COURTNEY PINE: ANOTHER STORY VARIOUS PRODUCERS TALKIN LOUD RECORDS. 536 9281
As Courtney Pine indicated in his AQ interview, this album of remixes is less of another story and more of a continuing one. For him, it is the next step in his ongoing experimentation of fusing drum n bass with jazz. All the twelve tracks have been taken from his two Talkin Loud albums, “Underground” and “Mondern Day Jazz Stories”. Previously these mixes have been available as promo only or limited 12” releases, now though “Another Story” the world at large can hear the results of what happens when the likes of Roni Size and Attica Blues meet Courtney Pine. Not surprisingly, the outcome is a shift towards dance and away from what many would regard as jazz (which is?…answers on a postcard please).
Reflecting the healthy diversity of the British dance scene the mixes vary from hip-hop to jungle to acid jazz. In doing so, the various collaborations show just how well jazz can be mixed with dance. Take the track which kicks off the album, for example, the 4 Hero Main Mix of I’ve Known Rivers: the drum and bass beat sounds appropriately modern but there is still the drawing of the raw edge of hard bop – the 1990’s mix with the 1950’s. it works. And it works well. “Another Story”, is obviously a dance orientated album but it never loses sight of the fact that the originals are from jazz albums made by a jazz man. This should hopefully encourage these people who would not normally touch such a drum n bass album with a 12 foot tone-arm to try it for a listen.
The world at large can hear the results of what happens when the likes of Roni Size and Attica Blues meet Courtney Pine
Phil Brett AQ
Nor should the fact that the twelve tracks only comprise of five different songs put them off, because the sheer artistry of the mixers make each mix an entirely different number. These people take a song, dismantle it and then reassemble it. Pretty much how jazz musicians do in fact. So, the Headstrong Vocal Mix of “Trying Times” with its stripped to the minimal instrumentation is a very different story to the funkier Peshay Mix of the same song (the former track being my favourite of the set).
Coming as it does in a four LP set this is one great hunk of vinyl which will get shoes and hearts pumping ( it also comes on CD). This album is further proof of what a great story teller Courtney Pine is.