Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra
Dream Wheel
(Birdland/Creative Vibes)
Rating: ****
After only four years in existence, Sydney’s youthful (average age 28) contemporary big band has now released a second album following their Mike Nock tribute CD in 2006.
This time it’s a live recording at Sydney’s Sound Lounge and features compositions by noted German musician Florian Ross, who also plays piano on these tracks.
A couple of numbers are reworked standards: Campaign or Come Swine (Come Rain or Come Shine) swings well, tossing the lead smartly around between sections with a standout solo from Roger Manins on tenor; Autumn Things (Autumn Leaves) extends the ballad’s unusual harmonic structure, building to a faster than customary tempo for a burning arc of a soprano sax solo from leader David Theak.
Longest track is the sole Theak composition Bista, where an uptempo solo from Manins, then full-on flaming guitar from James Muller leads into an intelligently energetic drum solo from Evan Mannell before the 18 instruments return with the post-bop theme.
This review first appeared in The Weekend Australian and is reprinted with permission.
