Osborne, Mike

Force Of Nature

Label: Reel Recordings Country: Canada

"Mike Osborne (1941-2007) was an alto saxophonist without a peer among his fellow country men, a musician of profound personality with a gift for jazz composition. Mike was first heard in the sixties as a soloist of incendiary character in the Mike Westbrook Concert Band, and his never less than passionate sound was ubiquitous through the heyday of British Jazz in the seventies. He recorded and performed extensively with the leading composers of the era; Chris McGregor, Michael Gibbs, and Barry Guy. With John Surman and Alan Skidmore, "Ozzie" as he was affectionately known by friends, formed the celebrated saxophone trio SOS, while also leading numerous bands under his own name.

It's no secret that Mike Osborne suffered schizophrenia and in 1983 circumstances forced his retreat from London, robbing both Mike and his audience of further music making. In 2007 Reel Recordings approached Mike's guardian with recently uncovered Hi-Fidelity recordings of the Osborne Quartet in the early eighties, a hitherto undocumented period. Mike was delighted to hear the music back and blessed "Force of Nature" with deep admiration for his fellow musicians; trumpeter Dave Holdsworth, bassist Marcio Mattos, drummer Brian Abrahams. Together they blend the base ingredients of melody, harmony and rhythm toward boiling points beyond belief. To wit, the quartet's non-stop 42 minute performance before an appreciative audience in Koln, Germany. Included is a live-in-studio set with the muscular rhythm section of the Paul Bridge (1940-2001) and Tony Marsh. Together, these reel recordings provide proof positive that music from Mike Osborne truly is a Force of Nature."-Reel Recordings