New Departures All Stars: Ain't Misbehaving (9 min 46 sec) Album: Jeff Nuttals Wake on CD New Departures
:: Track 2
Neil Sparkes with Dick Hestall Smith: Drum ... Knowing People (7 min 59 sec) Album: Grandchildren of Albion Live New Departures
:: Track 3
New Departures All Stars: Tin Roof Blues (6min 29 sec) Album: Jeff Nuttals Wake on CD New Departures
BACKGROUND
I think that that these live recordings from Jazz Poetry sessions are absolute gems and jazz poetry as such is under-represented on radio. Jeff Nuttall ,Jazz Poet & Polymath Extraordinaire, died on 5 Jan 04, and Dick, multi-sax accompanist on the original UK Jazz Poetry pioneered by NMH & Pete Brown, died 17/12/04 -and therefore deserve special emergence from lifelong neglect. Michael Horovitz, himself a brilliant and ground breaking jazz poet, introduces ' Ain't Misbehaving' & 'Tin Roof Blues' and on the latter, you can hear Dick's delighted shout after the title is announced - on Tracks 1 and 15 you also get Pete Brown drumming, brilliant solos on 1 by Jeff, with lovely vocal, Horovitz (kazoo), Pete Lemer piano, the veteran anglo-Jamaican singing Bassist Coleridge Goode, + extraordinary improvisation by Lol Coxhill - the Grandchildren track represents one of the most exciting younger jazz poets turning on and turned on by Dick on both saxes, and on 3 there are again spirited performances by all the band including wonderful trumpet by Ian Smith, Jeff's cornet, and Dick holding this very diverse personnel together for joyous unison climax.