Proverbs and Songs
Proverbs and Songs is a live album by the English saxophonist John Surman of a suite of choral settings of Old Testament texts. It was recorded on 1 June 1, 1996, at Salisbury Cathedral with the organist John Taylor and released on the ECM label.[1] It also featured the 75-strong Salisbury Festival Chorus.[2] It was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize in 1998.[3] Surman performed the suite several times after the 1996 performance.[2]
Proverbs and Songs | ||||
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Live album by | ||||
Released | 1997 | |||
Recorded | 1 June 1996 | |||
Genre | Jazz | |||
Length | 49:28 | |||
Label | ECM | |||
Producer | Derek Drescher | |||
John Surman chronology | ||||
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Reception
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [4] |
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings | [5] |
The AllMusic review awarded the album 2.5 stars.[4] Alyn Shipton wrote that Surman's "unaccompanied choral writing was rich and unusual and elsewhere the sense of jazz rhythm and forward motion came almost exclusively from his saxophone, creating rich ostinatos, or swirling aggressively among the choral parts".[2]
Track listing
- All music by John Surman and text from the Old Testament
- "Prelude" - 3:11
- "The Sons" - 4:55
- "The Kings" - 6:41
- "Wisdom" - 7:39
- "Job" - 4:50
- "No Twilight" - 7:42
- "Pride" - 5:00
- "The Proverbs" - 4:06
- "Abraham Arise!" - 5:24
Personnel
- John Surman – soprano saxophone, baritone saxophone, bass clarinet
- John Taylor – organ
- Salisbury Festival Chorus conducted by Howard Moody
References
- ECM discography accessed November 7, 2011
- Sabbatini, Mark (3 February 2009). ""Proverbs And Songs" by John Surman, Howard Moody and the Ultime Thule Choir at the 2009 Nordlysfestivalen, Tromso, Norway". All About Jazz. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
- "Mercury Rising: Gomez Win '98 Album Prize". NME. 17 August 1998. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
- " John Surman Proverbs and Songs", Allmusic. Retrieved November 7, 2011
- Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 1365. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.