Artist: Mike Westbrook

Date of Release: 01/01/2002

Catalogue no: JPVP 130 CD

Label: Voiceprint Jazz

Price: £7

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Track Listing

Appearances by

Chris Biscoe, Kate Westbrook

Hear Sound Samples on the Westbrookjazz Website

From Bargain Basement to Roof Garden, the elevator doors open to reveal glimpses into the life of the Trio in twenty years of Geographical and musical travel.

L'Ascenseur/The Lift, a piece conceived by Kate Westbrook and developed collectively by the trio, exists in English, French, German, Portuguese and Italian versions, reflecting the group's European history. The premiere of this new piece in Nancy on 23 April 2002 was followed by performances in Metz, Zurich and Esch, Luxembourg. Further performances, including the Brit-Jazz festival in Dortmund (recorded by WDR) and Braga, Portugal, preceded the recording of this album with Jon Hiseman, and the U.K. premiere at Kettle's Yard, Cambridge on November 13, 2002.
Martin King. Editor: Smith's Academy Informer..
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Kate Westbrook - Vocals / Tenor Horn
Chris Biscoe - Soprano, Alto, Tenor & Baritone Saxophones / Piccolo
Mike Westbrook - Piano / Tuba / Voice

Recorded at Temple Music Studios, Sutton, Surrey, September 14-17, 2002.
Recording Directed, Engineered and mixed by Jon Hiseman.
Produced by The Westbrook Trio.
Cover Photograph by Nick White.

Music by Mike Westbrook and * by Chris Biscoe.
Texts by Kate Westbrook.
Versions in Italian (2) by Sergio Amadori, in German (3 & 10) by Tommy Bodmer,
Portuguese (5) by Teresa Carvalho and Matt Meyer, and French (8) by Lucienne Droz.

Reviews

01/01/2002 Stacey Kent JAZZ LINE-UP - BBC Radio 3

"This is a wonderful album full of evocative images of their tales and travels, including Kate in various languages, as they make their way across the globe."

01/01/2002 Chrissie Murray - RONNIE SCOTT MAGAZINE

"Drama King & Queen Mike & Kate Westbrook, plus superior reeds player Chris Biscoe, celebrate their 20th Anniversary, combining elements of German expressionism with cabaret and music-hall via far-out jazz."

01/01/2002 Clive Davis - THE SUNDAY TIMES

"An intriguing stroll in the dark. Think of Kurt Weill crossed with J G Ballard at his most dreamlike, and you have some idea of this imaginary, multilingual odyssey, the settings shifting endlessly across the globe."

01/01/2002 Hugh Gregory - JAZZ REVIEW

"Westbrook's disciplined ear for structure ensures that both Kate Westbrook and Biscoe have solid bases on which to develop their improvisations. 'Lunar Eclipse Over Western Australia' shows Biscoe at his most eloquent, recalling Konitz in the way he constructs his solo: note by note, and phrase by phrase."

01/01/2002 Dave Gelly - THE OBSERVER

"No one has succeeded in creating a more distinctive body of work than Mike and Kate Westbrook. Their mixture of jazz, music-theatre, poetry, street entertainment and visuals is rich and unique. ..That just three people can create such a variety of sounds is hard to believe"

01/01/2002 PIZZA EXPRESS WEBSITE

"A delicately balanced act, by turns melodic, haunting and hilarious, the fabulous threesome promise a fantastical and unforgettable journey."

01/01/2002 John Fordham - THE GUARDIAN

"Devoted to coupling jazz improvisation with non-African-American materials (Italian opera, brass bands, English folk-music, the poetry of Lorca and Blake, a kind of sinister cabaret music influenced by Kurt Weill) the Westbrooks represent the intransigent antithesis of the retro or classic jazz movement."