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Neil
Ardley - appreciation
by Barbara Thompson
My friendship and musical relationship started with Neil in 1964, when I
joined the New Jazz Orchestra.
I had
just started studying at the Royal College of Music, but learnt far more
from working with Neil and playing his music. His broad concepts brought
together many different elements, producing original music of the
highest quality.
'Kaleidoscope of Rainbows' features a long soprano saxophone solo over a
beautiful sequence. During the recording I played the solo and after the
first or the second version, Neil said that they had what they wanted.
It's
crucial at this stage of recording to know when the performer has given
of their best. As a soloist, I never know at the time, if what I've
played is my best, only in retrospect, so I owe a lot to Neil's
judgement, because subsequently Neil, and other people have told me that
it's the best improvised solo they ever heard.
In
2002, Neil asked me to write it down, as he was rescoring the work and
wanted to include it in the new version. I found it extremely difficult
to work out what exactly I was playing, but it all fell into place when
I listened to 'Kaleidoscope' being performed by a different line up at
the Purcell Room. For the first time, I appreciated the delicacy and
subtle beauty of Neil's work from the listener's point of view.
40
years of knowing someone is sharing life through all the different
stages of youth, middle age, and finally old age, which Neil will never
know.
To me,
Neil will never die. He will live on through our memories in several
different ways. - as an artist - conductor and composer, he helped the
British jazz Scene to find its own voice starting in the early/mid 60's
when he was asked to take over the New Jazz Orchestra.
Though
influenced by artists such as Duke Ellington, Miles Davis and Gil Evans,
he developed his own style and the New Jazz Orchestra, average age 23 at
that time, went from strength to strength, making two albums in 'Western
Re-Union' and 'Le Dejeuner Sur L'Herbe' and playing to packed houses.
We met
on a cold bleak Sunday morning at the 100 Club in Oxford Street, in
1964. It was a NJO rehearsal and I was auditioning for 2nd alto. They
didn't want a soloist, just somebody who could read and play in tune.
After
the rehearsal they had a meeting to decide whether they wanted me in the
band. Neil apparently was one of my biggest supporters. This decision
was monumental to the direction of my life, both artistically and
personally.
Many of
the fine musicians currently in the band at that time went on to become
stalwarts of the British Jazz Scene. Members of the band included Dave
Gelly, Ian Carr, Dick Heckstall Smith, Tony Reeves, Jack Bruce, Norma
Winstone, Michael Garrick, Paul Rutherford, Trevor Watts, Art Theman,
Harry Beckett and Henry Lowther - just to name a few.
Musicians can be hard to handle, but Neil was always cheerful and
enthusiastic to work with, and an incredibly good organiser – you always
knew where you were with Neil.
His
music was symptomatic of his personality. He loved walking and beautiful
open spaces - during the last few years he visited Australia on a
regular basis, and like a lot of composers getting away for peace and
quiet in a beautiful environment, wrote a lot of music. He totally
rescored 'Kaleidoscope of Rainbows' whilst he was there.
For
over 40 precious years, I knew Neil and worked with him on his projects
and he on mine; it's has been a long road highlighted by our creative
activities, and so many of which were inspired by him.
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