The story behind this live album is quite a poignant one, with guitarist Billy Marrows originally writing the studio album Penelope as a legacy to his mother, who was dying of cancer. Thankfully, she heard some of the pieces before passing, but as a further memorial and as a way of raising money for charity, he chose to bring together a twelve-piece band to do full justice to the songs and perhaps to enable something beautiful to be wrung from such a sad circumstance.
Billy’s guitar when heard solo also holds a melancholy and poignancy that affects the listener and also affects the other players, so there is often some hushed sensitivity to the support. You imagine the band rapt as he starts a piece and then gradually players drop in gently and full of understanding, adding colour and texture to the guitar outlines as the pieces slowly unfurl. A pliant clarinet sets spots and specks against “Lambs”, while sax and French horn lope together in a cold weather temperature-drop duet on “Nights Are Drawing In”. The way different players take the lead on a piece gives very different perspectives to a similar vista, but gradually they spin it around back to a familiar motif.
Some of the songs feels about nurture and discovery, the sound swelling like surf but breaking early and receding, while the tropicalia tempo of “A Grande Família” is all about feeling good. It is danceable but also tells a story; the sensation of snapshots being pulled out and shared around is palpable here, with instruments stepping forward to give their impressions before stepping back and allowing someone else to do the same. There is a wonderful sense of generosity and the full band when they work it up can really swing, but are able to drop back to to introspection when required. There is a lovely solo piano section in “Penelope Part 2” which sees the band slowly and sedately arriving to complement and inject light, although a heart-breaking clarinet solo really does race and stagger against the supportive backdrop. It is a delight to hear the viola step forward on “February” and the twangy guitar and trumpet duet on “Be Right Bold” changes the shape once again with a rubbery rhythm reflecting new angles. Each of the instruments here and the combinations that they make cause a patchwork effect, a warming blanket that envelopes the listener and at other points they act like the chapters of a book, pushing the story on and offering further information.Towards the end, Billy’s gentle take on “Shenandoah” draws a delighted reaction form the audience and then the rest of the band gently squeeze their way in offsetting the tear-jerking deftness that evolves into a nervy chop. The uplifting voyage of free discovery which is the final track “A Grande Família – Reprise” is like the breaking of a dam, everybody throwing in to a joyful cacophony with even scat vocals building to a tropical dance-inflected finale.
The album works as a brass band family outing, as a love letter to the warmth of a group of friends supporting solo guitar, but most importantly as a loving tribute to an artist and mother. All proceeds of the album go to World Child Cancer, so there is no real excuse not to buy it. Pick the album up and allow it its charms to overwhelm; and if you like it enough then perhaps getting hold of the studio album might be the next step.-Mr Olivetti-
