Mumbo Jumbo

The Ransome Band
Conductor: Russell Gray
Soloists: George Thackray and Chris Jeans
Egon Recordings: CD SFZ108
Total Playing Time: 62.40 mins

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These are trouble times in which we live: India and Pakistan at the brink, global warming and Roy Keane going peetong in Japan – everywhere we look things are bleak to say the least. So what do you do when you need a little light relief? Well you couldn't go far wrong if you shelled out a little of your hard earned cash and sat down to just over an hour or so entertainment from Russell Gary and the lads doing a bit of "Mumbo Jumbo".

Yep. Stick this on the old CD player in the car or at home and we'll guarantee it will put a smile back on your face. This is the brass band version of an hour of Reeves and Mortimer. It is at times barmy, bonkers, surreal and highly addictive and at times couldn't sound more kitch and corny if it came in a tin with Fray Bentos written on the side; but bloody hell and rub me thighs – it ain't half entertaining stuff.

All 13 tracks come from the pen of Sheffield born but Australian bred composer and arranger Barrie Gott – the man who brought us the ubiquitous "Lightwalk" and we therefore get just over an hour of some of his eclectic output from the arrangements of Smith's "Declaration Overture" and Barne's "Appalachian Overture" to arrangements of Corelli and Tartini via "Godspell" and "Danny Boy". All have been given the Gott treatment in his own inimitable fashion and considerable skill and so, even though there are one or two tracks that put a smile on your face for reasons unknown the majority are clever upbeat foot tapping tracks that entertain you and more importantly get you looking for the rewind button.

The Ransome Band are on good form throughout and neatly directed by Russell Gray who puts energy and plenty of style in each of the numbers on show. The two soloists in particular are very good indeed with George Thackray again providing evidence to show why he is rightly seen as one of the best tenor horn players on the circuit and Chris Jeans on classy form using the rarely heard alto trombone.

The two overtures are crisply performed, although in the first there is a strange section where it sounds like a one legged man is tap dancing on a formica table top, whilst the "Glasshouse Sketches" and "Jazz" Suite are given good quality workouts that show off the individual players skills as well as that of the composer himself.

It's the lesser fillers though that out a smile on your face, with "Mumbo Jumbo" sounding reminiscent of one of those Sesame Street educational cartoons sequences they used to do on a Saturday morning. Cue music…. Out pops a character with the letter A on his back….. A is for Apple, change position….., A is for Anteater, change position…., A is for Athritis! The joy! Memories of a happy childhood will come flooding back.

"Godspell" is an upbeat selection of a few tunes from the musical of the same name and should be a good concert filler if nothing else, whilst "Let there be Praise" sounds like one of those Artic Funk numbers so beloved of some of our European friends.

The best for us though is undoubtedly track 10 – "Daniel" which somehow combines for us the second part of "Jingle Bells" with part of the "Boy in New York City" by the truly great 1970's pop group, Darts. Don't know if this is intentional or not, but its bleeding genius none the less and is worth the cost of the CD on its own. "Gospel Train" will just about get you out of your seat shouting and hollering as if you've just been to a Southern Baptist revivalist meeting, so don't be surprised if you come over all happy clappy.

Some of the numbers have as much convincing swing as you could find in a hanged man on the gallows and sometimes it sounds as stiff as one of your parents trying to disco dance at a wedding reception, but overall Ransome do the business in fine style throughout with the solo players in particular showing off their abilities well.

We didn't quite know what to make of this CD when we were given it at first – especially as it has a cover that reminds you of how you feel after ten pints of Stella Artois and a chicken biriyani, but all this disappears after you stick it in your CD player. Forget all the troubles and strife, forget Beckham's foot, your overdraft, your boss in work and your inability to play your part in band and sit back with a can of lager and prepare to smile. This CD will do just that.

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