Gilles Peterson: Impressed, vols. 1 & 2 (British jazz compilations)

marcello wrote some great pieces on CoM about some of that stuff, if i recall right. mike westbrook, especially. (which leads me to think it must be good, even if i haven't heard any of it ... i wonder what he thinks of these comps?)

Marcello definitely seems to know about it all in some detail. Actually, he turned up on AAJ recently, during the discussion of these compilations and the artists they cover. (I hope he wouldn't mind me mentioning this. I wouldn't want to see anyone follow him there with ILX baggage. Seriously.) I must have heard Mike Westbrook's music at one time (since I think I remember his name being announced), but I don't remember anything about it.

News hot off the presses from the people over at AAJ: BGO Records have now corrected the mastering faults that were on previous pressings of their CD reissue of Westbrook's Metropolis, so I can now recommend it unreservedly; a great, great record, sounding alternately like a noisy neighbours' hi-fi battle (free improv vs. Britfunk - on separate channels with two rhythm sections! Sort of like KPM library music hijacked by the BYG/Actuel mob in a bad mood) and some of the most gorgeous ballad ensemble writing and playing this side of The Individualism Of Gil Evans, especially the heartbreaking "Part XI" finale with Harry Beckett's gut-wrenching flugelhorn lament which also appeared on Impressed Vol 1.