Nostalgia 77 - The Nostalgia Sessions Vol.1 feat. Keith & Julie Tippett
(CD) Tru Thoughts TRUCD183, 2009-04-06

Tracklisting :
01. You Don't Just Dream When You Sleep
02. Film Blues
03. Sketch For Gary/Billy Goes To Town
04. Mice
05. Rainclouds
06. Lapis Blue
07. Soothing The Rattlesnake
08. Miniature
09. Vienna
10. Visions
11. Okinawa
12. Temple
13. Four Whispers For Archie's Chair
14. New Inner City Blues

Links :
myspace.com/nostalgia77
myspace.com/keithtippett
tru-thoughts.co.uk
myspace.com/truthoughtsrecords

Press Release :
'Nostalgia 77 Sessions Featuring Keith & Julie Tippett' sees prodigious producer Nostalgia 77 and close contemporary Riaan Vosloo (Nostalgia 77 Octet, Twelves Trio) collaborating with legendary British exponents of avant-garde contemporary music, Keith and Julie Tippett. The result of this intriguing and fruitful marriage of youth and experience is an arrestingly beautiful album of fresh, original material that spans blues, jazz and soul and is threaded through with experimental flourishes that defy categorisation.

Benedic Lamdin (Nostalgia 77) is making a name for himself as one of the most talented producers of modern jazz music around, both as a solo artist and with his Nostalgia 77 Octet. Having won Jazz Album of the Year and the John Peel Play More Jazz Award at the BBC Worldwide Awards, he counts Gilles Peterson and Laurent Garnier among his most ardent fans. Earlier this year, he produced the debut solo album of rising chanteuse and Tru Thoughts label-mate Lizzy Parks.

Lamdin's introduction to Keith and Julie Tippett's music was a dusty copy of their 1971 'Septober Energy' LP (written for the 50-strong band Centipede), and the sheer wealth and freedom of creative endeavour enjoyed by that pioneering group of musicians resonated strongly with him. The Tippetts' oeuvre spans more than four decades at the forefront of musical creativity: Julie (formerly Julie Driscoll) was the voice of Brian Auger's r'n'b group in the '60s, also releasing a host of solo hits that walked the line between soul and r'n'b, while Keith was the pianist at Ronnie Scott's and led his own acclaimed free jazz groups. Their work together includes such ensembles as Mujician and Centipede, and has seen them release records on Polygram and RCA among other world renowned labels. As one of the foremost European vocalists in the field of contemporary jazz and improvised music, Julie is widely regarded for her use of the voice as an instrument, unlocking a versatility and range that is quite unique.

Currently, both Keith and Julie Tippett are committed to sharing their passion and experience with an emerging generation of musicians through educational projects; it was on one such teaching initiative that Riaan Vosloo found himself working with Keith and the seed that grew into the 'Nostalgia 77 Sessions…' project was sown. Recorded in a remote location in rural Wales, the album finds the common ground between these four exceptional musicians. The double A side 7" single, "Film Blues" // "Rainclouds" (out 15th December) has picked up early radio support on such diverse stations as BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio Scotland and Barcelona's Scanner FM. Edgy harmonies and richly layered vocals with powerfully reflective lyrics, and a continually building backdrop of instruments, make for a deeply bluesy vibe imbued with the spirit and flow of free jazz. Elsewhere on the album, you'll find electrifying percussion and a luxurious tenor sax sound that shines in tantalising extended solos, then melts back in with the richness and depth of Julie Tippett's beguiling voice. The closing track, "New Inner City Blues" is a lament for our times and encapsulates the combination of pedigree and modernity at work on this record.

More Info :
The Nostalgia Sessions
"British Jazz Past, Present and Future."

The Nostalgia Sessions is a new project that aims to cultivate and nurture collaborations between some of the finest emerging young Jazz players in the UK with their more established antecedents – bringing together different voices and experiences from across the Jazz spectrum.

Overseeing the recordings are Ben Lamdin, best known for his work as Nostalgia 77 on the influential Tru thoughts label and winner of the BBC Worldwide Jazz Award 2006, and Martin Levan (John Martyn, Neil Ardley, Andrew Lloyd Webber). The collaborative albums will fuse the talents of emerging young jazz musicians with those who helped to define the Brit-Jazz genre.

The genesis of the project was a chance meeting between Nostalgia 77 bassist Riaan Vosloo and jazz piano legend Keith Tippett. Out of the encounter, the idea of an album putting Keith and Julie Tippett in the studio with some of the young players involved with Nostalgia 77 and the Impossible Ark label was born.

After taking the idea to Red Kite Records boss Martin Levan and label manager Ron Dukelow, the project quickly took shape. Players on the session include Nostalgia 77 Octet regular Mark Hanslip on tenor sax, Fulvio Sigurta (a member of G.Coscia band on ECM) on trumpet and New York based Adam Sorenson on drums. Jazz/rock guitar great, Gary Boyle - whose stellar playing career includes early stints with Dusty Springfield and played alongside Julie (then Driscoll) in Brian Auger's Trinity - completed the diverse line up.

Unlike many musical collaborations - where guest artists tend to phone in performances or send rough parts produced in separate studios – the communal nature of the Nostalgia Sessions is at its core. The entire band stayed for a week at the Red Kite's own superb studio in rural Wales, playing together and learning from each other as they crafted a beautiful and broad album out of the session – an album that shows the meeting of very different yet complementary styles from all those involved, and whose strength comes from the unity of the players throughout the session.

By fusing the ideas of the older generation with those of the new, The Nostalgia Sessions will enrich the UK jazz scene with a memorable and enduring musical collaboration.
Source : redkiterecords.co.uk/artists/nos.html