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Reviews

Graham Collier — The Third Colour
(ASC CD28, 1997/1999, 2CD)

by Jeff Melton, Published 2002-04-01

The Third Colour Cover art

Graham Collier has been a consistent fixture on the UK jazz scene as composer, player, and young talent advocate since the early 60s. Being the first British jazz player to be awarded a grant for his songwriting was just the beginning of a defining trend in a country that overall didn’t view the genre with enough respect. On the outset of Collier’s 60th birthday celebration in 1997, another commission had been granted by the British Arts Council for him to compose and record three big band concerts. These in turn would become a four part, two-CD set of arranged and improvisational impressions. The personnel on the album mixed newer and established players who display a sense of both structural and textural improvising, terms coined by the composer to identify varying backdrop techniques. The mood of the pieces ranges from mildly disquieting to pastoral, but with a defined purpose that is not readily discernable — and that’s a good thing. John Marshall (who in 1967 played with Collier and ex-Soft Machine member Karl Jenkins) is an important contributor to the project. By holding down the pulse, he can inject embellishment onto a solo or hold firm on a groove. Keyboardist Roger Dean is also prominent on the disk, providing both foundation piano and bursts of frenzy. Veteran guitarist Ed Speight lends aggressive weight and passionate leads to the last portion of the opening cut, “Three Simple Pieces.”

Filed under: New releases, Issue 24, 1999 releases, 1997 recordings

Related artist(s): Graham Collier, John Marshall

 

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