Proverbs and Songs
1997 live album by John Surman
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Proverbs and Songs is a live album by the English saxophonist John Surman recorded at Salisbury Cathedral on June 1, 1996 with organist John Taylor and the 75-strong Salisbury Festival Chorus and released on ECM the following year, consisting a suite of choral settings of Old Testament texts.[1][2]
| Proverbs and Songs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Live album by | ||||
| Released | 1997 | |||
| Recorded | 1 June 1996 | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 49:28 | |||
| Label | ECM ECM 1639 | |||
| Producer | Derek Drescher | |||
| John Surman chronology | ||||
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Background
It was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize in 1998.[3] Surman performed the suite several times after the 1996 performance.[2]
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [4] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings | [5] |
The AllMusic review awarded the album 2.5 stars.[4] Alyn Shipton wrote that Surman's "unaccompanied choral writing was rich and unusual and elsewhere the sense of jazz rhythm and forward motion came almost exclusively from his saxophone, creating rich ostinatos, or swirling aggressively among the choral parts."[2]
Track listing
- All music by John Surman; all lyrics from the Old Testament
- "Prelude" - 3:11
- "The Sons" - 4:55
- "The Kings" - 6:41
- "Wisdom" - 7:39
- "Job" - 4:50
- "No Twilight" - 7:42
- "Pride" - 5:00
- "The Proverbs" - 4:06
- "Abraham Arise!" - 5:24
Personnel
- John Surman – soprano and baritone saxophones, bass clarinet
- John Taylor – organ
- Howard Moody – conductor