The Cortège (album)

The Cortège is an album by the Mike Westbrook Orchestra, performing a composition for jazz orchestra composed by Westbrook with texts from Federico Garcia Lorca, Arthur Rimbaud, Hermann Hesse, William Blake, Guiseppe Gioachino Belli, John Clare, Pentti Saarikoski, and other European poetry, which was recorded in 1982 and first released as a triple LP on the Original label and reissued as a double CD on Enja in 1993 and 2011.[1]

The Cortège
Studio album by
Mike Westbrook Orchestra
Released1982
RecordedMarch and April 1982
StudioThe Music Centre, Wembley, England
GenreJazz
Length136:45
LabelOriginal ORA 309
ProducerFiachra Trench, Kate Westbrook, Mike Westbrook
Mike Westbrook chronology
The Paris Album
(1981)		 The Cortège
(1982)		 A Little Westbrook Music
(1983)

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
All About Jazz[2]
Allmusic[3]

The Allmusic review by Dave Lynch called it "an often stunning work of massive scope and an indisputable highlight of Westbrook's career" and stated "The Cortège might be too sprawling for a first investigation of Westbrook, but it warrants consideration as the centerpiece of any Westbrook collection".[3]

On All About Jazz Chris May called it "one of finest achievements of British orchestral jazz".[2]

The Observer's Dave Gelly noted "It's only recently that the evolution of distinctly European forms of jazz has been acknowledged, but it began decades ago. One of the first milestones was this huge, unsettling work. .... The Cortège evolved over several years and, if there is a definitive version, this 1982 recording is it".[4]

Track listing

All compositions by Mike Westbrook

  1. "It Starts Here" – 5:18
  2. "Democratie" – 7:55
  3. "Berlin 16.2.79" – 9:25
  4. "Erme Estuary" – 8:40
  5. "Guitar Solo" – 2:31
  6. "Knivshult/Ash Wednesday" – 4:54
  7. "Ruote Che Girano" – 6:48
  8. "Piano" – 3:06
  9. "Leñador" – 11:32
  10. "July '79" – 12:49
  11. "Enface" – 14:03
  12. "Cordoba" – 8:11
  13. "Santarcangelo: Free as Bird" – 1:18
  14. "Santarcangelo: Evening" – 1:35
  15. "Santarcangelo: Jerusalem" – 2:27
  16. "Santarcangelo: Dawn" – 1:50
  17. "Santarcangelo: Piped Music" – 3:35
  18. "Santarcangelo: Dirge" – 0:55
  19. "Santarcangelo: Didn't He Ramble" – 1:41
  20. "Santarcangelo: Cadenza" – 3:39
  21. "Kyrie" – 6:12
  22. "A Hearth Burns: The Toper's Rant" – 8:49
  23. "A Hearth Burns: Une Vie" – 1:15
  24. "Graffitti" – 6:24
  25. "Duet" – 2:45


Personnel
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References
  1. Mike Westbrook discography: album details accessed July 17, 2018
  2. May, C., All About Jazz Review, accessed July 17, 2018
  3. Lynch, Dave. Mike Westbrook: The Cortège – Review at AllMusic. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  4. Gelly. D. The Observer Review, accessed July 17, 2018
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