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Here's a review I came across of the show - sure wish he would drop in and let us know what's going on sometime. Peace, TED
Fusion a virtuoso triumph MUSIC: John McBeath | March 10, 2008
Meeting of the Spirits - Billy Cobham and Colin Towns with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. Adelaide Festival Centre, Friday, March 7.
THE history of combining orchestras with jazz groups has resulted in more failures than successes, with the orchestra often merely providing sound effects and backdrops while the jazz musicians improvise.
However, Colin Towns has succeeded in completely integrating the full orchestra with a jazz septet and this celebration of the Mahavishnu Orchestra from the 1970s was an absolute triumph.
The Mahavishnu Orchestra, begun by guitarist John McLaughlin in 1971, broke new ground as a pioneer of jazz rock fusion with drummer Billy Cobham as a founding member.
English-born composer/arranger Towns has selected a dozen of McLaughlin's works, arranging them for symphony orchestra and jazz septet.
And what a septet. Every member is a virtuoso soloist with a string of awards. Towns avoided over-promoting Cobham, showcasing him in several solos but giving equal time to other players and the Adelaide Symphony. Occasionally the septet was silent during orchestral passages. One composition was introduced by an achingly beautiful solo from the lead cellist, before the lyrical trombone of Marshall Gilkes arrived, with Cobham and the rhythm section softly underpinning while the orchestra built a sympathetic accompanying structure.
Sometimes the ASO played riffs while the jazz players soloed: US saxophonist Ernie Watts on tenor utilised the instrument's range from whistling harmonics all the way down and threw in spectacular high velocity double-timed phrases. British trumpeter Guy Barker also flew up into the ultra high register, then dropped to a sob from the trumpet's difficult and rarely heard lowest notes, all with a strongly swinging rhythmic feel.
Australian-born Frank Gambale delivered echoes of the original McLaughlin guitar parts with superb styling, stoked with speeding ideas. Wearing his characteristic bandana, Cobham perfectly controlled his extended drumkit: two bass drums, four tom-toms, various side drums and a forest of cymbals.
The physically fit Cobham held the ensemble together rhythmically and soloed at astonishing speeds, sticks flashing almost invisibly, sometimes using two in each hand. Finnish pianist Jukkis Uotila seemed not quite up to the stellar playing of the others, but French electric bassist Philippe Chayeb worked well with Cobham and played at least one clever, cranked-up solo.
This was a landmark concert due to the scoring and arrangements, the professionalism of the ASO and the sheer genius of the soloists.
Fusion a virtuoso triumph MUSIC: John McBeath | March 10, 2008
Meeting of the Spirits - Billy Cobham and Colin Towns with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. Adelaide Festival Centre, Friday, March 7.
THE history of combining orchestras with jazz groups has resulted in more failures than successes, with the orchestra often merely providing sound effects and backdrops while the jazz musicians improvise.
However, Colin Towns has succeeded in completely integrating the full orchestra with a jazz septet and this celebration of the Mahavishnu Orchestra from the 1970s was an absolute triumph.
The Mahavishnu Orchestra, begun by guitarist John McLaughlin in 1971, broke new ground as a pioneer of jazz rock fusion with drummer Billy Cobham as a founding member.
English-born composer/arranger Towns has selected a dozen of McLaughlin's works, arranging them for symphony orchestra and jazz septet.
And what a septet. Every member is a virtuoso soloist with a string of awards. Towns avoided over-promoting Cobham, showcasing him in several solos but giving equal time to other players and the Adelaide Symphony. Occasionally the septet was silent during orchestral passages. One composition was introduced by an achingly beautiful solo from the lead cellist, before the lyrical trombone of Marshall Gilkes arrived, with Cobham and the rhythm section softly underpinning while the orchestra built a sympathetic accompanying structure.
Sometimes the ASO played riffs while the jazz players soloed: US saxophonist Ernie Watts on tenor utilised the instrument's range from whistling harmonics all the way down and threw in spectacular high velocity double-timed phrases. British trumpeter Guy Barker also flew up into the ultra high register, then dropped to a sob from the trumpet's difficult and rarely heard lowest notes, all with a strongly swinging rhythmic feel.
Australian-born Frank Gambale delivered echoes of the original McLaughlin guitar parts with superb styling, stoked with speeding ideas. Wearing his characteristic bandana, Cobham perfectly controlled his extended drumkit: two bass drums, four tom-toms, various side drums and a forest of cymbals.
The physically fit Cobham held the ensemble together rhythmically and soloed at astonishing speeds, sticks flashing almost invisibly, sometimes using two in each hand. Finnish pianist Jukkis Uotila seemed not quite up to the stellar playing of the others, but French electric bassist Philippe Chayeb worked well with Cobham and played at least one clever, cranked-up solo.
This was a landmark concert due to the scoring and arrangements, the professionalism of the ASO and the sheer genius of the soloists.
I truly love ya Woody and hope to meet you face to face one day.
