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PAZ: Variation and Creation: The Story of PAZ
PAZ
band / ensemble / orchestra
Incognito
band / ensemble / orchestrab.1979
Over the years PAZ's alumni boasted top class British and overseas musicians: saxophonists
Lol Coxhill
saxophone, sopranob.1932
Brian Smith
drumsb.1939
Ray Warleigh
saxophone, alto1938 - 2015
Geoff Castle
keyboardsb.1949
Phil Lee
guitar, electricb.1943
Jim Mullen
guitarb.1945
Ronnie Scott
saxophone, tenor1927 - 1996
Ron Matthewson
bass, electricb.1944
Record producer Tony Williams' Spotlite Records was initially responsible for raising the group's profile in 1978 releasing a BBC Transcription Services record as part of their debut album Kandeen Love Song followed by PAZ Are Back in 1982. Albums that are somewhat out of place on a label renowned for the
Charlie Parker
saxophone, alto1920 - 1955
Jazz Room Records, and former Paladin Records co-owner, Paul Murphy, who licensed and released their third album Look Inside in 1983 recalls the group as "Hard to sell, a very small audience in those days. Plus, the ancient jazzers tended to look down on that kind of thing."
This may, in part, explain the mystery of PAZ, "The Greatest British Jazz Fusion Group That You've Never Heard Of."
This 3CD box set is released by the non-profit organization Jazz In Britain whose aim is to preserve and promote the legacy of British jazz and British jazz musicians. It contains recordings compiled from the group members and their relatives' archives, many of which have passed. Thirty-five hours of PAZ music lifted from dusty old reel tapes and cassettes reduced to four hours along with an acetate of the group's first recording "L' Harmonique" from 1972 released as The Dick Crouch Band featuring Lol Coxhill. Certain 'classic' PAZ tunes are included that had been on albums, they are alternative, some extended, versions and different from their original album versions.
The set offers plenty of the group's trademark jazz dance-friendly Latin funk fusion including "Moonchild," "Yours Is the Light," "Laying Eggs," "The Buddha," their 'tour de force' "AC/DC."
Also included is a 1981 spiritual/free jazz session with guitarist Alan Holdsworth previously released on Jazz In Britain in 2020 as Live in London '81: The Ron Mathewson Tapes Vol. 2 with the Singing Bowls of Tibet.
Vocal Brazil-esque tracks (vocals only being introduced in the latter half of the group's history) "Tem Do? de Mim" and "Ever in Love" feature a further side to the band's repertoire. Also included are eight previously never-before-heard PAZ recordings. Thirty-six tracks in all. The clean-up job is nothing short of a technical marvel.
The producers decided to avoid PAZ recordings that had been previously released and concentrate on unreleased tunes or recordings that had only been featured on BBC Transcription Services and broadcast sessions. Only scant details of the sessions were found regarding the wheres and whens, so that information remains uncertain. The musician credits are a guessing game as to who played on what. What is known for certain is the PAZ charts were written by either Crouch, Castle or collectively.
The release is somewhat mistitled as The Story of PAZ. It is also not the best of PAZ compilation. What it is, is a collection of newly discovered recordings that PAZ followers and those interested in the history of British jazz fusion should welcome.
Crouch said in an interview in 1978: "PAZ means peace in Spanish and there are jazz connotations as well. Some people think it means progressive jazz, but I don't like jazz anyway." The interviewer responded with: "You don't LIKE jazz?" Crouch replied: "I don't like the kind of jazz one hears in London pubs at all. I don't want to be associated with it. I find it very boring. Obviously, I'd go to Ronnie's and hear
Dexter Gordon
saxophone, tenor1923 - 1990
For a best of PAZ collection search out the 1997 compilation The Best of PAZ (Spotlight Jazz) together with the vinyl-only 1983 LP Look Inside (Paladin Records). Together with Variations and Creation: The Story of PAZ (Jazz In Britain, 2025) you will have all the PAZ you will ever need. ">
Track Listing
CD1: AC/DC, Libido Junction, Look Inside, Eyes For You, Laying Eggs, A Felicidade, Ever in Love,
Dream Sequence, Turretime, L’ Harmonique, Solar Wind, Kandeen Love Song, Variation And Creation
CD2: Love Supreme, Hebridean Chant, Crotales, They Speak For Themselves, Iron Works,
Brazilia, Yours Is The Light, Night Bird, Tem Dó de Mim, Mullenesque, Nobody’s Perfect, Lullaby, Moonchild,
Disque Blues
CD3: In a Silent Way, The Bell Tree, Time Stood Still, The Buddha, Here and There, Cadenza,
Lefthand Righthand, Be Natural, Pavane
Personnel
Additional Instrumentation
Collective personnel on this album:
Saxes & flutes: Lol Coxhill; Brian Smith; Phil Todd; Ray Warleigh; Matt Wates; Brian Wilson
Keyboards & vibes: Geoff Castle; Dick Crouch, Dave MacRae.
Guitar: Glen Cartledge; Allan Holdsworth; Brian Godding; Phil Lee; Jim Mullen; John Parricelli; Adam
Salkeld; Ed Speight.
Bass: Laurence Cottle; Ron Mathewson; Andre Messender; Rob Statham; Henry Thomas.
Drums: Mike Bradley; Chris Dagley; Martin Drew; Dave Early; Frank Gibson; Roger Harrison; Dave
Sheen; Ian Thomas.
Percussion: Chris Fletcher; Simon Morton; Jo?o Bosco De Oliveira; Ankalo Perez; Robert Pla; Alain
Presencer; Tommy Thomas.
Vocals: Marianne Davidson; Frank Holder.
Album information
Title: Variation and Creation: The Story of PAZ | Year Released: 2025 | Record Label: Jazz In Britain
Tags
PAZ
Album Review
Tony Poole
Variation and Creation: The Story of PAZ
Jazz In Britain
Dick Crouch
Morrisey-Mullen
Brian Augar's Oblivion Express
Incognito
Lol Coxhill
Brian Smith
Ray Warleigh
Geoff Castle
Phil Lee
Ed Speight
Jim Mullen}, {{Ronnie Scott
Ron Matthewson
Charlie Parker
Dexter Gordon
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