Artist: Graham Collier

Date of Release: 02/11/2009

Catalogue no: GCM 2009

Label: jazzcontinuum

Price: £12

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Track Listing

A specially priced double CD.
"His laid back attitude was totally at odds with the full frontal sound of the music. He appeared to casually stroll around the stage, giving directions to these fantastic musicians by hand signals … It was a bit like someone directing 14 Jackson Pollocks."

Reviews

21/02/2010 Massimo Ricci, Temporary Fault

A fusion of pre-planned architectures and regulated freedom allowing each soloist a spot under the sun yet never transcending into pandemonium … Music that sounds nonconformist and time-honoured at once, showing a nice conversancy with the material by the involved participants

02/01/2010 Chris Kelsey, Chris Kelsey.com

a visionary and inspired work that’s utterly unlike any big band album released since the death of Gil Evans (except for, I assume, those made by Collier himself).

01/10/2009 Duncan Heining, Jazzwise

The Vonetta Factor is one of the most genuinely modern big band compositions to come out of Britain for twenty years. … The music vibrates with passion and brims with a sense of spontaneity and joyous release. At some point, this country must show its appreciation of composers like Collier. Otherwise, nothing makes sense.

05/10/0009 Doug Ramsey, Rifftides

In directing 14 Jackson Pollocks, Collier reaches distillation of the notion that the orchestra, the written music and the improvising soloist comprise a trinity, each element inseparable from the other. …

01/10/0009 Chris Parker, Vortex Jazz Club

two hours of fascinating music.

01/10/0009 Anthony Troon, Jazz Journal

Once again Collier's remarkable vision as a composer and Machiavellian mixer of the musical maelstrom comes arrestingly to the fore. In some ways, his act of composition is to choose his pyrotechnical players, light the blue touch paper, and let them soar and make sparks … the sum of these two CDs illustrates a talent long recognised as unique in world jazz by those who relish the art of the unpredictable.