Tim Garland

Weather Walker

Tim Garland (composer, saxophones), Jason Rebello, Pablo Held (piano), Yuri Goloubev (double bass) with 35-piece string orchestra Edition EDN1113 58:06 mins

The jazz-with-orchestra thing has been done often enough, but to my mind at least nothing until now came close to the orchestrations of Mike Gibbs combined with the production talents of George Martin on the Mahavishnu Orchestra’s Apocalypse in 1974. Comparisons are of course odious, but I mention this classic in order to praise, not to bury Tim Garland; Weather Walker really is that good. Inspired by the Lake District, Garland has created a captivating and compelling work in which virtuoso jazz performances are combined with powerful but judicious string arrangements to produce a result that conveys both the drama and the tranquility of this unique landscape. This is a music that manages to be both atavistic and sophisticated, with none of the clumsiness or padding that handicaps even some of the most respected examples of this genre. Garland’s two pianists and bass player are clearly inspired by the material, too, delivering liberated, exuberant contributions that propel his compositional ideas along with empathy and adrenaline. The recorded sound is warm and spacious. Absolutely essential listening. ★★★★★