Don Rendell With The Joe Palin Trio - 1975 - Live At The Avgarde Gallery Manchester

Don Rendell With The Joe Palin Trio 

Featuring Guest Pete Martin

1975

Live At The Avgarde Gallery Manchester

01. On The Way

02. Euphrates

03. I Can't Get Started

04. Antibes

05. Summer Song

Don Rendell - tenor & soprano sax, flute

Pete Martin - trumpet

Joe Palin - piano

Ian Taylor - bass

Gordon Beckett - drums

Recorded: October 3, 1973 Live at The Avgarde Gallerry, Manchester, England

b. 4 March 1926, Plymouth, Devon, England. Rendell began playing alto saxophone as a child but later switched to tenor. He played in a number of dance bands during the late 40s, and in 1950 became a member of John Dankworth’s septet. After leaving Dankworth in 1953 he formed his own small group but also worked with bands led by Tony Crombie, Ted Heath and others. In 1956 he joined Stan Kenton for a European tour, appearing on Live At The Albert Hall. In the late 50s he played with Woody Herman. During the 60s Rendell was again leading his own bands, featuring musicians such as Graham Bond, Michael Garrick and Ian Carr, with whom he was co-leader of a successful band. The four albums he recorded with Carr are highly recommended. Rendell has also recorded with Stan Tracey (The Latin American Caper), and Neil Ardley (Greek Variations).

A fluent improviser, with hints of post-bop styling overlaying a deep admiration for the earlier work of Lester Young, Rendell has long been one of the most admired of British jazz artists. For many years he has been tireless in the promotion of jazz through his activities as a sought-after teacher.

This set, recorded at a Manchester art gallery with backing from local boys the Joe Palin Trio, catches Rendell on top form. Free from former partner Ian Carr, who at the time was delving ever further into the far reaches of fusion, Rendell puts down a hard bop masterclass, showcasing his mastery of both tenor and soprano sax and flute. His tenor playing sounds like a more fiery Dexter Gordon at times, but he's at his most striking on the soprano. Throughout the set he walks that line between totally dominating proceedings and falling back into line just at the point when he threatens to overwhelm, with that ever present Lester Young influence tempering the fire.

This is definitely Rendell's show, but Palin gets plenty of solo time too, and the most striking thing about the set is how simpatico the group are as a whole. The Palin Trio were a local jobbing band, used to backing touring soloists, but to hear them here you'd think they had played with Rendell for years, so much so that when trumpeter Pete Martin drops a guest spot on a couple of tracks, it feels a bit like he's intruding. The sound quality isn't up to much, but this is definitely one to seek out for fans of British Jazz.

Sometimes I think my love for this little known album is more to do with civic pride than the quality of the music. Then I give it another spin and all such thoughts disappear in an instant.

This set, recorded at a Manchester art gallery with backing from local boys the Joe Palin Trio, catches Rendell on top form. Free from former partner Ian Carr, who at the time was delving ever further into the far reaches of fusion, Rendell puts down a hard bop masterclass, showcasing his mastery of both tenor and soprano sax and flute. His tenor playing sounds like a more fiery Dexter Gordon at times, but he's at his most striking on the soprano. Throughout the set he walks that line between totally dominating proceedings and falling back into line just at the point when he threatens to overwhelm, with that ever present Lester Young influence tempering the fire.

This is definitely Rendell's show, but Palin gets plenty of solo time too, and the most striking thing about the set is how simpatico the group are as a whole. The Palin Trio were a local jobbing band, used to backing touring soloists, but to hear them here you'd think they had played with Rendell for years, so much so that when trumpeter Pete Martin drops a guest spot on a couple of tracks, it feels a bit like he's intruding. The sound quality isn't up to much, but this is definitely one to seek out for fans of British Jazz.