DATA 061
Fat Fish
Sean Bergin Song MOB
€18.50 (incl. shipping + tax)

Dutch-based, South African born saxophonist Sean Bergin has always proudly worn his South African roots on his sleeve. It’s always a strong undercurrent running through the musical brew he created with his group M.O.B. (My Own Band), along with a strong affirmation of Jazz roots, avant-garde inclinations and seemingly anything else that struck his fancy. Here his “Song Mob” is an expansion of his regular working group with the addition of three very distinct vocalists: Senegalese singer Mola Sylla and British avant-garde vocalists Phil Minton and Maggie Nicols. One would think this combination would be a recipe for disaster but that is definitely not the case. The three vocalists work together under Bergin’s arrangements and give the music an earthy base with vocalise flights of fancy that lift the music into space. Using these three vocalists was a truly inspired choice on Bergin’s part.

Despite a fluctuating membership, Bergin’s group has had a surprisingly stable personnel over the course of its existence. Seven of the players on this disc (Boeren, Wierbos, Maguire, Glerum, Maguire and Bennink) were also on 1988’s debut album, the excellent Kid’s Mysteries, and the remaining four have been on the other releases. There must be a reason other than financial (or blackmail) for this type of loyalty and, of course, it’s the music. Bergin has the ability to write compositions that take the music from African derived grooves, segue it into uncharted, almost-free territory, works in a European classicism, yet it maintains a populist base. Difficult to do without making it sound contrived. And judging from the results of the M.O.B. recordings, it’s a lot of fun to play as well. “Chicken Feet” is a good case in point. It starts out as a feature for the string players (with Bergin on ukelele) in what sounds like an almost-courtly dance type of piece then soon breaks into a section reminiscent of Township jive. These sections are juggled and each singer gets a feature. The band grooves in the uptempo sections and there’s some remarkable writing (especially a final passage where all three singers are scatting in harmony), the horns come in with an extended arcing phrase that draws it all together and takes it to the finish. “When We Are Lost,” with a text taken from Carson McCullers, at times sounds like it could be a Schoenbergian creation, at others one of Yossou N’Dour’s heartbreaking ballads, and yet at others some sort of dadaist big band piece. Yet this music never sounds contrived.

The album is held together by Bergin’s skillful arranging and his instincts for putting together a first rate band. Bergin always seems to come up with a surprise or two up his sleeve with each of his M.O.B. discs. Adding vocalists to this edition of the band adds a further, fruitful wrinkle to what is one of Holland’s finest ensembles.

Cadence Magazine, Sept. 2007.

Mola Sylla-vocals
Phil Minton-vocals
Maggie Nicols-vocals
Sean Bergin-clarinet, tenorsax, vocals  
Tobias Delius-clarinet, tenorsax
Jan Willem van der Ham-altosax, bassoon 
Eric Boeren-cornet
Felicity Provan-trumpet, vocals
Wollter Wierbos-trombone
Franky Douglas-guitar 
Mary Oliver-violin
Alex Maguire-piano 
Ernst Glerum-bass
Han Bennink-drums

1. Lambi Golo (M.Sylla-comp&text / arr. F Douglas) 7:38
2. When we are lost (S.Bergin / text fragments-Carson McCullers) 11:59
3. Chicken Feet (S.Bergin - comp/text) 7:32
4. De nacht is nog jong / Virgin Birth (S.Bergin) 9:19
5. Fat Fish (S.Bergin - comp/text) 5:32
6. Dirge & Dance (S. Bergin) 12:12

Recorded at the BIMhuis february 25 2006 and april 2 2005
Coverdrawing Petra Dolleman
Coverdesign: Joseph Plateau, Amsterdam
Recorded and produced by Dick Lucas