The Quarantined Jazz Voyager

As the new year of the pandemic and moving forward remaining steadfast in our social distancing, I pulled an album out of the stacks that was recorded by British saxophonist  Courtney Pine. The album was recorded on July 21-23, 1986 and was released later that year on Verve Records. It was his debut titled Journey to the Urge Within that heralded the arrival of Courtney Pine at the head of a new generation of British jazz musicians.

A pied piper who led British jazz out of the doldrums after its brilliant flowering in the 1960s. Courtney Pine, who was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2000, and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), led a new breed of accomplished young jazz lions in Britain. His music was powerful, intense and in the tradition of the great tenor saxophonists such as Coltrane and Rollins. Figuring in the Top 40, an unprecedented achievement for a British jazz album, it went silver, helping to trigger the 1980s jazz boom.

Track List | 43:44 All compositions by Courtney Pine except where noted.
  1.  Miss Interpret ~ 4:15
  2.  Believe ~ 4:36
  3.  Peace (Horace Silver) ~ 5:20
  4.  Dolores (Wayne Shorter) ~ 3:29
  5.  As We Would Say ~ 3:19
  6.  Children of the Ghetto (Chris Amoo, Eddie Amoo) ~ 7:02
  7.  When, Where, How and Why ~ 5:20
  8.  C.G.C. ~ 3:31
  9.  Seen ~ 4:28
  10.  Sunday Song ~ 1:27
  11.  E.F.P. ~ 3:45
  12.  Big Nick (John Coltrane) ~ 4:35

Personnel

  • Courtney Pine – tenor and soprano saxophones, bass clarinet
  • Ray Carless – baritone saxophone
  • Kevin Robinson – trumpet
  • Julian Joseph – piano
  • Roy Carter – keyboards
  • Orphy Robinson – vibraphone
  • Martin Taylor – guitar
  • Gary Crosby – bass guitar
  • Mark Mondesir – drums
  • Susaye Greene – vocals
  • Cleveland Watkiss – vocals

CALIFORNIA JAZZ FOUNDATION

More Posts: ,,,,,,,,,,