John Surman / Bergen Big Band - Another Sky

Surman is gradually substituting an even warmer lyricism and creative patience for his earlier raw solo power as he vivaciously arrives at his 70s. The gifted Gil Evans-influenced composer/arranger John Warren also had a hand in the scores here – including a sympathetic reworking of Thelonious Monk’s Ruby My Dear as a feature for the leader’s lustrous baritone sax. The latter soars into its own over brass clamourings and in a reflective flute-shadowed finale on Spending My Time (after a couple of subtly contrapuntal but faintly opaque openers); the Iberian-inflected, guitar-backed Carpet Ride is a standout. The closing Scare ‘Em Up is a typically inventive Surman twist on an English folk song, opening with a violin-like soprano-sax theme, and developing as a swerving, fast-moving big-band swinger showcasing Bergen’s fine reeds players. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/sep/11/john-surman-bergen-big-band-another-sky-review