Renolds Jazz Orchestra – Cube – Shanti Records

by | Dec 21, 2008 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews | 0 comments

Renolds Jazz Orchestra – Cube – Shanti Records multichannel SACD 022208 1 ** [shanti-music.com]:

(Music: Fritz Renold; Lyrics& Vocals: Helen Renold; Cond. by Patrick Furrer; Tommy Smith, Randy Brecker, Miroslav Vitous & 13 others)

I’m always interested in jazz SACD releases because there are not many of them, and I wanted to highly recommend this one from Austria due to some of the excellent big band music therein. But I must demur.  The international cast of performers do a fine job playing the music of Fritz Renold, which reflects influences of Ellington, Kenton and others.  The lyrics of the ten-part suite are a modern interpretation of Jesus’ suffering on the cross as atonement for mankind’s sins. It is a sort of Jesus Christ Superstar approach – the second movement, for example, portrays the high priest who brought Jesus to Pilate as a slick dude moving to an uptempo Latin beat.

Ellington and others have created fine musical liturgical settings which are appreciated by believers and nonbelievers alike.  The instrumental sections of Cube do exactly that; some reminded me of  Maria Schneider’s band, and the multiple-meter sections sounded like Don Ellis’ band. However, somewhere in nearly every track – making a very bad start from the first few seconds of the album – there is the most annoying voice of vocalist Helen Renold.  It’s not the lyrics or the notes, it’s that voice.  Sorry but I can’t describe it any other way than painful.

TrackList: Grave Intrigues, Calaphas, The Potter’s Field, Let This Blood Be On Us, The Rooster Crows, Eloi Eloi Lama Sabachthani, Resurrection, The Great Commission, Ascension, Cube.

 – John Henry

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