Neil Ardley: Kaleidoscopes and Rainbows Book Reviews
Review by Ian Ward (ukvibe)
"Ardley’s wife, Vivien, takes us on a chronological journey of the polymath’s life and work. Context and insight is given throughout via short interviews, quips and images. Candid photos, such as Ardley’s 50th birthday celebrations at Ian Carr’s house, and the many documents, letters, scrapbook entries and flyers help evoke the time, place and energy at each stage of Ardley’s story."
Review by Simon Adams (Jazz Journal)
"As a non-musician herself, Vivien has sensibly brought in some expert help, with jazz critic Dave Gelly remembering the New Jazz Orchestra, in which he played saxophone, and John Coles writing at great and informative length about Neil’s later interest in and use of synthesizers. Her detailed research into the many aspects of Neil’s career – musical and literary – and her appreciation of his work, paint a very vivid portrait of a very likeable and engaging man."
Review by Jack Kenny (Jazz Views)
"This Jazz In Britain publication is not just a book. The whole package is completed by two CDs. CD1 has Neil Ardley leading the Danish Radio Big Band in 1968. They are playing works by Kurt Weill, Mike Taylor, Howard Riley, Jack Bruce. Mike Gibbs directs the band which includes Niels Henning Oersted Pedersen, Palle Mikkelborg and Allan Botschininsk. CD2 Is Neil Ardley and Zyklus (Selected Electronic Works). I cannot think of any jazz book that looks as good as this, or as rich as this."
Review by Chris May (All About Jazz)
"Ardley seems to have been a confirmed horder, so his biographer has been able to refer to a muthalode of letters, other writings, photographs and assorted memorabilia when writing the biography. She has done a superb job in chronicling not only Ardley's activities in music, but also his personal philosophy and approach to life."
Review by Chris Sealre (Morning Star)
"Vivien Ardley’s narrative is about a man of musical and scientific passion who never stopped working, inventing, composing, writing and explicating night and day, day and night with the constant support and cooperation of Bridget, his first wife. As a reader and listener, you wonder and marvel most about the constancy of his creative energy and insight. But he managed it, did it, and has left a powerful and inspiring mark in sound and word on our times."
Review by Nick Robinson
"Viv Ardley’s book on her husband Neil’s life is published by Jazz In Britain. The book includes contributions from Dave Gelly, Neil’s musical colleague in the New Jazz Orchestra, and John Coles who knew Neil well and has written about his electronic studio. The book covers Neil’s entire life and all aspects of his various careers."
You are listening to excerpts from the albums:
Kaleidoscope of Rainbows, Harmony of the Spheres & Greek Variations
Neil Ardley was a British composer and author. He was the former leader of the New Jazz Orchestra and the composer of several well-known works for jazz orchestra, notably Kaleidoscope of Rainbows, dating from the 1970s. Later compositions were choral works, the most notable being a large choral work called Creation Mass. Neil Ardley has also written a hundred information books, mainly for children, on science and technology and also on music.
Concert: Kaleidoscope of Rainbows 22nd March 2019
The Jazz Orchestra of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, based in the City of London, will perform Neil Ardley's works.
Newly-released by Dusk Fire Records for the first time
‘On The Radio: BBC Sessions 1971’
Two key broadcasts that year capture the full majesty of Neil’s New Jazz Orchestra at the height of its powers in a ‘Jazz Club’ session in February plus September of that year’s epic ‘The Time Flowers’ on ‘Jazz in Britain’. Inspired by JG Ballard’s sci-fi short story, ‘The Garden of Time’, this 30-minute set declares Neil’s growing intentions toward electronic music …
Neil Ardley's seminal children science book has been re-published and is packed full of exciting discoveries for budding inventors and curious minds aged 8 to 12. Highly recommended and a reminder of yet another dimension of this talented man's body of work.
Published by Dorling Kindersley, 16th Jan 2015
**** Review of Le Déjeuner Sur L'Herbe on All About Jazz
"If Le Déjeuner Sur L'herbe represents a crystallizing moment in (Neil Ardley's) career, it also defines a unique period in British jazz. The lion was no longer en passant. It was rampant and it could roar."
Duncan Heining
**** Review of New Jazz Orchestra : Camden 70 on All About Jazz
"This is a little slice of history, of that marvellous period in British Jazz when it danced with Rock music ...." Duncan Heining
Glowing Review of the Symphony of Amaranths
release
"... this reissue rightly sets into relief how extraordinary deep one man’s vision was."
Review of Symphony of Amaranths by Adam Baruch
" ... one of the great gems of the revolutionary British Jazz, which developed in the Golden Decade (1965-1975) and changed to face of music as we know it."
Rave review of Symphony of Amaranths CD release in iDrum
"utterly charming album ... tranports the listener on a truly magical journey"
Symphony of Amaranths reviewed on ukvibe
"... after an eight year gap since ‘Greek Variations’ first became available on CD, the release of ‘A symphony of Amaranths’ album complete with digipak gatefold sleeve is one of the most welcome re-issues of recent years"
Symphony of Amaranths relssued on Dusk Fire Records
The most romantic and harmonically dense piece of music that the late Neil Ardley ever composed, this seminal album was scored for a large jazz orchestra, this highly-collectable 1971-recorded album also contains two vocal settings by Ardley, being the earliest example of his vocal music.
Click here to learn more about this exciting reissue and to purchase the album.
