Brian Bowen
21.08.2004, 19:29
It’s been interesting to compare the quality of playing over the past three weeks of LTTB. From Aveley and Newham’s somewhat gutsy performance of oddly mixed pieces, through Flowers’ more classy presentation, to Brighouse and Rastrick this week. In all fairness, I should mention that I listen via the Internet, which doesn’t produce consistent sound quality, and the recordings are clearly not all made in the same studio with the same balance engineer.
Brighouse sounded a top quality band with a well-varied programme. While I listened in vain for the tune I recognize as ‘Somewhere over the rainbow’, I did enjoy Alan Morrison’s playing of his own arrangement (which is apparently based on an arrangement by Eva Cassidy). His model honest-to-goodness sound, nicely judged vibrato, and ability to play in various styles always impresses me. This performance was very good indeed.
Other items included ‘Ravenswood’ (William Rimmer), ‘Just A Closer Walk’ (arr. Alan Fernie), ‘All Things Bright and Beautiful’ (arr. Leigh Baker) — an odd choice this — with euph. soloist Steven Miles, ‘Armenian Fire Dance’ (Goff Richards) and the final movement of ‘The Year of the Dragon’ (Philip Sparke). In typically maddening fashion, the BBC again managed to sever the Internet broadcast before the music finished.
Brighouse sounded a top quality band with a well-varied programme. While I listened in vain for the tune I recognize as ‘Somewhere over the rainbow’, I did enjoy Alan Morrison’s playing of his own arrangement (which is apparently based on an arrangement by Eva Cassidy). His model honest-to-goodness sound, nicely judged vibrato, and ability to play in various styles always impresses me. This performance was very good indeed.
Other items included ‘Ravenswood’ (William Rimmer), ‘Just A Closer Walk’ (arr. Alan Fernie), ‘All Things Bright and Beautiful’ (arr. Leigh Baker) — an odd choice this — with euph. soloist Steven Miles, ‘Armenian Fire Dance’ (Goff Richards) and the final movement of ‘The Year of the Dragon’ (Philip Sparke). In typically maddening fashion, the BBC again managed to sever the Internet broadcast before the music finished.