Rituals (2022)

'Rituals' is not simply a jazz big band recording of Igor Stravinsky’s ‘Le Sacre du Printemps’ (‘The Rite of Spring’) – the ‘Rituals’ piece itself was commissioned by the Alte Oper Frankfurt after the 2013 Stravinsky Festival, a task given to pianist and bandleader of the Frankfurt Radio Big Band Jim McNeely, with the help of saxophonist Chris Potter. No doubt the similarities between ‘Rituals’ and ‘Le Sacre du Printemps’ will be pretty apparent to discerning listeners, but McNeely’s original piece is not plagiaristic, rather a loving tribute – following its positively-received premiere, Potter and the band headed into the studio to immortalise it on record. Though this is no clone of the ‘Rite’, McNeely composes in the spirit of Stravinsky with even more of a jazz tinge, and when Potter enters the picture things really fall into place. (Prestomusic)|