The Jazz Age
Studio Album - November 2012
Don't Stop The Dance 1920's Style
THE JAZZ AGE
THE BRYAN FERRY ORCHESTRA
Bryan Ferry released his new album “THE JAZZ AGE” on the UK on 26th November 2012.
If there was ever a musical icon and a decade destined to come together it is Bryan Ferry and the roaring 20's. The artist – a creative powerhouse, with a dazzling career of endless surprise, delight and innovation; the Decade – a time of turbulent decadence, modernity, mayhem and the era of the bright young things - each driven on by the Thrill Of It All.
So what better way to celebrate and mark the 40th year anniversary of Ferry's incredible career as a singer and songwriter, than by rearranging his own compositions and have them performed in a 1920's style by his very own Jazz Orchestra?
It began as an idea, fuelled by Ferry's fascination of that time between the wars known as "The Jazz Age". He decided the songs were to be all completely instrumental reinterpretations.
‘Most of the music I listen to nowadays is instrumental," he explains "and I wanted to let my songs have a different life, a life without words’.
He put together his very own jazz orchestra comprised of many of the great British jazz players from his past tribute to the 1930’s’, the album ‘As Time Goes By - including his long-term musical director Colin Good, with whom Ferry worked closely on these new arrangements.
The 13 songs have been chosen from 11 albums, from his very first release ‘Roxy Music’ (1972) to his recent solo record ‘Olympia’ (2010)
The album is now available an canbe ordered in the UK from AMAZON & PLAY.
Produced by Bryan Ferry and Rhett Davies, 'The Jazz Age' will be released on Monday, 26th November 2012 on Vinyl, CD and Digital editions.
BRYAN FERRY on 'The Jazz Age'
I started my musical journey listening to a fair bit of jazz, mainly instrumental, and from diverse and contrasting periods.
I loved the way the great soloists would pick up a tune and shake it up - go somewhere completely different - and then return gracefully back to the melody, as if nothing had happened. This seemed to me to reach a sublime peak with the music of Charlie Parker, and later Ornette Colman.
More recently, I have been drawn back to the roots, to the weird and wonderful music of the 1920s – the decade that became known as The Jazz Age.
After forty years of making records, both in and out of Roxy Music, I thought now might be an interesting moment to revisit some of these songs, and approach them as instrumentals in the style of that magical period
I would like to thank Colin Good and the other outstanding musicians featured on this record for bringing a new an different life to these songs – a life without words.
Recorded at
Studio One, Olympia
Mastered by
Bob Ludwig
All songs written by
Bryan Ferry
Except:‘Love Is The Drug’ Ferry / Mackay‘Don’t Stop The Dance’ Ferry / Davies
‘I Thought’ Ferry / Eno
Designed by
Isaac Ferry & Michael Knight
Directed by
Bryan Ferry
Illustrations by
Paul Colin
Elements from the ‘Tumulte Noir’ Portfolio, Paul Colin 1927
© ADAGP, Paris & DACS, London 2012
Management by
Alistair Norbury
~ Studio One ~
Gemma Corry Reid, Juliet Mann, Millie Thompson,
Amber Guinness, Flora Connell, Tristan Spill
All songs published by BMG Rights Management except
‘Love Is The Drug’ & ‘Don’t Stop The Dance’ -
BMG Rights Management/Universal Music Publishing‘This Is Tomorrow’ & ‘This Island Earth’ - Universal Music Publishing
‘I Thought’ - BMG Rights Management/Opal Music.
Album Track Listing
- Do The Strand 1920's Instrumental Arrangement
- Love Is The Drug 1920's Instrumental Arrangement
- Don't Stop The Dance 1920's Instrumental Arrangement
- Just Like You 1920's Instrumental Arrangement
- Avalon 1920's Instrumental Arrangement
- The Bogus Man 1920's Instrumental Arrangement
- Slave To Love 1920's Instrumental Arrangement
- This Is Tomorrow 1920's Instrumental Arrangement
- The Only Face 1920's Instrumental Arrangement
- I Thought 1920's Instrumental Arrangement
- Reason Or Rhyme 1920's Instrumental Arrangement
- Virginia Plain 1920's Instrumental Arrangement
- This Island Earth 1920's Instrumental Arrangement
Album Musicians & Credits
- Bryan Ferry Director & Co Producer
- Rhett Davies Co Producer
- Colin Good Piano & Arrangements
- Enrico Tomasso Cornet & Trumpet
- Malcolm Earle Smith Trombone
- Richard White Alto & Bass Saxophones Clarinet & Bass Clarinet
- Robert Fowler Tenor Saxophone & Clarinet
- Alan Barnes Baritone Saxophone & Clarinet
- Martin Wheatley Banjo & Guitar
- John Sutton Drums
- Chris Laurence Double Bass
- Frank Ricotti Percussion
- Victoria Sutherland Violin
- Emma Parker violin
- Sarah Chapman Viola
- Emma Owens Viola
- Katy Cox Cello
- Simon Willey Engineered and Mixed By
- David Phelan Assistant Engineer