|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
When Pete King finally sold Ronnie Scott’s in 2005, many feared for the venue’s future as a reputable jazz club. Some of the programming that followed seemed to justify those concerns, with many critical of both the high number of non-jazz and international artists.
But last year’s inaugural Brit Jazz Festival went a long way in redressing the balance, offering two weeks of music from across the jazz spectrum. Glancing at the schedule for the second year of this important event, it was clear that the same thought had been put into the programming.
A festival that begins with sixties' organ legend Brian Auger and ends with the tabla fusion of Talvin Singh is the kind of event that Ronnie Scott’s should be hosting. And after popping down to Frith St several times over two weeks, we can confirm what we already knew – that British jazz, in its broadest form, is as strong as ever.
Having sadly missed Brian Auger’s show (oh to have heard that Hammond charging through Ronnie’s system) our festival began with a mouthwatering double bill of the Neon Quartet and pianist John Taylor alongside ex-Loose Tubes saxophonist Julian Arguelles. It was good to see the "House Full" sign outside the venue on a Monday eve, especially when a long summer’s night can offer many other al fresco temptations.
Whether it was the reasonably priced tickets (£10/£20 – definitely more like it in these testing times) or the lure of seeing multiple generations of British jazz talent, this was a theme that continued over the two weeks. So by the time John Taylor and Julian Arguelles were introduced by Jez Nelson, whose Radio 3 were providing welcome support for the event, the venue was packed. This was the first time Taylor had played at the club for more than 20 years but from the moment his fingers touched the keys there was an air of the veteran about this quiet titan of British jazz. Restrained yet intense, fiery yet meditative, Taylor’s playing was matched by his partner in a beautiful performance that was well received by the appreciative crowd.
Stan Sulzmann, another unsung jazz elder, has been quietly building a reputation for himself with his Neon project. For this festival, the saxophonist was joined by three of the rising stars of the UK scene: F-IRE Collective pianist and Mercury nominee Kit Downes, and two members of the Loop Collective, vibes player Jim Hart and drummer Tim Giles.
Featuring numbers composed by the young players, the Quartet’s set was ample proof of the enduring strength of British Jazz. The towering fatherly figure of Sulzmann, whose playing was as fiery and soulful as ever, did not cast a shadow on the trio who have quickly becoming leaders in their own right. I’d seen Jim Hart before, performing with the New Jazz Couriers at the 606 Club (it was sad news to hear the death of drummer Martin Drew a few days later) but on this night his playing reached new heights.
On his own composition, the beautiful ‘Last of The Leaves’, his mastery of his instrument was simply stunning, equalled by the stellar drumming of Tim Giles. Perhaps the most unlikely but deserving Mercury nominee, Kit Downes was similarly majestic on piano, calling to mind a seventies' McCoy Tyner. But it is the combined power and intuition of the Quartet that makes them one of our most exciting bands at the moment.
Led Bib were welcomed as the “future of jazz” by the broadsheets when nominated for their own Mercury Award last year. Alongside the likes of Polar Bear and Acoustic Ladyland, the London group has certainly brought a new energy to the scene.
Not since the days of the Jazz Warriors has so much faith been put in the new school, but after the initial rush of excitement at hearing the group live, how well does their brand of jazz-rock hold up? A Jack Massarik review of the same gig the next day was critical of the group’s obvious reference points. However, comparing the “surface wildness” of alto sax duo Chris Williams and Pete Grogan to Ornette Coleman is a bit like saying Soul & Pimp Sessions are simply aping Pharoah Sanders.
Working on new numbers for their forthcoming album, the group were as raw as I had seen them, but in many ways it is this very crudeness that makes the group such an exciting live experience. The opening performance had seen Scandinavian//British trio Phronesis justifying the hype of a Jazzwise magazine front cover. Led by the tall blonde double bassist Jasper Hoiby alongside pianist Ivo Neame and drummer Antomn Eger, theirs is a more restrained jazz template but equally as powerful.
While the trio has drawn comparison with E.S.T, in truth Phronesis are even more atmospheric and rhythmic, with Hoiby an inspired front man. Whether playing flowing legato basslines on ‘Blue Inspirations’ or angular staccato hooks on ‘French’ he created both tension and space for Neame and Eger to add their own colour. The group’s clean-cut look and dubious fashion sense might not attract the heads but it is they who will be missing out.
Whether it's through his Now’s The Time radio show for GLR or his regular features in Jazzwise magazine, Kevin Le Gendre has been one of our most important jazz scribes for a number of years. An eloquent and thought-provoking writer, his latest project is his most ambitious yet, working with the fantastic Empirical on a tribute to the great Cannonball Adderley. Rumours of archive and audio footage had us looking forward to this one but a last-minute clash meant that this was one gig too far. It did however get us checking the YouTube footage of Adderley and wanting to find out more about this often misunderstood jazz man. Lets hope it’s a project picked up by other festivals.
For the Ronnie’s debut of the brilliant pianist Matthew Bourne and Acoustic Ladyland’s saxophonist Pete Wareham, we were promised a set of “beautifully dark and exciting tangos”. Naming themselves The Ugly Boys, the duo has taken inspiration from the heavy atmospherics of the great Argentinean singer and guitarist Edmund Rivero. With a sampler and effects, the duo’s use of technology both added and at times detracted from the fire and eloquence of their playing.
Concluding with a couple of numbers from the great tango revisionist Astor Piazzolla, this felt like a work in progress from two of our most exciting players. Aged 18 to 80 the London Improvisers Orchestra was born from Butch Morris' London Skyscraper tour for the Contemporary Music Network tour in the late nineties and has been nurtured through their monthly residency at Café Oto in Dalston.
London has a tradition of large improvisational ensembles such as those of Mike Westbrook and the much missed John Stevens. However, this project brings a whole new aesthetic to the form. Including titans of the British improv scene such as saxophonist Lol Coxhill and pianist Steve Beresford alongside younger players, the towering collective proved that in 2010 jazz can still be exploratory.
Conducted through hand movements and facial expressions, viola player Alison Blunt led the band on the opening number. Expanding and shaking her arms to create a tumultuous roar from the group or sucking the sound in and out through her cheeks, her freeform conduction creating powerful and emotional waves of sound from the collective.
Using a range of traditional big band instruments alongside oddities such as a balloon and an iPhone, the band were at their most ‘out there’ when Terry Day stepped to the front with his Bohemian poetry. By the time Jason Yarde emerged from the back of the venue emitting a powerful and spiritual sound from his horn, many in the audience had left, but the hardcore that remained were feeling the full force of this exciting, if challenging, set. A perfect and positive climax to our two weeks at Ronnie’s.
|
|
Words: Andy Thomas
Pictures: (c) David Sinclair |
|
|
|
|
|
|
