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Oriole

10/05/2006 Kerstan Mackness - Timeout

“Guitarist Jonny Phillips might just be the next big star to emerge from the F- IRE Collective, the loose confederation of forward-looking musicians that include the Mercury- nominated Polar Bear and the hip-punk Jazz outfit Acoustic Ladyland, But while those bands embrace electronica, funk and rock influences, Phillips who played on the Polar Bear album and who regularly collaborates with folky songstress Julia Biel is a different beast altogether. His music is a pastoral, impressionistic mix of soaring melodies and South American folklore that strives to create an aural form of magical realism. Dreamlike and beautiful, it sounds simultaneously contemporary and yet centuaries old.

His band Oriole are something of a F-IRE collective supergroup with big haired drummer Sebastian Rochford (Polar Bear, Acoustic Ladyland, Fulbourn, Taversham), cellist Ben Davis (Julia Biel, Django Bates), Lee Konitz-ish saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock (Monica Vasconcellos), claranetist Idris Rahman (Soothsayers), Danish bass player Anders Christensen (Paul Motion) and Brazilian Percussionist Adriano Adawali Itauna.

Their new Album 'Migration' is an early contender for jazz release of the year, a sublime, slightly unsettling but emotionally rewarding work that draws on folk, north Brazilian, West African and Mediterranean music. Like the Norwegian pianist Christian Wallumrod, Phillips conjures music that is quietly intense, beguilingly beautiful and full of pleasingly robust tunes that stay with you long after you hear them. Expect waltzes, gentle samba, persuasive grooves, poignant themes and uplifting melodies that'll make you smile, think and want to dance.”

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58
Album Review

Oriole: Every New Day

Read "Every New Day" reviewed by Bruce Lindsay


There's a stark beauty to Every New Day, the third album from Oriole, that speaks of the majesty of vast open spaces. For the most part, the warmth and splendor of these spaces gives the music a positivity and optimism, but there are also times when it takes on a more downbeat and reflective quality. The combination results in a gorgeous collection of tunes, an album of genuine beauty.The open spaces that inspired the music on Every New ...

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Extended Analysis

Oriole: Every New Day

Read "Oriole: Every New Day" reviewed by Chris May


OrioleEvery New DayF-IRE2012Oriole's third album of sonorous South American and Iberian-flavored jazz has been some time coming. The London group, led by guitarist and composer Jonny Phillips, debuted with Song For The Sleeping in 2005 and followed up a year later with Migration (both F-IRE). There has been a six year gap before Every New Day, recorded in 2011 and originally planned for release the same year under a different title ("Mementos").

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Album Review

Oriole: Migration

Read "Migration" reviewed by Chris May


An enchanting followup to Song For The Sleeping, Oriole's 2005 debut album, Migration finds guitarist Jonny Phillips' band once again blending exploratory, modern jazz improvisation with world music-inspired original compositions and unusual cross-cultural instrumentation. Brazilian, Venezuelan, Andalucian, Moorish, Cuban and African folk music traditions, experienced by the well-travelled Phillips at source, inform his gentle and lyrical writing.

Oriole includes some of London's most outward looking creative musicians, a like-minded group of British, mainland European, South American and African players, several ...

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"As forceful as it is subtle, Oriole have in the space of two albums found something that most groups spend many moons searching for--a sound of their own." --Kevin Le Gendre

Jazz At Ronnie Scotts

“This album delivers those light hearted and playful moments we expect of the summer, its skillfully and wholeheartedly composed and performed by an exceptional band." --Miriam Hempel

Straight No Chaser

“a musical mosaic that feels as spiritualy uplifting as a Paulo Coelho novel” --Tom Barlow, Jazzwise ****

“an early contender for jazz release of the year - uplifting melodies that'll make you smile, think and want to dance." --Kerstan Macness-Timeout-London

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Primary Instrument

Band / ensemble / orchestra

Location

London

Willing to teach

Intermediate to advanced

Credentials/Background

We do workshops in festivals and schools. We like it too. Community music, WAC level three jazz group workshops at cheltenham festival and schools

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Every New Day

F-IRE Records
2012

buy

Oriole: Every New Day

F-IRE Records
2012

buy

Tribute to Hoagy...

Geco Tonwaren
2009

buy

Migration

F-IRE Records
2006

buy

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