An album the size of a planet: World Citizen Band ‘Antares’

The global nature of musicians and the music they produce is something that has always fascinated me. From my own early days playing in orchestras and big bands, I've always loved finding out about the context in which music is produced. With Antares, World Citizen Band have produced an album of original jazz that reflects the background and influences of each member of the quintet.

Each track on Antares takes the listener on a journey around the planet we call Earth, but with a sense of the planet Antares, which is also known as the heart of the scorpion. This really is a huge album in all senses of the word, reflecting the influences and heritage of each member - individually and collectively.

WCB was formed in Berlin in 2013 with the goal of uniting cultures through music, featuring Uri Gurvich - New York, from Israel (saxophone), Ramiro Olaciregui - Berlin, from Argentina (guitar), Marcos Merino - Madrid, from Spain (piano), Kenneth Dahl Knudsen - Aalborg, Denmark (double bass) and Rodolfo Zuniga - Los Angeles, from Costa Rica (drums).

If you like the music of McCoy Tyner, Brad Melhdau or Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, you'll find something to like on Antares.

Collaborations like this allow each member of the quintet to contribute both in composition and in performance and the various global homes and heritage of each comes to the fore. These are musicians steeped in the jazz world across North and South America, Europe and the Middle East and it shows.

The virtuosity of each of the five shines through, not least on the opening track - Uri Gurvich's sax solo on his Orient Express is breathtaking in the mixture of simplicity and complexity. There are dates across Spain, France, Denmark, Lithuania and Germany through October, so check them out and try to get along to one of the gigs - I might see you there!

Track Listing

1. Orient Express (Uri Gurvich)
2. Samba Pra Kuki (Ramiro Olaciregui)
3. Day One (Kenneth Dahl Knudsen)
4. Verás Mijín (Marcos Merino)
5. Bolinchas (Kenneth Dahl Knudsen)
6. Antares (Rodolfo Zuniga)
7. ¿Y Las Palabras? (Marcos Merino)
8. Lotus (Ramiro Olaciregui)
9. St. Sulpice (Rodolfo Zuniga)
10. CM’s Blues (Ramiro Olaciregui)
11. Magic Carpet (Uri Gurvich)

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Hilary Seabrook - writer, podcaster, musician

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