Chorus and the BSO and sets Thomas Hardy’s poetry. In an atmospheric sequence, the work evokes an imaginary journey by the poet as he contemplated the changing Dorset landscapes in different seasons and weathers. Secret Destinations is McNeff’s personal, moving tribute to his friend, the poet Charles Causley, an evocation of a “friend pictured within.” The performances are conducted by Dominic Wheeler, a staunch advocate of McNeff’s music. World premiere recordings.

Download songs' text (180 kB)

Cyril Scott’s early works are preserved at the University of Melbourne, part of the collection assembled by Scott’s friend Percy Grainger. From that source Martin Yates has rescued three gorgeous romantic scores: the overture Pelleas and Melisanda of 1900, perhaps written in the shadow of Tchaikovsky, the lovely Cello Concerto, Op.19 written in 1902 with its glorious D major melody, and the unfinished three-movement Piano Concerto in D, also from 1900. This is lovely music and all are worthwhile scores, but the crown of this collection is Scott’s early Piano Concerto, which conductor Martin Yates has salvaged from a chaotic manuscript and for which he has provided a completion to the third movement. Played in his grandest romantic style by pianist Peter Donohoe, what is revealed is a striking romantic concerto on a big scale, and with a strong personal voice. This was a remarkable achievement for a twenty-year-old composer at the beginning of a new century. Furthermore, some of the stylistic elements that make the later First Concerto so distinctive are explored here, especially in the first two movements. World premiere recordings.

Charles-Marie Widor, best known for his organ music, composed prolifically in all forms. After the success of Dutton Epoch’s recording of Widor’s piano concertos (CDLX 7275), this second volume now explores his Second Symphony (1882) and Cello Concerto (1878). Swedish cellist Torleif Thedéen is the soloist in this major addition to the nineteenth century cello repertoire. Widor’s unfamiliar Second Symphony is notable for its vivid orchestral colouring and memorable invention, whilst three atmospheric preludes to his opera Les Pêcheurs de Saint-Jean (1905) complete this cherishable collection of French orchestral discoveries. World premiere recordings.

CDNJT 5200

CDNJT 5202

American pianist Bill Snyder and his orchestra are the subject of this release. During his youth, Bill was hailed as a prodigy and studied with Moritz Rosenthal, the last living pupil of Franz Liszt and one of the greatest pianists of his time. Bill became a hugely popular recording artiste in the 1950s and ’60s, and on the two albums compiled here he performs material in the lush, romantic style that was his stock-in-trade. The tunes include charming Snyder originals such as Amber Fire, Topaz and Turquoise and the evergreens Baubles, Bangles and Beads, Bewitched, Soft Lights and Sweet Music, The Nearness of You, Speak Low and Temptation among many others.

CDNJT 5203

Eddie Barclay, Gallic orchestra leader and founder of Barclay records, is the subject of this Vocalion release, which compiles two of his mid-1950s light music albums. In Meet Mr Barclay the focus is, in the main, on music from the movies, and Mr Barclay runs his orchestra through impeccably played, spellbinding renditions of Hernando’s Hideaway (from the ‘The Pajama Game’), Merry-Go-Round (from ‘French Can-Can’), Rififi (from ‘Du Rififi Chez les Hommes’) and Le grisbi (from ‘Touchez pas au Grisbi’) among others. As you would expect, in Paris for Lovers the accent is on romantic French melodies, and maestro Barclay does not disappoint in his selection of tunes that include gorgeous arrangements of I Love Paris, Under the Bridges of Paris, Under Paris Skies, Paris Stay the Same, I’ll Be Yours (J’attendrai) and more.

CDNJT 5204

CDNJT 5205

CDNJT 5206

CDNJT 5208

CDNJT 5209

The piano and orchestra of Frenchman Emil Stern brings an air of Gallic charm to this Vocalion release, which compiles two of his 1950s light music albums. During that decade Emil Stern was one of the most popular musicians on the Continent, and both the Music for … and Waiting for You albums display his penchant for lilting, romantic compositions played with verve and panache, with each one dressed in a striking, tasteful orchestration. The delightful melodies on offer include Why Do I Love You, Somebody Loves Me, Dinah, Autumn Concerto and Hey There, which sit alongside an equally delightful Emil Stern original, S’aimer d’amour. Elegance personified – ooh la la!

CDNJT 5212

CDNJT 5213

The exciting, virtuosic trumpet playing of Kenny Baker is one of the focal points of this release, as he leads his group through some exhilarating ‘hot’ jazz, Baker-style. On both albums, originally issued in the mid-’50s, his group is populated by some of the major names on the UK ’s traditional jazz scene. Alto sax genius Bruce Turner is heard to good advantage on several numbers, as is Kenny himself as well as, on one track, alto saxophoist Bertie King. Support for the soloists is provided by the rock-solid rhythm team of bassist Frank Clarke and drummers Phil Seamen and Don Lawson (on the Midnight at Nixa album) and Frank Clarke and drummers Eddie Taylor and Derek Price (on the After Hours album). A real treat for lovers of the finest in vintage British ‘trad’ jazz.

CDNJT 5302

The orchestra of British jazz icon John Dankworth was formed in 1953, following the disbandment of the popular and hugely successful Johnny Dankworth Seven. The Johnny Dankworth Orchestra featured in its ranks many of Britain ’s leading jazz musicians of the ’50s including drummer Kenny Clare, trumpeter Dickie Hawdon, tenor saxophonist Danny Moss and trombonist Laurie Monk. 5 Steps to Dankworth showcases this wonderful big band powering its way through up-tempo swingers including Export Blues and Limehouse Blues and, in contrast, easing gracefully through numbers such as Ellington’s and Strayhorn’s Just a Sittin’ and a Rockin’. Journey into Jazz was the Dankworth orchestra’s first full-length album recording, made in front of an invited audience at London ’s Abbey Road Studios. Alongside swinging big band staples such as Take the ‘A’ Train and Jersey Bounce, it contains the Johnny Dankworth-David Lindup collaboration Itinerary of an Orchestra. A lengthy suite conceived as the jazz equivalent of Benjamin Britten’s Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, it contains some excellent examples of tight-knit ensemble playing, an exciting Kenny Clare drum solo, and a helping of the Dankworth brand of up-tempo jazz. Bonus tracks are included, taken from the Dankworth orchestra’s various 45-rpm single releases.

CDNJT 5303

The albums compiled on this CD represent the first LPs composer-arranger Johnny Keating made under his own name. Keating first attracted attention in the ’50s as the Ted Heath Orchestra’s arranger, a role he continued to fill – on and off – until the early 1970s. The albums presented here feature a sizeable contingent of Ted Heath sidemen as well as notable jazz names such as Jimmy Deuchar (trumpet), Tommy Whittle, Don Rendell (tenor saxes), Ronnie Verrell (drums) and Johnny Hawksworth (bass), among others. Under Keating’s direction they display their virtuosity in impeccably executed big band numbers including Keating originals (inc. Kiltie, Strictly for Kyx, Ultraviolet), Harry Roberts’s sublime trombone vehicle Quads Talk (feat. George Chisholm, Don Lusher, Keith Christie and Maurice Pratt) and originals by Jimmy Deuchar (Tam O’ Shanter, Clachnacudan Local) and pianist/vibes player Bill Le Sage (inc. Last Resort, Good Life).

CDNJT 5304

The superlative trumpet playing of Kenny Baker is one of the main attractions on this Vocalion release. On many of the tracks he leads The Jazz Today Unit, which on Operation Jam Session (1955) includes in its ranks special guests Joe Harriott, Bruce Turner and Bertie King (alto saxes). Produced by Denis Preston, side one of the original LP was taken up by an elongated medley of jazz standards including On the Alamo, What’s New? and Sweet and Lovely. Arranged by Kenny Baker, there is plenty of solo space for, among others, Jimmy Skidmore (tenor sax), Dill Jones (piano) and Keith Christie (trombone) as well as Kenny himself.

Tribute to Benny Carter (1955) is, as the title suggests, a tribute to the famous American alto saxophonist. With many of the same personnel as ‘Operation Jam Session’ (1955), it features The Jazz Today Unit as well as The Bertie King Jazz Group. The Jazz Today Unit perform Carter’s ten-minutes-plus Symphony in Riffs, while Bertie King’s Jazz Group swings its way through five Benny Carter compositions including Blues in My Heart, Skip It and Lazy Afternoon. Incidentally, both Bertie King and his sideman trombonist George Chisholm had appeared on the original 1937 Benny Carter recordings of Skip It and Lazy Afternoon.

The last four tracks are from a rare 1957 EP by the quintet of Australian-born violinist and composer Don Harper. Born in 1921, Harper arrived in the UK in 1955 and shortly afterwards began performing with his group at various London nightspots. In the 1960s and ’70s he was a heavily in-demand session musician, pioneering the use of electric violin and performing on countless TV and film scores as well as recording several albums under his own name. Introducing the Don Harper Quintet was his debut UK recording. It features a mix of standards (I May Be Wrong) with Harper originals (Just Rockin’), all showcasing the lithe improvisations and virtuosity of Don Harper.

CDNJT 5306

CDNJT 5307

Drummer and founder member of the Ted Heath Orchestra, Jack Parnell, is featured with his own brilliant big band on this Vocalion release. Jack’s own band came into being when, in 1951, he left the Heath orchestra to assume the role of musical director for the London stage show ‘Fancy Free’. When the show folded, the musicians - albeit with a few changes in personnel - formed the nucleus of Jack’s band. They signed with EMI’s Parlophone subsidiary and began recording in October 1952. The Trip to Mars album (1958) collated various single sides Jack’s band had recorded between 1952 and 1954, while Parnell on Parade was a separate EP release from 1955. Jack Parnell’s band boasted an all-star line-up that included Ronnie Scott (tenor sax), Jimmy Deuchar (trumpet), Laddie Busby (trombone), Don Honeywell (baritone sax) and Phil Seamen (drums), all of whom are heard to great effect throughout this CD. The disc is rounded off by a compilation of the Parnell band’s various 78-rpm sides from the same era. An added bonus is that the accompanying CD booklet features several rare photographs of the Jack Parnell Orchestra during its heyday. An essential purchase for British big band connoisseurs.

CDNJT 5308

Pete Rugolo was one of the 20th century’s most gifted and influential arranger-composers working in the fields of big bands and jazz. Born in Sicily in 1915, his parents moved the States in 1920, a move that saw Pete grow up in California. He studied composition at Mills College, California, with classical composer Darius Milhaud. Rugolo’s big break came in 1945 when, having been discharged from the Army, he joined the Stan Kenton Orchestra as its chief arranger, composer and occasional pianist. During the 1950s and ’60s Rugolo recorded a series of acclaimed big band albums under his own name, two of which are compiled on this release, and both of which include an all-star line-up. Music for Hi-Fi Bugs (1956) & Brass in Hi-Fi (1957) feature the talents of musicians such as Maynard Ferguson, Don Paladino and Don Fagerquist (trumpets), Barney Kessel (guitar), André Previn (piano), Shelly Manne (drums), Larry Bunker (percussion) and Frank Rosolino (trombone), who perform Rugolo’s inventive, swinging arrangements to perfection. Titles include Fawncy Meeting You, Snowfall, These Foolish Things, Temptation and All the Things You Are as well as seven Rugolo originals such as Later Team, Oscar’s and Pete’s Blues and Brass at Work.

CDNJT 5309