Michael Garrick - 1966 - Black Marigolds

Michael Garrick Septet

1966

Black Marigolds

01. Webster's Mood

02. Jazz For Five

03. Good Times

04. Spiders

05. Ursula

06. A Jazz Nativity

07. Black Marigolds

08. What Are Little Girls?

09. Carolling

Alto Saxophone – Joe Harriott

Bass – Dave Green

Drums – Colin Barnes 

Drums – Trevor Tomkins 

Piano, Harpsichord, Celesta – Michael Garrick

Tenor Saxophone – Tony Coe

Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Don Rendell

Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Ian Carr

Voice [Poetry] – John Smith 

This album contains a varied selection of material recorded in January and February 1966.

I first heard Michael Garrick doing "Poetry and Jazz" in Coventry in 1962. I have had this CD for several years. I have mixed feelings on how to grade this album that was recorded in 1966.

Firstly the title track "Black Marigolds" played solo by Garrick on harpsichord is a perfect gem and in itself is worth the value of the complete album. (A long 14 minute version played by quintet is recorded elsewhere and is even better!)

The musicians here are MG (also plays piano and celeste), Ian Carr (tpt / flg), Joe Harriott (alto), Don Rendell, Tony Coe (sax), Dave Green (b), and two drummers: Trevor Tomkins and Colin Barnes. Not all play on every track.

With the above instrumentation, and the fact that some feature a poet (John Smith?), one may realise that this is not a conventional modern jazz album from the period. The most obviously jazz number is "Webster's Mood" but after that it is a selection of poetry (especially composed for musical backing) or music with an English churchy (or in the case of "Black Marigolds": Sanskrit) influence.

R. Bawden jazz fan

Pianist / composer Michael Garrick has been an icon of British Jazz for the last five decades. His exquisite touch on the keyboards, deep lyricism and unparalleled inventiveness as a composer characterize his entire legacy over time, which has very little rivalry or precedence. This album presents Garrick in three different settings, emphasizing his immense versatility as a composer and player. As usual, he wrote all the music included here. The main body of the music is played by a magnificent septet, which comprised of the best Jazz players on the British scene at the time: Garrick – piano, Ian Carr – trumpet, Joe Harriott – sax, Don Rendell – sax, Tony Coe – sax, Dave Green – bass and Trevor Tomkins – drums. Garrick’s exquisite compositions and the exemplary performances by the players are just perfect. Then come several pieces, which continue Garrick’s involvement with the “Jazz and Poetry” movement, which feature poet John Smith reciting his poetry accompanied by smaller ensembles (mainly trio, where Colin Barnes plays the drums). Smith wrote specific pieces of poetry to be performed with specific Jazz players, creating a unique experience in the process. Last come a few pieces where Garrick turns to two atypical for Jazz instruments - harpsichord and celeste – using them in a trio format, emphasizing again his restless pioneering fever. Overall a beautiful album, full of surprises and wonderful moments and a superb document of the era and Garrick’s musical legacy.

I’ve been amazed by Michael Garrick ever since I first heard him in the Don Rendell/Ian Carr 5tet; but as much as I’ve revered his unorthodox piano playing and compositions, not only wasn’t I prepared for this as my esteem and admiration for the man skyrocket after having overcome the initial impressions of bewilderment (and yes, some rejection), having sat back with ears wide open, and ridden of prejudices decided to apprehend all the subtleties of his art and genius! Uhh! The big words? No, not exactly!

Because this is a surprisingly multifaceted work, and although it could seem obvious that no less than a 7tet would be necessary to give shape and live to his daring compositions, reality is that that is just a part of this masterpiece, small in number of tracks albeit much larger in running time.

For the most traditional pieces, that is traditional in Garrick’s way, those pieces that those such as I who would expect the entire album to be made of, like in some sort of Rendell/Carr group manner with a twist, he actually did enlist the help of the quintet, that is Ian Carr on trumpet and flugelhorn, Don Rendell tenor an soprano saxes, Dave Green bass and Trevor Tomkins drums, enlarged with alto saxophonist Joe Harriott and Tony Coe on tenor: the enchanting Blues of “Webster’s Mood”, its slippery and oily melodies given by a velvety ensemble timbre, laden with emotional solos while Garrick intermittently makes his unexpected pirouettes which render it all but predictable, the Hard-Bop feast of “Good Times” showcasing the high level of individual musicianship and how a talented arranger and cast director Garrick is, constantly changing the ways to present the piece, either by the entire group, by duets, trios, or quartets, solitary presentations by tenor or piano, or each and everyone taking a few bars in a hallucinating, around the clock, succession; Breathtaking! Or the most beautiful soprano sax sung melodies of “Ursula”, taken to heaven by Rendell’s no less ravishing solo, as he rides the tranquil yet bouncy ¾ time, followed by a no less inspired Carr.

Jazz and Poetry, same as all sorts of Music and poetry genres, eventually makes no sense unless one understands the words; poet John Smith reads his words so articulate and clearly that even I can understand at least 90% of it ; written with specific musicians in mind, the sequence of poems in “Jazz for five” is either complemented by a duet of piano and bass, by the drums (magnificent solitary work by Colin Barnes who replaces Tomkins on some tracks!), by the tenor sax or by a trumpet fronted quartet, whereas on “A Jazz Nativity” the spoken voice alternatively seeks support on the ensemble or receives replies from trumpet, tenor or alto, which seemingly play the three wise men of Bible fame.

The remaining chapters can eventually make purists cringe, yet they are no less alluring besides being a good measure of Garricks’s eclecticism and broad-minded artistic visions; the highly visual “Spiders”, both intense and delicate, with never heard before harpsichord tones and slurred jazzy digitations, and the raga-shaped title track driven by an underlying, trance inducing rhythm, upon which renewed motifs stack up in a magically beautiful and timeless manner, are solo Harpsichord pieces, whereas the celebratory “Carolling” is driven by a Bach-esque pulsation, packed with keyboards chops and built like a Jazz piece with Green also soloing and Barnes trading fours with the other two; Finally,“What are Little Girls?” is also a trio piece but with Garrick on celeste this time; joyous, and obviously chiming and luminous it also feeds on a call and response contrast with the bass while the drums keep a discreet broom-sticks beat.

Truly enlightening in spite of the pre-announced blackness…