Dancing on the Edge

Dancing on the Edge is the official soundtrack to the British mini-series of the same name, written and directed by Stephen Poliakoff; it was picked up by the American channel Showtime for re-broadcast. The music is credited to the "Louis Lester Band," named for the character played by actor Chiwetel Ejiofor. The music and lyrics were actually composed by Adrian Johnson. Pianist Paul Englishby arranged and conducted the 12-piece band and two vocalists, Angel Coulby ("Jessy") and Wunmi Mosaku ("Carla"). The music walks a deeply nostalgic line. The series reflects the early '30s, when jazz took hold of England the way it had in America in the previous decade and a half. The music, however, is much closer to the sound of the late '30s and early '40s, and was deliberately influenced by the more refined sounds of orchestras led by Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, and Count Basie circa 1937-1943. Johnson's knowledge of that era's music is encyclopedic. While he may borrow most of his ideas for