GORDON BECK TRIO – Gyroscope (Morgan Records – MJ 1 / LP-1969)

Label: Morgan Records – MJ 1

Morgan Records Twin Stereo / MJ1 Jazz Series

Format: Vinyl, LP / Country: UK / Released: 1969

Style: Post Bop, Contemporary Jazz, Free Improvisation

Recorded at Morgan Studios, London, England, 1968.

Engineer – Andrew Johns

Producer – Monty Babson

Matrix / Runout (Side 1 Label): MJ 1 A

Matrix / Runout (Side 2 Label): MJ 1 B

A1 - Gyroscope ................................................................................................. 7:09

A2 - Clusters ..................................................................................................... 7:06

A3 - Suite No. 1 ................................................................................................ 6:40

B1 - Miss T Fying .............................................................................................. 3:58

B2 - Sincerity ..................................................................................................... 5:20

B3 - And Still She Is With Me ............................................................................ 8:22

B4 - Oxus .......................................................................................................... 3:18

All compositions written-by – Gordon Beck, except

track A3 (written-by – Gordon Beck, Jeff Clyne, Tony Oxley)

Personnel:

Gordon Beck – piano

Jeff Clyne – bass

Tony Oxley – drums, percussion

GORDON BECK TRIO – Gyroscope / Extremely rare, original first UK pressing 1969 / 7-tracks / stereo LP of advanced British Jazz on the seldom seen Morgan label, recorded at London's Morgan studios / Catalog Number: MJ1 ___  Out of Print __

Also re-issued on CD in 2002 (Art of Life Records/Catalog Number: AL1003-2) __ Sold Out __

Beck was a self-taught musician who left the engineering world to become a professional player in England. He eventually blossomed into one of Europe's finest studio and session pianists, able to function effectively in many settings and alongside any vocalist or instrumentalist. His father was a violinist, and Beck started his jazz career with various London bands before joining Tubby Hayes in 1962. Beck stayed in that group three years, making his first tours outside England, before beginning his own band. Beck's trio was the house band at the Ronnie Scott's club in the late '60s, and in 1967 Beck began cutting albums and doing studio work. He gained international attention from 1969-1972 as part of Phil Woods' European Rhythm Machine, his strong playing and propulsive solos making him an effective contrasting voice within the group to Woods. The Machine toured America in 1971, and Beck left the following year to start another band, Gyroscope, and also reactivated his trio. He was part of the group Piano Conclave in the early '70s, but became a busy freelancer from 1974 on, working with major stars like Lena Horne, Gary Burton, Clark Terry, Charles Tolliver, and Woods again. He also got involved in education, becoming co-organizer of the Treforest Summer School in 1978.

...Gyroscope , featuring the group of Oxley and Jeff Clyne (Ron Carter-esque in his ubiquity in British Jazz), minus McLaughlin (Experiments with Pops), was six original compositions and comes off as a much more serious album than its predecessor.

The compositions on Gyroscope, all by the pianist except for one trio credit, are pleasant post-bop launching pads. Played with lesser musicians, they may have come off as trite and derivative, as might much British jazz (for a criminally ignored region of jazz, the Brits might have had the highest concentration of notable musicians to be found in one city—London). It was the inventiveness of his "backing band" that pushed the pieces and the leader far past their potential. Oxley, who would go on to play with Riley, didn't stay supportive for very long, adding his free ideas to the mix very quickly, most notably on the title track, "Suite No. 1" and the lengthy closer "And Still She Is With Me" / "Oxus". While closer to the more traditional jazz played by the likes of Johnny Dankworth and Tubby Hayes (Beck's former employ-er), the open experimentation of the Spontaneous Music Ensemble and John Surman were bound to have an effect in a scene as small as late '60s London. This open clash of styles stands as a period document and makes Gyroscope a compelling listen.
(Review by ANDREY HENKIN, July 17, 2002 AAJ)

If you find it, buy this album!