THE UNITED WOMEN'S ORCHESTRA

-about the band - the bandleaders: Christina Fuchs & Hazel Leach - the musicians
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Our second CD 'The Blue One' came out in March 1999

cd
Label info, orders (per creditcard) & soundbites: JazzHausMusik
Venloer Str.40, 50672 Cologne
Tel/fax: 0049-221-95299450
e-mail:jhm@jazzhausmusik.de

Extra soundbites are also included below, CD's can also be ordered from me:
hleach@xs4all.nl 

*New! Now available from iTunes!*

The line-up:

Trumpets: Susanne Riemer, Sandra Horn, Sabine Ercklentz, Helen Barsby, Gisela Meßollen
Trombones: Viola Engelbrecht, Henriette von Lenthe, Annemarie Roelofs
Tuba: Janni Struzyk
Saxes/woodwind: Corinna Danzer, Meike Goosmann, Silke Eberhard, Marie-Christine Schröck, Christina Fuchs, Hazel Leach, Christine Hörmann, Regina Pastuszyk
Piano: Caroline Ilgner
Bass: Ise Bosch
Drums: Annette Kayser, Carolina Bigge
Vocals: Sam Leigh-Brown, Christine Duncan

The CD features 7 pieces for concert bigband:
 

  • Lydisch Blau (Christina Fuchs)

    • A hommage to Yves Klein, who created the most beautiful blue.. the colour of the sky, of a distant horizon, of water. Transparent, pure and insubstantial. Heavenly, the colour of truth and trust, but also of intangibility and of the fantastic: the "blue flower" romantic symbol of eternal yearning...
  • Torch Song (Hazel Leach)  860K

    • The story of a love-affair. Not the usual tragic romance, but an account of the progression through the curiosity, excitement, happiness and passion of a good relationship. What a shame that all good things come to an end..
     
  • Serenade for Leonie (but she has been growing since..) (Christina Fuchs)

    • Dedicated to my best friend's daughter Leonie. She and the pieces have been growing up together for some time now. Time, and the perception of time are very special and fascinating subjects for me.
  • Self Portrait (Hazel Leach)  1,1Mb
    • The line between the then and now is growing fainter, evermore
    The past has just become a picture by some painter, nevermore.
    And from the outside looking in, the gilded frame surrounds a life which seemed so clear,
    Which had a future bright with hope, still free from fear of fading into apathy.
    No days of mediocrity, no strife, but love and passion spent in golden bliss.
    The line between the then and now is growing fainter, evermore
    The past has just become a picture by some painter, nevermore.
    The painter saw that youth portrayed reality:
    Caught life inside a picture-frame to prove, just for posterity
    That once I lived and loved and laughed, before I must become the painter, looking backwards,
    Evermore.
  • Netsuke (Christina Fuchs)

    • In traditional Japanese costume, a pill-box (inrô) is often carried attached to the toggle-fastening (netsuke) at the waist of a kimono. The netsuke is often exquisitely-carved: from wood, ivory or jade, portraying subjects from classical mythology, demons or animals. The miniature beauty of these ornaments formed the inspiration for this piece.
  • Siringo Road (Hazel Leach)  640K

    • The story of a journey through Santa Fé (New Mexico) in search of a friend. The lifestyle is coloured by Latin-America, and the travelling tempo is influenced by the mountains...
  • Tiebreak (Hazel Leach)  364K

    • One of the highlights of my year is the Wimbledon tennis-tournament: glued to the television, deaf to the doorbell and the telephone. Each game has a natural progression: in the early stages the players tread carefully, testing each other out. Their contrasting personalities become clear later, as the game develops. The tiebreak has always struck me as a compact miniature of the full-blown match; as the space between the points decreases, the players are forced to increase the speed of the returns to gain an advantage. A tiebreak is not won on technique, but on the ability to deal with (and impose) pressure.
    I leave it to you to find the parallels with music..

    What the press said...

    ... When I first heard about The United Women's Orchestra, names like George Russell, Charles Mingus, Gil Evans, Ornette Coleman, Julius Hemphill and Eric Dolphy were invoked in describing the music and the  musicians who play it. This sets them apart from the mainstream thrust of the present Jazz scene even more than the fact that everyone involved happens to be female, a circumstance more interesting than important. Like virtually every musician truly influenced by those post-bop visionaries, the members of the United Women's Orchestra, (including Christina Fuchs and Hazel Leach, the two reed players who are also the composers and directors of the ensemble), don't simply copy the sound or style of their influences, but rather incorporate their spirit, approach and intensity into the overall fabric of their personal style and overall musical structure.

    Their most recent CD, "The Blue One" on Germany's JazzHausMusik label is a provocative and most satisfying collection of musical journeys, never relying on the obvious or settling for the expected. Each composition is richly textured and highly evocative, performed with power, grace and those most sorely lacking elements in much of today's Jazz -- adventure and urgency. The contrasting styles of Ms. Leach's and Ms. Fuchs' compositions and arrangements are highly complementary, providing an excellent range of colors, rhythms and textures in the overall presentation.
    ... every track is a winner here, not simply allowing, but demanding, repeated listenings. I look forward to hearing more from this extraordinary orchestra, which should be required listening for all contemporary composers and arrangers even considering utilizing the orchestral Jazz format as their means of personal expression.   George Lane, dec 00.GMN (Global Music Network)

    ... on the one hand the sparkling ease of mainstream in the ballads, on the other hand unexpected changes of direction and exciting instrumentation distinguish their compositions. Sheets of colour, through which the soloists progress with a dreamy conviction (including a knock-out tuba intro). The horn sections play with tremendous assurance, the guest vocalists provide the right amout of lustre....Zürcher Tagesanzeiger, may00

    ... There is space for a somewhat different bigband, and not only because this one is comprised of women. Jiggs Whigham hit the nail on the head, when he remarked that the only significance this has is that it is so rare- nobody wastes their breath with remarks about the ubiquitous all-male bigband..
    No, the special thing about this band is that instead of producing the usual clichés, the exchange between scraps of ensembleplaying and solos, they weave a world of musical stories, excursions and polyphonic structures, creating space for fantasy and creativity. The ensemble-writing is in the foreground, but without suppressing the solos. The aforementioned exceptional arranging talent of both leaders produce highly-personal compositions, philosophical reflections, experiences, pictures or predilections...Jazz Podium (D) nov 99

    ... The CD "The Blue One" on the JazzHausMusik label, captivates by a love of detail and the distinctive styles of the leaders. Closely-voiced horns and rhythmic shifts generate a mood seldom produced by large ensembles. Hazel Leach started life writing commercial arrangements and has a magnificent facility for composing music which beguiles the listener with a light elegance, despite its' complexity. She takes you on a wonderful tonal journey and will certainly cause goose-pimples to break out...
    Christina Fuchs' compositions are very different and show a strictly musical orientation. She is drawn to the act of composition and the observation of music as a structure in time. The pieces are often freer, in the realms of "instant composing". It is this enticing mixture of fixed structures and free development which The United Women's Orchestra realizes with accomplishment. And yet the two leaders leave the players plenty of space for solo expression, which they use abundantly and convincingly. The whole production has a particular charm, lying somewhere between Gil Evans, Kenny Wheeler and European folklore and yet is absolutely distinctive.
    Whether or not this has anything to do with the exclusively female line-up is irrelevant: this good, honest and deep music can only be played by "first-class jazz citizens"...United Jazz Society (D) nov 99

    ... Fuchs is treading more conventional paths with The United Women's Orchestra, co-led by Hazel Leach. But in spite of the apparently more straightforward style, the CD "The Blue One" contains several musical treasures, which are only revealed after several listenings: this women's jazz-orchestra celebrates the interwoven polyphonic lines, unexpected harmonic directions and dancing, rhythmic energy with a dedication and a perfectionism, which turn this CD into a unique experience... JazzThing (D) Sep/Oct 99

    ...The musicianship on this album is excellent and consistent, with unabashed soloists, notably Corinna Danzer on alto and Regina Pastuszyk on clarinet. Unlike some big bands that can sometimes sound outta control, the UWO plays with a unity of spirit that still allows for alot of individuality. The music is texturally sophisticated, full of dynamics and thoughtful arrangements. The liner notes included here are poetic, which adds a nice touch to a creative production... Jeanette Lambert, JazzGrrls (www) aug 99

    ...with this CD the UWO have placed a milestone for the future of modern jazz in general and of bigband music in particular... Melodiva (D) june 99

    ...With seven original pieces the bandleaders Hazel Leach and Christina Fuchs continue along paths trodden earlier by  Bob Moses and George Russell: richly arranged, slightly dark bigband music with vocals. Serenade for Leonie, for example, is programme-music in the best sense of the word. The bass clarinet may be a fashionable instrument these days, but seldom does it sound as funky as in the hands of Regina Pastuszyk. Perhaps the greatest achievement of the duo is that they have not only produced attractive arrangements, but have also rigorously selected the players... Maarten de Haan,  Jazz Nu (NL) June 99

    ...Co-leaders Christina Fuchs and Hazel Leach composed and arranged all of the songs, and they shadow closely the groundbreaking footsteps of such respected contemporaries as Carla Bley and Maria Schneider... Leach's compositions are, to me, agreeable and persuasive. While her songs embody substantial depth, she sacrifices neither fundamental lyricism nor rhythmic integrity on its behalf. I found her slow-burning "Torch Song" and well-paved "Siringo Road" especially charming and accessible. Fuchs, an admirable composer in her own right, leans more toward opaque tone-poems ("Serenade for Leonie", "Netsuke") that definitely command one's undivided attention. A striking quality of the session as a whole is that although there are a number of respectable solos, they are invariably subordinate to the designs of the ensemble, which I suspect is how it was planned to be...For the nineteen-member UWO (and its four guests), a smooth, thought-provoking and generally rewarding maiden voyage... Jack Bouwers, All About Jazz (www), June 99

    ...even when the music is apparently restrained and at it's best moments exhibits an ambient, soundtrack-like quality, it is imaginatively arranged; multi-layered panoramas which the composers are able to convert into a homogenous design. And it really does seem that the pieces have a thematic link; those twilight hours between day and night suggested by the title... Stadtrevue Köln(D), June 99

    ..Music for the twilight hours, the trumpets are muted, the brushes gently rub the drums.The themes are stately and develop a latent tension in their best moments which dissolves into a lascivious atmosphere. The pieces sound like a soundtrack for that strange time when the day is inevitably over, but one is not yet ready for ecstatic nights in the club. Despite the links with tradition there is a recognizably personal handwriting. Jazz may still be a male domain, but apparently these ladies couldn't care less... Kölner Woche  (D) May 99

    On top of our usual line-up the CD also features several 'guest' musicians:
    silke Silke Eberhard. (Berlin) Sax, clarinet/bassclarinet.
    *1972. Studied at the Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler" in Berlin, where she has lived since 1995. Plays contemporary jazz and Neue Musik. Works regularly with Aki Takase, presently in the quartet "Tristano 317";  additional bands are the quartet "ElevatorMusic", a duo with Kay Lübke (dms), and the trio GET with Michael Gross (p) and Jacob Thein (dms).
    Recent concerts: the Berliner Jazztagen 2000, Leipziger Jazztage, Jazzhausfestival Hamburg, Bluenites Festival Berlin, Festival Graz/A, Banff/Kanada, Knitting Factory NYC; has played with Terri Lyne Carrington, Uli Gumpert, Billy Bang, Chris Dahlgren, Hugh Fraser, Annie Whitehead and Manfred Hering..
    Latest CD: "ElevatorMusic"/ ART-PURecords 06 with Tobias Netta, Jan Roder and Björn Lücker.
    foto Sam Leigh-Brown (Düsseldorf) Vocals.
    * 1969 Studied jazz at the Hogeschool voor de Kunsten, Arnhem. Since 1989 studio and background-singer in various groups. Tours i.a. with Lee Scratch Perry, Brass & Beat Machine, N.O.H.A. and the Tim Isfort big-band.
    foto Christine Duncan (Vancouver, Canada) Vocals
    Christine's singing career began at age five with her musical family "The Duncan's", performing in gospel shows across North America and recording her first 2 albums at the age of fifteen. In 1992 she teamed up with the jazz pianist Bob Murphy and has since appeared in many festivals. She also sang the lead soprano role in a "new-music" opera "The Gang".
    CD's: "I Have a Dream" with Bob Murphy.
    "Different Standards" with the songwriter Sam Masich (1997)
    "The Vogue Show" 1998.
    foto Gisela Meßollen (Berlin) Trumpet.
    *1964. Raised in the Rhineland, Gisela studied classical trumpet in Düsseldorf before moving to Berlin. There she raises her own child, plays with the salsa band Orqueste Burundanga and earns the daily cornflakes in various dance and musical orchestras.

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