What is excellent about being given such a diverse brief revolving around places and spaces largely unknown to us, is the creative freedom we can use to interpret it.
Have you ever thought about what an entire planet could sound like? A monumental
task, even for our own planet of which we have some understanding. Meanwhile, eight
of Scotlands most distinguished and award-winning jazz composers have taken it a
step further, taken it to space in fact. This subsequent Nu-Age Sounds- PLANET
WORLD tour, highlights each planet in our solar system as every composer was
challenged with capturing the solar systems awe-inspiring majesty and exhibit their
planets character with the undertone of potential dire circumstance.
The composers and backing Scottish National Jazz Orchestra – made up of
trombones, trumpets, reeds, piano and a rhythm section of electric guitar, bass and
drum set – were so obviously excellent in their craft, delivering the exceptionally
complex and heavily textured movements with the cool ease and panache that is well
associated with jazz musicians.
The first section of the evening presented composers kitti, Helena Kay, Mat
Carmichael and Noushy (Anoushka Nanguy), depicting Venus, Saturn, Uranus and
Neptune respectively, and expressed the more romantic, joyful and deep wonderful je
ne sais quoi of the worlds. Vocalist kitti delivered buttery ballads with contemplation into the reaches of their universe. Trombonist Noushy, showed Neptune as a groovy-
heavy haven, heralding a call to action, while Helena Kay and Matt Carmichael, each masterful saxophonists, brought out incredible sweetness in tone with gorgeous,
moving solos amidst dynamic horn sections and changing attitudes. Carmichael in
particular had an incredible feel for organic transitions and emotive translation.
The second grouping of the evening saw the drama and chaos of the planets emerge
as Jupiter, Mercury, Mars and Earth came into orbit. Double bassist Ewan Hastie
promoted Jupiter with brash, cyclical energy, and a sense of grandeur, befitting of th
largest neighbor. Tommy Smith, showcasing Mercury, truly encompassed the fier
planet with soaring runs, explosive structures and a real sense of history and
storytelling— breathtaking. Mars, depicted by pianist Fergus McCreadie, had vastly
contrasting personalities, moving from light and mellow to vibrant and full bodied in its
sound with a stand out trumpet solo. Finally, Liam Shortall’s Earth gave a persistent,
nimble and polyrhythmic ending to this planetary parade.
What is excellent about being given such a diverse brief revolving around places and spaces largely unknown to us, is the creative freedom we can use to interpret it. This planetary tour is a force of talent in compositional jazz prowess and, interestingly enough, shows a unity and continuity between our understandings of very different atmospheres. It is fantastic beginning to the imaginings of how other atmospheres could feel, how life could sound under a different sky. With, what I’m sure are many more tours to come, hope the sonic boundaries can increasingly reflect how diverse and strange this universe could be.