Marty Ehrlich Large Ensemble: A Trumpet in the Morning

Rating: ★★★

Record and Artist Details

Musicians:

EJ Allen (t)
Howard Johnson (bs, tba)
Uri Caine (p)
Brad Jones (b)
Marty Ehrlich (b clt)
Eric McPherson (d)
Ray Anderson (tbn)
JD Parran (bcl)
Drew Gress (b)
Matt Wilson (d)
James Weidman (p)

Label:

New World Records

March/2014

Catalogue Number:

80752-2

RecordDate:

2013

Marty Ehrlich's arrangements for his disciplined, brass-heavy 15-piece ensembles remind me of the genre-crossing blends that the experimental big bands of Keith Tippett and Mike Westbrook carved out in the early 1970s. Back then mixing bluesrock and jazz tradition with free jazz and folk was new and the delivery was raw and emotional. Ehrlich's American band is as tight as a nut and delivers great playing – Ray Anderson's rasping trombone and consistently strong rhythm sections stand out. But few surprises lurk round the corner, even though, the brief ‘Prelude’ and ‘Postlude’ apart, Ehrlich's elongated compositions continually change tack. The 23-minute title track intersperses a somewhat portentous reading of the late African-American poet Arthur Brown's poem with all manner of showcase events and ‘Blues for Peace’ is up-scale jazzrock. ‘Rundowns and Turnbacks’ and ‘M Variations’ twist and turn seamlessly, and it is buried in here that you will find the occasional jeweled highlight.

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