The Brass Monkeys - Lullabite (33 Jazz Records, 2023)

By Sammy Stein

Lullabite is the latest album from the brass octet The Brass Monkeys. Released on the 33 Jazz Records Lullabite captures the dynamic sound that comes from engaging two key facets when you want to create great music - youth and experience.

The Brass Monkeys are influenced by jazz, blues, reggae, country, free improvisation, soul, and folk. These musicians come together sporadically but with increasing frequency and create an exciting mix of original material and unusual classics. The Brass Monkeys’ take on music is simultaneously respectful and maverick. It is an original take on the history of musical improvisation.

Spontaneous solos, creations, and improvised notations are interspersed with stylistic homages to the great composers of music. The arrangements allow for a variety of improvising contexts including solos, duos, trios, and full ensemble interactions. At the core is the opportunity for interplay between the musicians. This approach – that of combining numerous elements in different ways– creates something of a treasure trove of music for the listener – whether that be one who is intrigued by improvised music or seeks comfort and tradition.

The Brass Monkeys has attracted an outstanding lineup of musicians who include Chris Dowding (Natural Causes, Rude 2.0, Moonrise Trio) and Charlotte Keeffe (Right Here, Right Now Quartet, Sound Brush, The Anthropology Band) on trumpet and flugelhorns, Jim Rattigan (Pavilion, Haden/Bley Liberation Music Orchestra, Michael Brecker Quindectet) on French horn, Annie Whitehead (Rude 2.0, Penguin Café Orchestra Kieran McLeod - Ivo Neame's Dodeka, Riot Jazz Brass Band, Scottish National Jazz Orchestra) on trombone, Ben Higham( Hard Edges, Arthur, Loverly) on tuba (also leader) and Olly Blackman (Hackney Colliery Band, Quadracerotops) on drums.

Lullabite provides free flying improvising such as in the title track ‘Lullabite’ alongside swinging, warmth-imbued arrangements line in the flavoursome ‘Barbados’ where Parker’s original is given an arrangement that creates a deep, warm intonation with some scintillating playing from Downing under which the tuba of Higham tunefully grunts out an accompaniment and devilish solo.

Standout tracks are the Keeffe/Higham/Rattigan composition ‘Post Poolonk’ and the Whitehead/Kieran McLeod composition, ‘Dem Bones’ but pulling out tracks to highlight is difficult in this eclectic jewel box of an album.

A word should go to the tenor saxophonists missed in the earlier lineup information at this juncture. Paul Jolly (Sothiac, The People Band, Loverly), broke a finger four days before recording the album, recovering to play on tracks 10 and 13 on the final day of recording. Meanwhile, Rob Milne (Nebula Sun, Norwich Improv Mafia) stepped in to play tenor sax on all other tracks.

There often a discussion between musicians (and reviewers) that asks something like, “if you could put certain musicians together and watch what happened, who would you choose?” On this occasion, I think I might now argue for this particular lineup if you want both a nod to tradition and history of jazz and the joyous revealing music that is free improvision. From marching bands in NOLA inspirations like Highams’s ‘How Long’? to the swing of ‘Man in Astrakhan’ and the free improvision that is gleefully given rein in various tracks, this is music to dive deeply into. Had some of the great jazz players not been lost young, I have a sense they might have developed this style that mixes tradition with even more innovation. Of course, this music is helped not inconsiderably by the fact these outstanding players in the lineup mean it is carefully crafted and delivered by those best equipped in the medium.

Here, there is tradition and familiarity in tracks like ‘Barbados’ to the unexpected improv of tracks like ‘Snake Music’ where both styles sit side by side in relative harmony.

The album finishes with a Brass Monkey version of Lester Bowie’s’ Charlie M’ which is delivered in close adherence to the original – with some additions.

This is a truly collective – and eclectic– album, everyone gets to solo, and the musicians get to play with each other in a variety of combinations but at the heart of it is the respect to both traditional jazz and improvisation.