Babel have a fascinating new album Dick Wag: a Tribute to Richard Wagner to be released in September the brainchild of composer and multi-instrumentalist Fred Thomas who has arranged Wagner like you've never heard him here playing bass joined by Parisien pianist Benoît Delbecq and reedist Ewan Bleach. ''Deadly serious and and deadly silly,'' Babel say. ''’Dick Wag’ serves up chunks hacked off masterpieces such as Tristan and Isolde, transforming them into grotesque parodies of Teutonic pomp, Greek shepherd laments, luscious jazz ballads, jingoistic marches and Ellingtonian jungle grooves. And if you listen closely, just audible between the cracks of these affectionate caricatures, is the unmistakable sound of Richard Wagner turning and squirming in his grave.''