While Germany Deutschlandfunk is Germany’s national state radio and TV station, each of the main German regions also have a state radio and TV station, several sustaining a full time jazz orchestra. The station serving North Rhine-Westphalia, WDR, takes particular pride in its jazz orchestra, one of the finest in Europe. Gilkes is a former alumnus (from 2010 to 2014), and subsequently returned as writer, arranger, conductor and soloist to record two albums under his own name with them.

But on the strength of this, his third in such a capacity, it is very difficult to reconcile the claim Marshall Gilkes is “one of the great big band composers of the modern era.” Throughout, the compositions/arrangements lack gravitas, as does his trombone playing featured on ‘Cora’s Tune.’ The exposition of his simple nursery-rhyme like melody fails to evolve into anything substantial, and his solo, which does not lack for neatness or precision, lacks the one essential ingredient for a jazz solo – meaning.