Christian Lindberg

To Follow Your Own Star - a portrait of Christian Lindberg
A Blast from the Past - four filmed performances:
Jan Sandström: ‘Motorbike Concerto’ for trombone and orchestra. Luciano Berio: per trombone solo. Mauricio Kagel: Atem für einen Bläser. John Cage: Solo for sliding trombone
Bombay Bay Barracuda - a music video of Christian Lindberg’s piece for trombone and tape
Brassbones A ‘musical Western Movie’
Across the Pond and Beyond - a film about the making of Lindberg’s bass trombone concerto Chick'a'bone Checkout.

BIS compilation DVD-1678 [TT: 219 mins]

This is a useful though uneven collection spanning ace trombonist Christian Lindberg's growing confidence and reputation over the years as a now prolific composer too.

Historic TV footage includes the repertoire-established Berio piece (for which Lindberg he is dressed as a clown) and the Motorbike Concerto, which made quite a sensation when, in full rig, he drove it onto the QEH stage in London; I fear that Sandström's work no longer sounds quite as fresh as when heard live with London Sinfonietta.

Most rewarding was the documentary Across the Pond and Beyond tracing the genesis of his USA concerto commission. The only doubt is whether the presence of the camera encouraged the unremittingly good natured affectionate back-slapping camaraderie of everyone involved. The other documentary portrait To follow your own star is less illuminating.

Regrettably there is no complete performance of Chick'a'bone Checkout, nor is one included in a newly announced Lindberg Concertos CD awaited for review in due course. Despite a few reservations, this DVD should be acquired by all trombonists and afficionados of the instrument.

Peter Grahame Woolf