Graham Collier British Conversations pre-order now live
The pre-order for the fourth release on My Only Desire Records went live on Friday 27th August 2021.
To commemorate the 10th year since the passing of esteemed British jazz composer, bassist and bandleader Graham Collier, My Only Desire Records presents this 1975 recording of his previously unreleased suite British Conversations.
The recording was commissioned by Sveriges Radio and features lead soloists trumpeter Harry Beckett and guitarist Ed Speight, who were regulars in Collier’s band, Graham Collier Music. They play alongside the station’s resident big band, The Swedish Radio Jazz Group – made up of the hottest players on the ’70s Scandi jazz scene – including saxophonists Arne Domnérus, Claes Rosendahl and Lennart Åberg, trumpeter Jan Allan, pianist Bengt Hallberg, guitarist Rune Gustafsson and drummer Egil Johansen.
Conducted by Collier, he steers the band through his five-part suite that encompasses beautiful, richly detailed melodies, driving jazz rock and as many extremes as the British weather that inspired its name. Across the five extended pieces – that often start slowly before gradually building to a dramatic crescendo – Collier displays some of the finest compositional work and arrangements of his career.
Remastered from the original tapes by Caspar Sutton-Jones @ Gearbox Records, British Conversations is available as a limited edition (500 units worldwide) 2LP set housed in a gatefold sleeve and ‘mini-LP’ gatefold CD with insert and across all digital platforms. The sleeve notes are by Graham Collier biographer Duncan Heining, who published the much-praised Mosaics – The Life and Works of Graham Collier (Equinox Publishing, 2018), “a valuable celebration of the work and legacy of one of the UK’s most important and influential musical figures.” London Jazz News
Graham Collier (1937 – 2011) was one of the most accomplished, popular and collectable British jazz artists during the Brit-jazz heyday of the ’60s and ’70s, with his career of musically challenging yet hugely rewarding albums spanning five decades. His early LPs Deep Dark Blue Centre (Deram, 1967), Down Another Road (Fontana, 1969) and Darius (Mosaics, 1974,) are rightly considered classics of the era. Collier’s work as both an author and educator, as well as composer, bandleader and bassist have made him one of the most influential British jazz artists of all time.
Released in co-operation with the Collier estate, we hope this wonderful record leads to many new people discovering and enjoying the music of Graham Collier.
To pre-order via Bandcamp, a selection of indie shops and your favourite digital store based on your location, please follow this smart link.
