Tag / A Supreme Love CD box set

by mikeraggett

We’ll remember Coltrane – 1983 style

Alan was rooting through his archives – something of a habit after the reception to the CD Boxset A Supreme Love – when he found a VHS tape (remember those?) labelled Baden-Baden 1983. It contained some rare footage recorded by the German TV Station Südwest Funk. It was part of a week-long workshop under the title we’ll Remember Coltrane which Alan did in that year in Baden-Baden. The week culminated in a concert hall in Mainz. Gathered here were some of the great names of European jazz: Albert Mangelsdorf, Tomasz Stanko and a whole raft of saxophone players including Alan himself. They were joined by Rashied Ali from the USA who had played as a drummer with John Coltrane so the connection was very real for all concerned. The presenter Joachim Ernst Behrendt introduces each of the saxophone players who will solo and we hear the introduction to My Favourite Things a song Coltrane usually played on soprano saxophone although the opening here is on tenors.

We’ve edited the session down so as to feature Alan’s solo, following on from his great friend Gerd Dudek, in which he squeezes some wonderful phrases out of the top end of the soprano. Have a listen.

And if you want to hear more from Alan’s archive – A Supreme Love has sold out in the CD version but you can download all or individual tracks from Confront Recordings.

by mikeraggett

An article about Skid in the NYCJR

The prestigious jazz journal The New York City Jazz Record has picked up on the release of A Supreme Love Alan Skidmore’s six CD Box set published last month by Confront Recordings. He gets cover billing in the June issue.

In an article written by Francisco Martinelli, the author of A History of European Jazz, the piece covers Skid’s six decades represented by the six CDs in the box set. Much of it is drawn from Richard Williams’ excellent booklet which accompanies the CDs and from Martinelli’s extensive knowledge of the European jazz scene. You can read it here. [courtesy New York City Jazz Record]                          Click and + to enlarge if need be.

And if you haven’t got this amazing record of a distinguished career you can buy it here from Mark Wastell’s Confront Recordings.

by mikeraggett

Birthday Bonanza

21 April 2023 was a very significant date. There was a star-studded gig at London’s Café Oto called Impressions of John Coltrane. It was celebrating 60 years since the release of John Coltrane’s revered album Impressions. And another album was previewd that night in Dalston: A Supreme Love a six CD box set covering six decades of playing by Alan Skidmore. Oh, and it also happened to be Alan’s 81st birthday. Quite a night!

As the poster suggested, there were three groups in the evening’s line up. A trio with Ed Jones on tenor sax, Dominic Lash on bass and Mark Wastell on a splendid array of percussion instruments. Mark was also the organiser of the whole thing. This was a contemplative, free improvisatory set which meandered in and out of Coltrane’s 1966 composition The Father and The Son and The Holy Ghost and set the scene for the evening very well. Next up was the David Angol Quartet with David on tenor and soprano saxes and they were joined by Alan Skidmore for a spirited rendition of the tune Impressions. After a short break the final set was played by the Nat Birchall Quintet. Nat is another long-time admirer of Coltrane’s work and also invited Alan to join the quintet for a Coltrane tune Selflessness  in which where the interplay between the players was really intense and dramatic.

Alan Skidmore and Nat Birchall
Alan soloing on Ascension
Everybody on stage for Ascension

The finale with everybody on stage was a barnstorming Ascension and brought to an end a brilliant evening of quality jazz dedicated to the memory of the all-time great composer and saxophonist John Coltrane. What a night!

A highlight for me was being able to purchase the first copy to be sold of the CD box set and have Alan sign it for me. A prized possession which contains a fascinating journey over six decades of Skid’s development as a musician. The story is elegantly traced by Richard Williams in the comprehensive booklet of sleeve notes. Highly recommended – as only 8 of the 46 tracks included have been published before so it’s a truly unique opportunity to hear the range of Alan’s playing from early days with his dad through to recent Coltrane commemorative (or thank you) gigs in 2019.

Six CDs, an illuminating booklet and my signed box.

The whole project – box set and concert – was masterminded by Mark Wastell’s Confront Recordings label from which you can also buy this amazing testimonial to a great tenor saxophone player when it goes on official release in a couple of weeks’ time.

Watch this space for the date.

Words and images Mike Raggett April 2023