WHAT’S ON

Tuesday, Memorial Concert for Bryn Collinson, Studio, Hartlepool, featuring Musicians Unlimited, The White Negroes and Jazzoozy, 01429-424440.

CD REVIEWS

Graham Collier/Down Another Road etc (BGO Records BGOCD767)

BGO have reissued some of the key recordings by modern British jazz men including Keith Tippett, Mike Westbrook and Ian Carr. Now it’s turned to composer, band leader and bass player Graham Collier (born in Tynemouth, incidentally) who was a pioneer at exploring the balance between composition and improvisation.

This 2-CD set, digitally remastered with original liner notes and new comments, contains three original LPs – Down Another Road, Songs for My Father and Mosaics.

With sterling contributions from Karl Jenkins, John Marshall, Alan Wakeman and, especially, Harry Beckett, they sound remarkably good 40 years on.

Graham Collier/Deep Dark Blue Centre etc (BGOCD822)

This, another 2-CD set, brings us Collier’s first album, in stereo, plus Portraits and a previously un-issued alternate recording of Mosaics. Many of the same players plus Mike Gibbs, Dick Pearce and Phil Lee contribute here on a reissue which I’ve found enormously enjoyable. Web address: bgo-records.com