''Polar Bear'' is the third album by
Sebastian Rochford's British jazz band,
Polar Bear
The polar bear (''Ursus maritimus'') is a hypercarnivorous bear whose native range lies largely within the Arctic Circle, encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the largest extant bear specie ...
.
Background
According to the band, they spent "a lot of time" recording ''Polar Bear''; Seb Rochford stating that he wanted the album "to have the saxes not so much soloing, but more interacting with (Leafcutter) John, and it took a while for everyone to get their heads round improvising in that way".
The album was initially released on Tin Angel in 2008, but was re-issued by
The Leaf Label
The Leaf Label is a British independent record label based in Yorkshire, England. Initially an electronic music label, releasing mainly instrumental music, the company's approach now features artists spanning jazz and post-punk.
History
The Le ...
in 2014.
Critical reception
On the ''
Metacritic'' website, which aggregates reviews from critics and assigns a normalised rating out of 100, ''Peepers'' received a score of 72, based on 1 mixed and 3 positive reviews.
Drowned in Sound
''Drowned in Sound'', sometimes abbreviated to ''DiS'', is a UK-based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway. Founded by editor Sean Adams, the site features reviews, news, interviews, and discussion forums.
History
''D ...
praised the album's "seamless motion and playful interplay" and "sheer musical pleasure", awarding it 8/10.
The BBC called it a "triumph" in their review, calling ''Polar Bear'' "a fine record".
''
The Guardian'' write that Rochford is a "proper jazz composer, whose themes are spare, colourful and strong enough to frame and support extensive improvisation from his talented crew and guests" and call the album "brilliant".
''
The Observer'' are less impressed, writing that "this is a band running out of ideas", calling ''Polar Bear'' "good in small doses".
Ultimately, the album did not receive the same press as the previous album, ''Held on the Tips Of Fingers'', which had gained extra media attention after being shortlisted for a
Mercury Music Prize.
Track listing
Personnel
Polar Bear
*
Pete Wareham
Pete Wareham is a British saxophonist, composer and band leader. He leads the genre-defying North African/punk/jazz/dance band Melt Yourself Down and is a member of Nadine Shah’s Mercury Prize-nominated band, Seb Rochford’s Pulled By Magnet ...
–
tenor saxophone
*
Mark Lockheart
Mark Lockheart (born 31 March 1961) is a British jazz tenor saxophonist who was a member of the Loose Tubes big band during the 1980s.
Career
After the demise of Loose Tubes, Lockheart formed jazz/folk quartet Perfect Houseplants with Huw Warr ...
– tenor saxophone
*
Sebastian Rochford – drums, bass (13)
* Tom Herbert – double bass, drums (13)
*
Leafcutter John
Leafcutter John is the recording name of John Burton, a UK-based musician and artist. He makes frequent use of Max/MSP in his compositions. Much of Burton's style is based in computer music and use of samples of everyday sounds. However, he a ...
–
electronics,
mandolin
A mandolin ( it, mandolino ; literally "small mandola") is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally plucked with a pick. It most commonly has four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, thus giving a total of 8 ...
,
kalimba, glass, bowed cymbal,
samples and balloon
Additional musicians
*
Julia Biel
Julia Biel is a British jazz singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist.
Early life
Biel was born in London on 22 February 1976. She was brought up in Sutton, then studied French and German at the University of Oxford. There, she was in a ban ...
– vocals (7 and 8)
*
Ben Davis – cello (8)
* Amanda Drummond – viola (12)
* Brian Edwards – tenor saxophone (7)
*
Ingrid Laubrock – tenor saxophone (11)
References
{{Authority control
2008 albums
The Leaf Label albums
Polar Bear (British band) albums