Audio Review: A Conversation by Tim Hagans & The NDR Bigband
A Conversation (2021)
Waiting Moon Records
Tim Hagans, Trumpet
NDR Big Band (Hamburg Radio Jazz Orchestra)
Trumpeter and composer Tim Hagans is no stranger to collaborating with the NDR Bigband, also known as the Hamburg Radio Jazz Orchestra. With this fourth recorded collaboration, A Conversation is a five-movement concerto featuring a harmonious group of sounds, nuances and ideas that take an unconventional shape, musically and literally, in the form of jazz.
Known to be a forward-sounding ensemble, Hagans pushes the limits of the NDR Bigband by removing the conventional setup of a big band. Instead of sitting in their usual rows, Hagans places a combination of instruments together in four different ensembles, based on emotional objective within the music.
Totaling over 60 minutes of music, each of the concerto’s five movements is over 10 minutes long with the longest being 16 minutes. With the first movement featuring bell tones and layering of instruments, the second movement exhibits a beautiful crunch with a drone-like approach in the sound. The third movement brings a touch of complexity to the conversation of voicing and irregular intervals between the bass and piano. As Hagan’s melodic solo builds the fourth movement, it is here where the music swings into the slow blues with a whirlwind of organized chaotic sounds all halting back to the original movement’s theme. The fifth movement contains a beautiful summary of themes from the entire concerto.
Hagans complex writing features varying styles and tempos with so much depth per measure, that movements could functions on their own as an individual piece. Yet, the first and the fifth movements start and end the conversation splendidly.
Throughout these conversational moments, Hagans’ writing is amplified by letting the improvisational soloists take time and liberty to express their ideas, without limit, and perform in a magnificent recording. This combination of a masterful composer with an exceptional ensemble creates a symphony of sound that is a masterpiece in contemporary jazz.
Personnel:
Tim Hagans, composer, arranger, conductor, trumpet
NDR Bigband Personnel:
Ensemble I:
Fiete Felsch, lead alto saxophone, flute (solo Movement IV)
Frank Delle, tenor saxophone, clarinet
Ingolf Burkhardt, trumpet, flugelhorn
Steve Wiseman, trumpet, flugelhorn
Clause Stötter, trumpet, flugelhorn (solo Movement III)
Klaus Heidenreich, trombone (solo Movement V)
Ensemble II:
Peter Bolte, alto & soprano saxophone (solo Movement III)
Stephan Meinberg, trumpet, flugelhorn (solo Movement III)
Dan Gottshall, lead trombone (solo Movement III)
Daniel Buch, baritone saxophone, bass clarinet (solo Movement II & III)
Ensemble III:
Christof Lauer, tenor saxophone
Thorsten Benkenstein, lead trumpet, flugelhorn
Stefan Lottermann, trombone (solo Movement III)
Ingo Lahme, bass trombone
Ensemble IV
Jukkis Uotila, drums
Ed Harris, guitar
Ingmar Heller, acoustic bass (solo Movement II)
Vladyslav Sendecki, piano (solo Movement I)
Marcio Doctor, percussion (solo Movement IV)
Tracklist:
1. Movement I (14:46)
2. Movement II (12:01)
3. Movement III (12:51)
4. Movement IV (16:16)
5. Movement V (11:50)
Click here to purchase A Conversation on Bandcamp.
Click here to learn more about Tim Hagans.
