ProJazz.net

Whenever modern jazz lovers got together to discuss the albums they’d most love to see reissued, Neil Ardley’s Kaleidoscope of Rainbows was seldom far from someone’s mind. Originally released in 1976 and promptly proclaimed a landmark of British jazz-rock (Melody Maker termed it “one of the great musical achievements of our age”), Kaleidoscope of Rainbows drew in contributions from Ian Carr, Tony Coe, Dave MacRae, and Barbara Thompson, the very cream of what was then an astonishingly vibrant jazz scene, and it was as beautiful as its ingredients demanded. This reissue was timed to coincide with a memorial service for Ardley following the composer’s death in February 2004 and, while it packs nothing in the way of bonus tracks, the remastering of its seven original tracks opens the entire album up to new appreciation. Sandwiched by the twin epics “Prologue/Rainbow One” and “Rainbow Seven” (all the tracks are numerically titled variations), the music wanders from gentle melody and rhythm to some startling wind passages, with “Rainbow Three” toying with rock passages, “Rainbow Five” nodding towards tribal percussives, and “Rainbow Six” tinkling with almost pastoral serenity. Certainly there are few albums that can offer so much variety within one single, well-defined framework; and, with Kaleidoscope of Rainbows appearing as monumental today as it did upon its original release, the accolades that accompanied it can only be restated too. It remains “one of the great musical achievements of our age.” – Dave Thompson/AllMusic.

Kaleidoscope of Rainbows

• rainbow kaleidoscope
• Product Type: ABIS MUSIC
• Brand: LANTERN HEIGHTS

$24.00

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Track listing:

00:00 – 10:26 01 Prologue_Rainbow One
10:26 – 18:01 02 Rainbow Two
18:01 – 21:29 03 Rainbow Three
21:29 – 27:44 04 Rainbow Four
27:44 – 32:09 05 Rainbow Five
32:09 – 39:48 06 Rainbow Six
39:48 – 54:46 07 Rainbow Seven_Epilogue

Personnel:

Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Flute – Barbara Thompson (tracks: A1, A2, A4 to B4), Bob Bertles
Bass – Roger Sutton
Cello [Acoustic, Electric] – Paul Buckmaster
Conductor, Synthesizer – Neil Ardley
Design – Gull Graphics, John Pasche
Drums – Roger Sellers
Electric Piano, Synthesizer – Dave MacRae (tracks: A1 to B1, B4), Geoff Castle
Guitar – Ken Shaw
Percussion, Vibraphone – Trevor Tomkins
Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet – Tony Coe
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Flute, Alto Flute – Brian Smith
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Ian Carr

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Label: Gull – GULP 1018
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo
Country: UK
Released: 1976