There’s not an obvious track on the album like ‘All That You Give’ (the massive track featuring Fontella Bass) off the last album, Every Day. Ma Fleur is far more Sunday morning than Saturday night. It’s very downtempo and, if you hadn’t guessed by now, more of an evolution of the Man With A Movie Camera project (The Cinematic Orchestra’s soundtrack to the 1929 silent movie by Dziga Vertov).

As its best Ma Fleur takes the trademark acoustic double bass and drums of the jazz band and builds the piano and string themes around that.

In Swincoe’s interview in the current issue of Straight No Chaser, he says he tried a few vocalists out on ‘Breathe’ and even though Fontella Bass is in frail health, she was ideal for the song. I must say I found it quite disturbing as it’s in stark comparison to the famous sound of the worldwide hit ‘Rescue Me’, her best work with the Art Ensemble Of Chicago (including ‘Thème De Yoyo’) and ‘All That You Give’.

To be honest, when we heard ‘To Build A Home’ (with vocals by Canadian Patrick Watson) at the start of the year, it was far too reminiscent of the mood of a Coldplay/Radiohead for me. Perhaps it’s with the exposure to Mark Ronson’s album, or with the benefit of a few more listens and within the context of the album, the track is proving to be a grower now.

I think that’s fair to say of the album as a whole. For best results, don’t be impatient, don’t skip the tracks, close your eyes and create your own imagery to the music.

The tour version of Ma Fleur is coming to an end as the album is released on Monday. Yesterday they were at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival with Swinscoe as the band leader, Phil France (Double Bass), Tom Chant (Saxophone), Nick ‘F-ire Collective / Acoustic Ladyland’ Ramm (Piano), Stuart McCallum (Guitars) and Luke Flowers (Drums). Today, they are performing a special show at the Barbican. The first set will feature Ma Fleur with a world premier of specially commissioned visuals and videos for each piece of music. The second set will consist of classic music from their previous albums plus some completely unexpected material.

Next week there’s a Gilles Peterson session from Maida Vale so let’s hope it that those who can’t get to the Barbican get to hear some of the ‘unexpected’ material.

Reviewed: The Cinematic Orchestra — Ma Fleurs (Ninja Tune) Cat. No. ZENCD 122 Release date: 7th May 2007
Tracklisting
1 — To Build A Home feat Patrick Watson
2 — Familiar Ground feat Fontella Bass
3 — Child Song
4 — Music Box feat Patrick Watson/Lou Rhodes
5 — Prelude
6 — As The Stars Fall
7 — Into You
8 — Ma Fleur
9 — Breathe feat Fontella Bass
10 — That Home feat Patrick Watson
11 — Time And Space feat Lou Rhodes

Links:
www.ninjatune.net/cinematicorchestra
www.ninjatune.net
myspace.com/thecinematicorchestras
www.cinematicorchestra.com
www.straightnochaser.co.uk
Gilles Peterson Tracklistings 10/05/07 Cinematic Orchestra with an audience at Maida Vale
May 7th sees the release of the first full studio album by Jason Swinscoe’s Cinematic Orchestra since 2002’s “Everyday”. Entitled “Ma Fleur,” the record was written as the soundtrack to a specially commissioned screenplay for an imagined film (which may or may not yet be made).