Mcgregor, Chris/Brotherhood of / Bremen to Bridgewater
Album: Bremen to Bridgewater   Collection:Jazz
Artist:Mcgregor, Chris/Brotherhood of   Added:Jan 2004
Label:Cuneiform Records  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2004-02-09 Pull Date: 2004-04-12 Charts: Jazz
Week Ending: Apr 11 Mar 7 Feb 29 Feb 15
Airplays: 3 1 1 3

Recent Airplay
1. Aug 11, 2009: Jena & Gomorrah: big bands
Kongi's Theme
4. Sep 04, 2004: Morning Glory
Untitled Original
2. Jun 21, 2005: Umami Jazz Program
Yes, Please
5. Apr 09, 2004: Memory Select
The Serpent's Kindly Eye
3. Apr 26, 2005: Umami Jazz Program
Funky Boots March
6. Apr 06, 2004: Umami Jazz Program
Sonia

Album Review
Ben
Reviewed 2004-02-05
A beautifully raucous big band sound, McGregor and his band are direct musical descendants of Ellington via Gillespie and Mingus. There is a lot of wonderful group improvisation, and as wild as it gets the band still acknowledges it's bebop roots. Everyone here is an incredible soloist but the most important part is that you can tell they're all having a hell of a lot of FUN.. definitely surprising considering all the shit these guys had to put up with. This set is a collection of live recordings from a few different periods, and the music here more than makes up for the less than perfect fidelity.

* Asterisks are starting points... all tracks are worth playing
disc 1
1. Alternates between free improv and ensemble fanfare
*2. Incredibly catchy march-like theme
3. Swingy big-band Monk style theme
4. Continuation of last piece, starts with trumpet solo, funky theme comes in at end
5. Still continuing from last piece, starts with group improv
6. Short crazed concert-closing fanfare
*7. Sloppy (In a good way!!) calypso groove
*8. Great catchy closer
9. Speedy solo vehicle, the best sound quality of the lot
10. Funky swing

disc 2

*1. upbeat love song, tender melody but still the big band cacophony
2. Monkish harmonies in the theme, then straight swing solos
3. playful interlocking theme then a great sax duel
4. Speedy dark bebop, much like the title
5. Ellingtonian start then builds from there
6. almost classical harmonies in theme, march-like

Track Listing
1. Funky Boots March   9. The Serpent's Kindly Eye
2. Kongi's Theme   10. Untitled Original
3. Now   11. Sonia
4. The Bride   12. Now
5. Think of Something   13. Yes, Please
6. Union Special   14. Restless
7. Andromeda   15. Kwhalo
8. Do It   16. Untitled Original 2