Chris Biscoe - Recordings - L'Ascenseur/The Lift

The Westbrook Trio
Kate Westbrook - Vocals / Tenor Horn
Chris Biscoe - Soprano, Alto, Tenor & Baritone Saxophones / Piccolo
Mike Westbrook - Piano / Tuba / voice

Music by Mike Westbrook and (5) by Chris Biscoe
Texts by Kate Westbrook
Versions in Italian (2) by Sergio Amadori, in German (3 & 10) by Tommy Bodmer, Portuguese (5) by Teresa Carvalho and Matt Meyer, and French (8) by Lucienne Droz

Recorded at Temple Music Studios, Sutton, Surrey, September 14-17, 2002
Recording Directed, Engineered and mixed by Jon Hiseman
Produced by The Westbrook Trio
Cover Photograph by Nick White
Jazzprint JPVP130CD

From Bargain Basement to Roof Garden, the elevator doors open to reveal glimpses into the life of the Trio in twenty years of Geographical and musical travel.

L'Ascenseur/The Lift, a piece conceived by Kate Westbrook and developed collectively by the trio, exists in English, French, German, Portuguese and Italian versions, reflecting the group's European history. The premiere of this new piece in Nancy on 23 April 2002 was followed by performances in Metz, Zurich and Esch, Luxembourg. Further performances, including the Brit-Jazz festival in Dortmund (recorded by WDR) and Braga, Portugal, preceded the recording of this album with Jon Hiseman, and the U.K. premiere at Kettle's Yard, Cambridge on November 13, 2002.
Martin King. Editor: Smith's Academy Informer.

More Information about The Westbrook Trio

This is a wonderful album full of evocative images of their tales and travels, including Kate in various languages, as they make their way across the globe.
Stacey Kent JAZZ LINE-UP - BBC Radio 3

Drama King & Queen Mike & Kate Westbrook, plus superior reeds player Chris Biscoe, celebrate their 20th Anniversary, combining elements of German expressionism with cabaret and music-hall via far-out jazz.
Chrissie Murray - RONNIE SCOTT MAGAZINE

An intriguing stroll in the dark. Think of Kurt Weill crossed with J G Ballard at his most dreamlike, and you have some idea of this imaginary, multilingual odyssey, the settings shifting endlessly across the globe.
Clive Davis - THE SUNDAY TIMES

Westbrook's disciplined ear for structure ensures that both Kate Westbrook and Biscoe have solid bases on which to develop their improvisations. 'Lunar Eclipse Over Western Australia' shows Biscoe at his most eloquent, recalling Konitz in the way he constructs his solo: note by note, and phrase by phrase.
Hugh Gregory - JAZZ REVIEW

No one has succeeded in creating a more distinctive body of work than Mike and Kate Westbrook. Their mixture of jazz, music-theatre, poetry, street entertainment and visuals is rich and unique. ..That just three people can create such a variety of sounds is hard to believe.
Dave Gelly - THE OBSERVER

A delicately balanced act, by turns melodic, haunting and hilarious, the fabulous threesome promise a fantastical and unforgettable journey.
PIZZA EXPRESS WEBSITE

Devoted to coupling jazz improvisation with non-African-American materials (Italian opera, brass bands, English folk-music, the poetry of Lorca and Blake, a kind of sinister cabaret music influenced by Kurt Weill) the Westbrooks represent the intransigent antithesis of the retro or classic jazz movement.
John Fordham - THE GUARDIAN

1. Meeting
2. Wild Cyclamen North Of Rome
        #Wingfield College, Suffolk
3. Duisburg Monsters
4. Stampede Drive, Calgary
        #Staccato Club, Berlin
5. Lunar Eclipse Over Western Australia
6. Härnösand, Sweden
        #Raffles Hotel, Singapore
        #Tour De France
7. Movie House
8.Thessaloniki Silver Screen
9. Saignelégier to Zürich
        #Hong Kong, Copy Watch
10. Aggro - Vancouver - Desperado