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Author: Andy Robson As big band leader and rising star Olivia Murphy has lamented, the UK lacks standing bands like the Danish Radio Big Band, or as here, The WDR Big Band. What a treat it would be for the likes of Gadd or Gomez to record with a British radio band, under the baton of someone like Murphy or Iles. This set is no game changer: it was never meant to be, but the presence of jazz royalty like the aforementioned and Ronnie Cuber's bluff baritone make this an enjoyable, bluesy, post bop run out with a funk edge as per the opening Wonder-tune ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered’. And of course the WDR aren’t only a passive platform for the imported ‘talent’: under Michael Abene's baton Bruno Muller gets to do his BB King thang on the good time shuffle of ‘Watching the River Flow’, and although Gomez goes for the limelight on ‘Che Ore So’ it's Ludwig Nuss's sweet trombone that steals the show. Gadd himself plays distinctly within himself but evidently enjoys the session. https://www.jazzwise.com/review/steve-gadd-eddie-gomez-ronnie-cuber-the-wdr-big-band-center-stage User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.
