The Dissolute Society - Soldiering On (2018) [Hi-Res]

Trombonist, improviser, composer and educator, Raph Clarkson, presents ‘Soldiering On’ - the debut recording of his new ensemble, The Dissolute Society, released on the Babel label. It is a highly personal, poignant, often dark album - interweaving a wide range of genres, styles and influences, including: avant-garde improvised music, traditional & modern jazz, contemporary classical music, folk, funk, poetry and spoken word.

Raph’s musical palette covers all these areas and more. In addition, he has developed a compositional and improvisational interest in the intersection between trombone and voice - an area he explores with The Dissolute Society, for which he provides most of the compositions and writes the words. He especially likes to employ the power of words in music to give a narrative arc, which also acts as a ‘glue’ for the many genre styles within this project.

The 15-track album is full of remarkable performances: Fini Bearman’s breath-taking part-spoken vocals; Huw Warren’s mesmerising piano; Laura Jurd’s fleet-footed trumpet; Mia Marlen Berg’s elastic voice; and not least, Raph Clarkson’s trombone virtuosity - from soft, mournful refrain to unrestrained vigour, and all shades in between. But, genuinely, all the participating musicians bring phenomenal feeling and interpretation to this complex, opaque recording - that also has such immediacy and inner energy.

‘Soldiering On’ is full of auto-biographical material, including references to Raph’s German-Jewish grandmother, who lived in Palestine for many years, and his mother, the well-known violinist and Early Music specialist. His father, Gustav Clarkson, plays delightful viola on the album, and there are two compositions by John Taylor (including the title track) who was to have guested on this project, but sadly died in July 2015. Raph (and Phil Merriman & Simon Roth) were all taught at York University by John Taylor, a close friend of Kenny Wheeler, whose composition ‘Kind Folk’ is also included on the album.

Raph Clarkson, trombone, vocals
Fini Bearman, voice
Naomi Burrell, violin
Zosia Jagodzinska, cello
Gustav Clarkson, viola
Laura Jurd, trumpet
Raph Clarkson, trombone, vocals
Phil Merriman, keys, synth bass
Simon Roth, drums
Special guests:
Huw Warren, piano
Mia Marlen Berg, vocals, fx
Joshua Idehen, rap vocals
Mike Soper, trumpet

Tracklist:
01. The Dissolute Society - Opening (A Journey) (3:56)
02. The Dissolute Society - Grandma (5:19)
03. The Dissolute Society - Reborn/4 Am/The Teddy Bear (8:58)
04. The Dissolute Society - In February (3:57)
05. The Dissolute Society - For JT (2:58)
06. The Dissolute Society - Kind Folk (6:51)
07. The Dissolute Society - Hungarian Folksong (5:52)
08. The Dissolute Society - And It Ends When It Needs to, Pt. 1 (1:01)
09. The Dissolute Society - And It Ends When It Needs to, Pt. 2 (2:34)
10. The Dissolute Society - Interlude 1 (2:15)
11. The Dissolute Society - Soldiering On/On (7:07)
12. The Dissolute Society - Interlude 2 (1:35)
13. The Dissolute Society - I'm Sorry! (4:36)
14. The Dissolute Society - Find the Way Through (3:21)
15. The Dissolute Society - Closing (Tomorrow) (8:37)