Mark Lockheart: Days Like These

Mark Lockheart's standing as a composer has been growing to match his reputation as a saxophonist for some time, but this is his first album for a full jazz orchestra. And what an orchestra! Germany's NDR Big Band is one of the finest in the world. These seven numbers are full of great ideas, especially "Rag", which is like music for a space-age silent movie, and "Busby Berkeley", where intricate repetitions echo the vast, moving patterns of dancers in Berkeley's films. Lockheart's own soprano saxophone playing is a joy throughout.