Saluting Sgt. Pepper

{{Infobox album

| name = Saluting Sgt. Pepper

| type = studio

| artist = Django Bates and the
Frankfurt Radio Big Band

| cover = Saluting Sgt. Pepper.jpg

| alt =

| released = 7 July 2017

| recorded = October 2016

| venue =

| studio = Horfunkstudio II
Hessischer Rundfunk, Frankfurt

| genre =

| length = 45:17

| label = Edition Records
EDN1094

| producer =

| chronology = Django Bates

| prev_title = The Study of Touch

| prev_year = 2016

| next_title = Tenacity

| next_year = 2020

}}

{{Music ratings

| rev1 = The Guardian

| rev1score = {{rating|4|5}}

|rev2 = The Times

|rev2score = {{Rating|3|5}}

|rev3 = All About Jazz

|rev3score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}

|rev4 = DownBeat

|rev4score = {{Rating|4|4}}{{cite web|last=Woodward|first=Josef|title=Django Bates: Saluting Sgt. Pepper|url=https://downbeat.com/reviews/detail/saluting-sgt.-pepper |work=DownBeat|publisher=|accessdate=19 March 2022|date=September 2017}}

}}

Saluting Sgt. Pepper is an album by the composer, multi-instrumentalist and band leader Django Bates with the Frankfurt Radio Big Band, which was released by Edition Records in 2017.[{{AllMusic|class=album|id= saluting-sgt-pepper-mw0003057084|pure_url=yes}} Allmusic: Django Bates: Saluting Sgt Pepper] accessed 19 March 2022 The album was commissioned by the Frankfurt Radio Big Band to mark the 50th anniversary of the release of The Beatles’s Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, which is the UK’s best-selling studio album as of 2020. The recording also features the Danish group, Eggs Laid By Tigers{{cite web|title=Eggs Laid By Tigers|url= https://www.discogs.com/artist/3126616-Eggs-Laid-By-Tigers

|work=Discogs|publisher=|accessdate=19 March 2022|date=September 2017}} and the multi-instrumentalist Stuart Hall.{{cite web|title=Stuart Hall|url= https://www.discogs.com/artist/700956-Stuart-Hall

|work=Discogs|publisher=|accessdate=19 March 2022|date=September 2017}} It was performed live at Deutsches Jazzfestival Frankfurt and at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in 2016.{{cite web|title=A Day in the Life - Django Bates and hr-Bigband celebrate "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"|url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rE5ZlfZ1Lkc&list=PLLQBq6q1cRAVddbzPpj2hjGsaGoYKvxDj&index=2|work=YouTube|publisher=|accessdate=26 March 2022|date=March 2017}}

Reception

In his review for The Guardian, Dave Gelly wrote: "Somebody was bound to give the Beatles’ magnum opus a jazz makeover on its 50th birthday, and I can't think of anyone better than Django Bates to do it. He has just the right mixture of musicality, mischief and sheer cheek to bring it off".{{cite web|last=Gelly|first=Dave|title= Django Bates: Saluting Sgt Pepper review – beautifully wonky jazz makeover|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/jul/09/django-bates-saluting-sgt-pepper-review-frankfurt-radio-big-band-eggs-laid-by-tigers |work=The Guardian|publisher=Guardian News and Media|accessdate=19 March 2022|date=9 July 2017}}

In The Times, John Bungey stated that "Bates keeps closely to the melodic outline of Pepper’s 13 tracks, but tinkers energetically with textures and sometimes tempo in his arrangements for the Frankfurt Big Band. From the clever dropped beats of the opener, it’s as if the Lonely Hearts Club Band has evolved into a crack ensemble tutored on old Loose Tubes albums".{{cite web|last=Bungey|first=John|title=Jazz review: Django Bates and the Frankfurt Big Band: Saluting Sgt Pepper|url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/music/article/jazz-review-django-bates-and-the-frankfurt-big-band-saluting-sgt-pepper-kcd7fp95t |work=The Times|access-date=19 March 2022|date=14 July 2017}}

In his review for All About Jazz, Roger Farbey made special mention of Eggs Laid By Tigers vocalist Martin Dahl, who was "charged with the unenviable task of singing all the lead vocal parts". He also highlighted that "multi-instrumentalist Stuart Hall, and a long-time associate of Bates, made vital contributions to the album".{{cite web|last=Farbey|first=Roger|title=Django Bates: Saluting Sgt. Pepper|url=https://www.allaboutjazz.com/saluting-sgt-pepper-django-bates-edition-records-review-by-roger-farbey |work=All About Jazz|publisher=|accessdate=19 March 2022|date=23 June 2017}}

Track listing

Personnel

  • Django Bates – keyboard, backing vocals, arranger, conductor (solos on tracks 5 and 10)
  • Stuart Hall – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, lap steel, electric sitar, violin (solos on tracks 8 and 12)

Eggs Laid By Tigers

  • Martin Ullits Dahl – lead vocal
  • Jonas Westergaard – electric bass, backing vocals
  • Peter Brunn – drums, percussion, backing vocals

Frankfurt Radio Big Band

  • Heinz-Dieter Sauerborn – soprano saxophone, flute, clarinet (solo on track 12)
  • Oliver Leicht – alto saxophone, flute, clarinet, alto clarinet
  • Tony Lakatos – tenor saxophone, flute (solos on tracks 2, 3 and 4)
  • Steffen Weber – tenor saxophone, alto flute, bass clarinet
  • Rainer Heute – baritone saxophone, bass saxophone, bass clarinet, contra alto clarinet
  • Frank Wellert – trumpet
  • Thomas Vogel – trumpet
  • Martin Auer – trumpet, flugelhorn
  • Axel Schlosser – trumpet, flugelhorn
  • Günter Bollmann – trombone
  • Peter Feil – trombone
  • Christian Jaksjø – trombone
  • Jan Schreiner – bass trombone
  • Martin Scales – guitar (solo on track 5)

References

{{Reflist}}

{{Django Bates}}

{{Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:2022 albums

Category:Django Bates albums

Category:Edition Records albums

Category:The Beatles tribute albums