Gilad Atzmon / Alan Barnes

“The Lowest Common Denominator”

(Woodville Records WVCD148)

On the face of it Gilad Atzmon and Alan Barnes would appear to have little in common. The outspoken Israeli multi-instrumentalist has fashioned his own unique brand of ‘Middle Eastern Jazz’ with his group The Orient House Ensemble, while Barnes, for all his versatility is more closely identified with a far more ‘mainstream’ blend of jazz.

But look more closely and there are many similarities. Both are talented multi-reed players, both share a love of the classic jazz tradition, particularly the music of Charlie Parker, and both are celebrated for their sense of humour. Gigs by Atzmon and Barnes are some of the funniest around, both men are noted for between tunes banter that makes audiences laugh out loud, even if Atzmon does ruffle a few feathers along the way via a combination of his extreme political views and his often crude and frank sexual vulgarity. 

But the indefatigable Atzmon is also a serial collaborator who has worked as a musician and producer with a wide range of artists ranging from singer/songwriter Sarah Gillespie to Ian Dury and the Blockheads. I’d guess that the seeds for this current project probably came from him and arose from his admiration for the similarly tireless Barnes.

The names of Atzmon and Barnes have featured on the Jazzmann website many times and the pair are among the busiest and most popular musicians on the UK jazz circuit so I don’t intend to spend any further time on their individual biographical details. Instead I’ll just get on with looking at this début album by jazz’s version of “The Odd Couple”.

Even before putting the CD in the player it’s clear that a high degree of mutual co-operation has gone into this recording. The album appears on Barnes’ own Woodville Records imprint but the backing band is Atzmon’s with OHE members Frank Harrison (piano), Yaron Stavi (double bass) and Chris Higginbottom (drums) all present and correct. Barnes is credited with playing alto and baritone saxes plus clarinet while Atzmon is also credited with alto sax and also adds soprano sax plus bass clarinet. Unfortunately the album credits don’t identify specific soloists and occasionally it can be difficult to be totally categoric about who’s playing what.

Before pressing ‘play’ take time to read the album’s mathematically themed liner notes which contain some brilliantly witty word play and are extremely funny, a veritable entertainment in themselves.

I’m pleased to see that Atzmon and Barnes have resisted the temptation to blow their way through a set of jazz standards or Charlie Parker tunes and have instead brought an all original programme to the project with Barnes contributing five tunes and Atzmon three.

The album commences with Barnes’ “Fat Cat”, a sturdy slice of hard bop featuring the composer’s robust baritone, Atzmon’s incisive alto and Harrison’s more considered piano. There’s also some delightfully spirited sparring between the squalling horns.

Following the brawny opener Atzmon’s title track comes as something as a surprise, particularly after reading the snigger inducing liner notes. Introduced by Stavi’s double bass the piece is richly atmospheric and features a subtler, gentler blend of horns and a vaguely Middle Eastern feel. Gently propelled by Stavi’s bass and the patter of Higginbottom’s delicately nuanced drums the piece unfolds slowly and gradually with Atzmon, this time on soprano, and Stavi featuring as soloists.

Also by Atzmon “Blip Blop” marks a return to bop virtues but is given a modern edge courtesy of Higginbottom’s contemporary drum grooves. The piece ups the energy levels once more with the horn solos being shared between Atzmon’s fiery alto and Barne’s muscular baritone. There are also a series of effervescent exchanges between Harrison and Higginbottom

Barnes’ “Sweet Pea” proves to be a beautiful ballad performance with commendably tender solos from Atzmon on alto and Barnes on baritone plus some similarly expressive interplay between the pair. Harrison is at his most lyrical at the piano while Higginbottom, playing brushed drums, is the epitome of good taste and restraint.

Also from the pen of Barnes “Phonus Balonus” is a quirky, high energy, bebop inspired piece with some vivacious horn exchanges and a short but rumbustious solo from Harrison who delivers his most energised playing of the set.

Atzmon’s “Pro-State Solution” lowers the temperature once more and features both reed men playing their respective clarinets. A graceful and melodic piece of writing the performance also includes a limpidly flowing piano solo from the ever reliable Harrison.

Barnes’ “Giladiator” was written as a tribute to the political activism of his front line partner. It’s a suitably lively piece that captures something of Gilad’s manic energy with its busy rhythms, darting melodic motifs and mercurial soloing with high octane features for both horn players plus Harrison and Higginbottom. 

The album closes on an elegiac note with Barnes’ lovely “Sun, Moon, Stars, Rain”, a beautifully melodic ballad that features the composer on clarinet and Atzmon on soprano plus delightfully lyrical cameos from Harrison and Stavi, all underscored by Higginbottom’s tastefully brushed drums. 

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from “The Lowest Common Denominator” but overall the album has come as a very pleasant surprise. Given the reputation of the co-leaders as humorists I feared that the album might be rather too “jokey” but fortunately the pair have restricted any clowning around to the highly amusing album cover - and, presumably, the bandstand. One would imagine that this group’s live shows are frequently hilarious as Atzmon and Barnes punctuate the music with their rightly famed verbal repartee.

Although largely rooted in bop the album is more than just a blowing session and both Barnes and Atzmon contribute some excellent original compositions. It may not be the most profound album that Atzmon has ever recorded but it’s good to hear Barnes in a less mainstream setting than usual. And, of course, the whole record is great fun and features some excellent musicianship. I haven’t had the chance to see this music performed live as of yet but one suspects that a Lowest Common Denominator live show would be quite an experience!

 

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