Matthew Herbert

The Matthew Herbert Big Band play Turning Pages Woohoo a new Matthew Herbert album! "Score" is a compilation of his film scores (Vida Y Color, Manolete, La Confiance Regne, The Intended, the short films Indiscretion and Nicotine), a musical (Le Defi), and one ballet (Set Boundaries). Sadly I haven't watched any of these films, hell I didn't even know he was composing soundtracks at all though his latest orchestral tendency has proven that he's fit for doing more than his signature house music. According to the label "It is an action adventure, chase thriller, romantic comedy and emotionally charged psychodrama all rolled into one." Well not really too much action or adventure going on but more of a romantic comedy with countryside walks for me. The highlight track here is the astonishing "Singing in the Rain" cover, where he's really taken this classic to a whole new level. Get your bowler hats and umbrellas ready!. There's also a trio reprise of an old Doctor Rockit track "Cafe de Flore". Apart from these two and few others "Score" is more suitable for the background whether in your comfy loft/office or strolling through the countryside. It's remarkable how his subtle rhythms accompany the big band orchestration so naturally, everything converges into a single thing that only he does as good as this. Suitably "Score" is highly cinematic and atmospheric with lush pianos & mellow brass only to be enlivened by occasional samples resembling his trademark style from his countless other aliases. Going back to the "Cafe de Flore" days, I remembered another song from around the same time "Veselka's Diner", (one of my favourite Herbert songs ever) with the meastro himself on accordeons accompanied by clarinets and flugelhorns on this lovely pastoral neotango house whatever, just listen to it. The Matthew Herbert Big Band & Dani Siciliano play Audience