4 February : Free An’ One

Famously, The Fast Show parodied the approach of British TV to jazz with Jazz Club in which an over-serious hip host introduced various avant garde musicians doing their thing. Tune? This is jazz, says Jackson Jeffrey Jackson before attempting to suck a melody through his trumpet. The parody worked because it hit the target with respect to both the avant garde element in free jazz and the TV tropes. I know because I remember the original programmes.

Crazee.

I have a vague memory of seeing Stan Tracey on one such programme in the seventies and not understanding quite why he was held in such reverence while also being fascinated by his music, which I neither understood nor liked. These days, I wouldn’t go so far as to say I understand it yet, but I do like the five albums of his I own.

So when I spotted Free An’ One by the Stan Tracey Quartet in the jazz reviews in Melody Maker in February 1970 I went hunting, and thereby came upon an anomaly: it has never been re-released and does not feature on Spotify. Vintage copies of the vinyl are scarce and expensive, and it is only online in a somewhat eccentric upload on YouTube.

Free An’ One (a complex pun) is unusual for Tracey because, in addition to adding Peter King on Alto Sax to his usual trio to make a quartet, he ventures into free improvisation, which brings us into Jazz Club territory. My suspicions were aroused by Humphrey Littleton’s sleeve notes, in which he writes

a well-integrated set reveals how little Stan Tracey’s creative range is inhibited by the established conventions of set theme, set key and set chorus length.

Nice.

On my first listen, I didn’t realise I was listening to free improvisation and had some serious WTF? moments. I particularly wasn’t sure about Peter King’s alto tone or Bryan Springs’ drums, and I note the MM reviewer queries that alto tone too. Tracey sounded pretty much as I expected and Dave Green’s bass caught my ear throughout. The second time through, knowing I was listening to largely improvised pieces gave me a better context and, knowing what to expect, I could relax and go with it more.

For the most part, this isn’t easy-listening lounge jazz, though The Green Kingspring Of King Springgreen has its mellow moments, as has Nudgy Vamp. It’s angular and spiky and harmonically adventurous. If I had the record and put it on in the living room, I would probably be asked in no uncertain terms to take it off again by people incredulous that I could like it.

But, my overriding impression is that it’s something I’d like to hear either live or through a really good HiFi. I’m not going anywhere near the prices good copies of the vinyl command, but if Free An’ One ever finds its way onto cd I’d be tempted to get hold of a copy.

Your mileage may vary.

Added, 9 February: The YouTube account that posted the album has been terminated. At the time of writing this note, the album isn’t available anywhere. I’ll repost if it becomes available again.

Added July 2021: Free An’ One became available on a double cd with The Seven Ages of Man (Wisdom In The Wings, Resteamed records, RSJ 114) and gets frequent play here.