Vortex Jazz Club reviews

Kairos 4tet

2010-08-26T07:52:00.003+01:00

Kairos 4tet have fast been establishing themselves as a prominent voice on the UK jazz scene and their recent packed out performance at The Vortex proves that their profile is growing (and rightly so).

Performing a collection of material from their debut album, Kairos Moment, and the occasional new offering, the band featured Jon Scott (drums), Jasper Høiby (bass), new member Ivo Neame (piano) and leader Adam Waldmann (saxophones).

Waldmann’s solos were considered and performed with a poise reminiscent of Julian Arguelles. Often leading with spacious gestures, the more modal tunes saw him weaving in and out with chromatic patterns and repeated cells that provoked an excited but measured response from the rhythm section.

An energetic improviser, Neame’s skill as an accompanist is assured with the freer moments between him and Waldmann being especially beautiful.

The group is conceptually strong with Waldmann’s writing suiting his improvising voice perfectly The grooves were deceptive, driven by Scott who expertly complemented Høiby’s fervent presence. New ballad Maybe Next Year began with an ancient calm from which emerged a lyrical folk inflected theme; an accessible style that underpinned a lot of the writing.

With upcoming appearances at Brecon Jazz Festival and The Forge, catch this new line-up while it’s hot.

Dave Morecroft / Leafcutter John / Gina Southgate

2010-07-28T16:57:00.003+01:00

On the 21^st July, The Vortex audience was treated to a most unusal event by Pianist Dave Morecroft (World Service Project) laptop whiz Leafcutter John and artist Gina Southgate. Southgate’s is a name that should be familiar to any Vortex attendee as it is her depictions of musicians and past gigs that adorn the walls of the club. A night of collaboration was to follow between the worlds of acoustic sound, electronic manipulation and abstract art and the audience, although small, was clearly excited by the prospect.

Ominous photos were taken of the three pristine canvases as various jugs, pots and spray bottles of colour were carried forward to the stage to the right of which were a collection of sundries including a barbeque grill and various lengths of plastic tube.

The first improvisation began enthusiastically with Morecroft disappearing inside the piano to pick, strum and slap whilst Southgate slashed and ripped back the plastic wrapping from the canvas with clamouring purpose. Leafcutter John was always alert and was quick to regurgitate manipulated sounds of the ensuing ruckus. Mostly abstract, the soundscapes never lingered too long and coalesced at times into pulsing trance like grooves.

The group dynamic took a twist with a more conventional instrumental with Morecroft’s original composition Underneath. Chanting and soaring like Satie, the music was lifted further by Leafcutter John’s textural presence. Southgate quietly captured the duet on a small canvas using a roller.

Southgate’s movements throughout the set were captivating as she applied paint in bold strokes, printed, sprayed, smeared and clattered about the stage with her various equipment (although sometimes a little gratuitously). At the times when her actions and the live sounds would naturally and coincide, magic was made.

The set was truly of the moment with each improvisation yielding its own painting. Revisiting an earlier canvas during the final number saw the additional scrapes and adherences give way to a dynamic picture that seemed to capture the mood of evening perfectly.

The performance was engaging throughout with each member of the unconventional trio acting with constant conviction, an impressive feat when considering that this was their first venture together. With the motivation and chosen stimulus of each member changing at various moments, the link between the audible and the visual developed as the set progressed. It was witnessing this creative process that was most exciting and assured the audience that they were witnessing something special.

There are no plans as yet to show the paintings produced so interested parties should ensure their attendance at the next gig, should there be one. I certainly hope so.

TJL

Vijay Iyer Trio 8th July 2010-07-13

2010-07-21T13:22:00.002+01:00

The 7^th & 8^th July saw The Vortex play host to two piano trios namely Richard Fairhurst’s Triptych and the recently crowned Jazz Journalist Association 2010 Musician of the Year, Vijay Iyer in trio with Stefan Crump (bass) and Marcus Gilmore (drums).

Promoting their new album, Amicus, Triptych features American drummer Chris Vatalaro and, for the evening at least, bassist Riaan Vosloo filling in for band regular Jasper Høiby. The music was texturally nimble with both Vosloo and Vatalaro sympathising with every change of mood lead by Farihurst whose lines were delivered with an engaging purpose and unfaltering interest. The piano was present throughout and could have been forgiven if it were to lay out on occasion however with the sidemen perfectly complementing Fairhurst’s moments of inspired lyricism and angular aggression, the band dynamic did not suffer.

Farihurst’s solo piano interludes were reminiscent of John Taylor and buffered the compositions well. The introduction to Dense Fur was introspective and filmic in character and had one imagining a stark, icy landscape. This was most likely due the title conjuring the image of a polar bear in my minds eye (so I won’t pretend this is what it was actually about)!

The music captured moments of Mehldau, John Taylor, EST and Avishai Cohen and was accessibly melodic and intelligently composed placing the album firmly in my “to buy” list.

The headliners proved they were a band not to be missed with their set of “old stuff in new ways [and] new stuff in old ways”, as Iyer put it. The set began with a series of segued tunes that showcased a conversational approach can only develop from playing together over many years with the trio seamlessly moving between collective prevalence and considered solos. Varying wildly in texture and focus the band were drawing the most from each other and themselves and exploited the trio format its full potential.

Iyer’s presence was bold yet accommodating with moments of dark brooding, cathartic block harmony and fearless line playing. Crump’s solos were clear and engaging with strident pizzicato and scraping bow work separating the character of each whilst Gilmore was making the drums speak with a feel that made every new groove as satisfying as the last.

Never afraid to throw in the occasional popular tune, the arrangement of Human Nature had a sense of urgency whilst preserving its accessible lyricism and had both hardened jazz fan and occasional gig goer bobbing their heads approvingly.

The music was always carefully balanced; the mark of a trio that truly know how to play together. When busy the music was uncluttered, when intense it was controlled. It was complex and probing without being pretentious and was performed with a conviction that assured the audience that every note was meant.

Iyer will return to the Vortex alone to perform solo later in the year.

TJL (Tom Leaper)

Vortex Jazz Club - July 2010 Podcast

2010-07-07T16:17:00.003+01:00

The Vortex is delighted to launch a new monthly podcast featuring the best of the forthcoming month's programme. We provide a platform for the artists themselves to discuss and evaluate the creative impetus behind their music. Samples of their work and a monthly gig guide also feature.

This month The Vortex talks to Vijay Iyer about the various strands of creative activity coursing through his trio project.

Jair-Rohm Parker Wells discusses the artistic narratives of both "The Albert Ayler Life Celebration!" and the music of sonic experimentalist John Kameel Farah.

We also feature Lucy Railton, curator of Kammer Klang - a new series exploring the boundary of contemporary classical and freely improvised music.

Musical extracts and a round up July's other highlights also feature.

Produced and presented by Chris Jack

The Vortex

2010-07-07T16:15:00.001+01:00

Latest tracks by The Vortex

Seb Rochford/Shabaka Hutchings/Kit Downes/Tom Herbert - 11.03.09

2009-03-17T15:20:00.003Z

Confidence to revisit the tradition dovetailed with a stance that heralds the future of the music. The quartet, comprising musicians known for challenging set parameters, brought this energy and attitude to a respectful and intrepid performance.

Sketches of the neo-bop classic, “Confirmation”, raised the curtain. Fragile statements echoing the main theme were suffused by pianist, Kit Downes’ elegant chordal flourishes. Drummer, Seb Rochford’s brittle rhythmic fills and percussive textures complimented this effect with double bassist, Neil Charles’ melodic forms drawing attention towards the points of greatest harmonic tension. With lightly decorated melodic phrases tenor saxophonist, Shabaka Hutchings propelled the quartet to groove on a spirited bop swing. The sound segued into an abstract feel ushering in a subtle rallentando which provided the context for ruminations on the central theme by Hutchings, now on alto clarinet. He loosely pulled the theme in beguiling rhythmic and melodic directions as the rhythm section brewed a gentle hymn-like mid-low tempo swing.

Original compositions provided equally fertile material for the group to develop their acoustic portrait. Downes introduced a tune of “no name” with beautiful harmonic layers which spilled onto the sonic landscape with grace and subtlety. Atmospheric cymbal effects evoked a nebulous environment for Hutchings, on clarinet, to reside in and pursue pensive melodic lines while Charles’ bubbling bass phrases made perceptive harmonic illuminations. Rochford stripped the music down to its raw original conception with sparse, uneasy percussive textures and melodic empathy. Hutchings’ repetitive melodic patterns scaled the harmonic dimensions of the composition building tension in its wake. It provided a melodic pillar off which disjointed harmonic and rhythmic contributions from the rhythm section coherently took the group into avant-garde territory. Charles’ a cappella bass solo sensitively channelled the melodic energy into tones of harmonic intrigue.

The trepidation felt by contemporary musicians towards public performances of traditional compositions was cast off and almost ridiculed by this quartet. They proved their musical integrity and the possibility of continual progression within familiar frames of reference.

Vortex Music Market, 22.02.09

2009-02-25T16:40:00.002Z

The first Vortex music market took place on Sunday 22 February. There were stands from Babel shop, 33 Records and Czech Music Distributors, giving a good cross-section for a first time. Of course it would have been good to have had more labels and so on, but certainly it seemed to generate a lot of discussion amongst us about the state of the world, as it relates to jazz!
Of additional interest were 3 boxes of CDs which the Vortex has inherited over the years. Promos, and some private donations. All these are available for £2 with the money going straight into the Vortex coffers. Quite a range quality wise, as one might expect. In fact, one visitor found an album (by Norwegian group Oslo 13 including a young Nils Petter Molvaer and Jon Balke) that he has been unable to get hold of anywhere. So it shows that it's always worth nosing around.
The next one will be held on 22 March, probably downstairs in the bar because upstairs is being used.
Remember. Anyone wanting to display can contact the club or me.

Loop Collective Festival 12.02.09 - 15.02.09

2009-02-25T00:01:00.006Z

Four nights marked four years since the Loop Collective’s foundation. It was a festival which proved the success of the Collective’s ambition to liberate the artistic diversity of its members and thereby captured a spirit of celebration, exploration and community.

Successfully programmed to avoid stagnation and overexposure to specific musical forms, the first night shone a beacon towards the quality and diversity dawning on the horizon. The Dave Manington Quartet ushered in the festival with nods towards Latin, funk and bop. Guest vocalist, Brigitte Beraha’s ethereal, Floria Purim influenced layers of harmony complimented tenor saxophonist, Mark Hanslip’s melodic expressions. Ma, whose name conflates matriarchal reference with the instinctive cries of Aries, welded electronica, drum and bass and hard- bop. A discordant electronic soak from their own guest artist on laptop, Steve Arguelles, contextualised the pulsating up-beat minimalist drum and bass groove from drummer, Dave Smith. Abstract avant-bop figures from tenor saxophonist, Tom Challenger were echoed by Arguelles as reference points for melodic developments.

Friday’s programme revealed the ferocious musical imaginations of the Loop Collective’s members. Dog Soup’s tribute to late-60’s Miles found the right balance between abstract expressionism and deeply introspective funk. John Turville, on Fender Rhodes wrung the points of harmonic tension to full effect, permeating the sonic waves created. The Ivo Neame Quartet projected an elegant post-bop aesthetic. Smooth in the attack of phrases, pianist, Ivo Neame wove a warm, velvety texture through the set. A strong contemporary classical influence radiated from the Kane/Bonney duo. Melodic lines were thatched together with symmetry and coherence. Trumpeter, Alex Bonney’s stately tone expanded concepts against inventive harmonic and percussive textures from double bassist, Dave Kane who pushed the capacity of the instrument to its expressive limits. Layers of electronic baritone guitar effects glared out with a stark, sinister antagonism as guest artist Stian Westerhus brought his brutal metal influenced vernacular to Fraud’s closing set. As if inspired, tenor saxophonist, James Allsopp furiously attacked the phrases into which he developed powerful Brecker-esque harmonic expansions culminating in raging bursts of upper register screams. Westerhus’ brooding, malign a cappella solo featured abrasive drill and distortion effects which subsumed the audience’s consciousness before the group settled into a stirring rock groove.

St. Valentine’s Day, a time for lovers to indulge in Cupid inspired affection. Perfectly appropriate then that the festival’s curators had programmed music tinged by the bow of that lively youth. Blink’s Monk inspired post-bop set the tone. Dissonant but reasoned melodic themes were constructed against pianist Alcyona Mick’s angular, sparse voicing and heavy harmonic structures. Phronesis, featuring Danish drummer, Anton Eger, injected a dose of spritely funk into the proceedings. Mesmeric, highly illustrated rhythmic patterns and ornamental fills brought vivacity to strong melodies. Outhouse, produced a more abstract/folk quality to the jazz/rock theme hinted at by their predecessor. The two tenor saxophones, played by Tom Challenger and Robin Fincker, synchronised their melodic delivery before establishing spilt voice chromaticism and sprawling solo efforts over concise and engaging harmonic forms by double bassist, Johnny Brierley. As a fitting overture to the evening’s amorous ambiance, Sam Crockett’s luscious late 50’s Coltrane lyricism and burnished tone delivered balmy melodic themes with a confident élan. The quartet featured pianist, Gwilym Simcock whose graceful melodic flourishes and harmonic voicing bore a gleaming romanticism.

A driving rock groove punctuated by rhythmically perceptive moments of silence arrested the attention as Gemini opened the final night’s entertainment. This updated interpretation of Steps Ahead gestured towards contemporary musical forms such as drum and bass while, Ivo Neame now on alto saxophone, issued a glistening, funk infused hard-bop against piercing shards of sounds from Jim Hart’s bowed vibraphone plates. The nine-piece Rory Simmons led Fringe Magnetic brought the festival to a triumphant close. Insightful horn and string parts jostled for position as self-sufficient strands of harmony and melody combined to create a captivating audio construct. Simmons, on trumpet, sliced through with a commanding solo embracing Latin, bop and contemporary classical influences. Vocalist, Elisabeth Nygaard brought a strong cinematic dynamic to the performance.

The variety and quality of the performances provide robust anecdotal justification for the artistic attitude invigorating and uniting this Collective.

Marc Ducret Trio - 28.01.09

2009-02-08T00:33:00.005Z

In judging the quality of a musical performance we may regard honesty as an alternative model to the poles of ‘good’ and ‘bad’. Does a given performance honestly communicate the thoughts and feelings of the musician? Does it “fight the average, average”, as electric guitarist, Marc Ducret had us reflect? The answer on this occasion is most resoundingly affirmative.

Coursing through the veins of Ducret’s trio are tensions that propel an elevation above the “average” he so abhors. If we consider that the genesis of a musical idea is a wholly conceptual entity then bringing that concept into actuality by means of an instrument entails that only one expression of that original conception can take place at any one time. If that original concept inspires multiple mental phenomena then only one can be actualised. The others are frustrated at that moment in time from actualisation. Marc Ducret uses this frustration to energise his music with a brutal intellectual tension. Equally, a severe rhythmic tension is conjured by a paradoxical technique that aims towards a non-rhythmic execution while maintaining a strong rhythmic backbone i.e. to play time and not play time. These tensions subsume the listener in an audio-phenomenal ecstasy.

Bassist, Bruno Chevillon matched Ducret’s idiosyncratic vernacular with highly eloquent blues based phrases that suggested a synthesis of Daryl Jones, Eddie Gomez and Miroslav Vitous. Ducret absorbed these forms and subjected them to vicious distortions and dreamy chord sustains that warped the harmonic swell created. Chevillon’s expansive runs erupted into abrasive chordal sequences that spurred Ducret into post-apocalyptic melodic lines. Contrapuntal percussive possibilities were exploited by drummer, Eric Echampard. His sharp ornamental flourishes and dominant backbeat provided a powerful rhythmic platform for Ducret to challenge the audience by continually alternating between rhythm and lead phrasing.

The euphoria generated by this performance provided emotional confirmation of the honesty of this music. It manifestly fights the average, average.

Marc Ducret

Seb Rochford/Troyka/Zed-U/Normal Gimbel - 26.01.09

2009-02-08T00:14:00.005Z

Soho - the spiritual home of British modern jazz. As if to echo the days when Dave Holland, John McLaughlin, Peter King and others could be found experimenting with the latest musical developments, the Pizza Express Jazz Club featured four distinct and diverse musical acts that each ride on the crest of the latest wave to emanate from the jazz idiom.

The role of the guitar playing folk-laureate does not typically find Seb Rochford within its domain of practise. Tonight however, was about defying convention. This solo set revealed an instinctive, late Chet Baker-esque anti-technique on vocals and acoustic guitar. The Bonnie Prince Billy folk/punk aesthetic haunted the melodies which themselves derived from a folk/country tradition.

To conjure a statement of intent, Troyka’s set descended upon the venue with a heavy electronic reverb effect. Drummer, Josh Blakemore built the sound with tight funk inspired rhythmic patterns which transmuted into a heavy progressive-rock beat. Electric guitarist, Chris Montague injected angular post-bop/rock phrases that resonated with a Bill Frisell “country” infliction. A sense of in-performance compositional development radiated from Kit Downes’ electric keyboard. His powerfully funk infused melodic progression siphoned into sparse melodic and rhythmic distortions illuminated by electronic refractions.

Norman Gimbel, an American lyricist who wrote for contemporary musical luminaries such as Dave Grusin, Michel Legrand and Antonio Carlos Jobim would have been endeared by the third set performance of Normal Gimbel. This a cappella duo featuring Alice Grant and Ruth Goller, brought sardonic contemporary lyrics to a choral singing style that borrowed from the twentieth century classical post-minimalism of John Adams. “I’ve come to understand why people who are bored sometimes jump off a cliff...” they chimed with enigmatic charm and self-conscious provocation.

Pensive, introspective, menacing meditations provided an optimal contrast. Zed-U opened with searching contributions from its three protagonists. On tenor saxophone, Shabaka Hutchings hypnotically circulated around the core theme, emphasising its inherently arresting design. Over drummer, Tom Skinner’s burnishing rock groove, Hutchings developed the phrase with brutal abstract Brotzmann-esque atonal and a-melodic saxophonistics to reveal the extreme noise end of his technique. Neil Charles’ electric bass line engaged in a virtuous spiral of intensity with Hutchings. Charles infused the post-jazz/prog-rock aesthetic with powerful bashment, soca and dub implications.

The vivacity and diversity of this programme energised a thrilled audience, emphatically proving that this scene is a spirited voice for contemporary British culture.

Seb Rochford

Troyka

Normal Gimbel

Zed-U

Vortex music market, 22 February

2009-01-30T21:20:00.004Z

On 22 February, the Vortex is running its first music market. Sunday afternoon from 1-6 p.m. Come one, come all. Bring your vinyl, your record collection, of, if you're a label, some of the CDs that you currently have to store in the linen cupboard, in the garage or behind the sofa.
Admission is free, as is the cost of setting up a stall.
Contact stephanie@vortexjazz.co.uk if you want to have a stall.

Law/Burgess/Sirkis, The Art of Sound Tour - 14/01/09

2009-01-20T00:00:00.003Z

Only those with extraordinary innate musical sensibility can aspire to win a scholarship backed by the Austrian Government to study under the pianist Badura-Skoda. John Law, a former recipient of this prestigious award, aims to use this gift to engender a spiritual experience in his audience. Improvisation is deemed critical to conjuring this effect. His methodology places lexical priority on engagement with the sonic and atmospheric dynamics in his immediate environment in order to transcend these via musical expression.

As if to put intention into practise, the evening’s proceedings commenced with developments on the Chet Baker tune played through the P.A. system while the band prepared the stage. It demonstrated an extroverted inclination to engage and interact not only within each musician’s internal space, nor within the group’s exclusive dynamic but with the entire audio and emotional ecosystem in which the group found itself.

Law’s delivery of the Miles classic, "Solar" was infused with medieval choral voicing and harmonies. His improvisations rarely strayed far from the original themes. He mines the interior contours of the phrase for the points of melodic intensity thereby sourcing the thought or feeling which motivated the composition in the first instance. This examination attained hypnotic force during his own compositions, "Watching Waiting" and "The Ghost in the Oak". Double bassist, Sam Burgess matched this effect during, "Still Life" with expansions on the main theme predominantly played in his upper register with a stunningly beautiful tone and expressive inflictions woven with romanticism. Sirkis reached his zenith on, "Giant Steps", with sparse accents and fills which fluctuated in and out of tempo. This effectively deconstructed the composition to reveal its interior.

"Music is for me a window into another realm." Sirkis’ sensitive analysis illustrates the effect created by this trio; elegant, sophisticated and intellectually engaging.

www.nday.co.uk

Mwamba/Kane/Blackmore - 12.01.09

2009-01-19T23:48:00.003Z

Creative Partnerships Derby is an initiative in which musicians aim to substantively alter school environments to create ever more effective places of learning. Vibraphonist, Corey Mwamba operates as a prominent practitioner of this programme. Perhaps this partially explains how this trio project with bassist Dave Kane and drummer, Joshua Blackmore managed to engender such an impact.

This group prioritises the practise of in-performance listening to create a tangible sense of synergy despite the absence of a preordained structure. The music was entirely improvised, born from the thoughts and feelings of the players at that precise moment in time. Mwamba excelled in developing phrases inspired as much by bebop as by West African folk, as enchanting as any nursery rhyme and often imbued with atmospheric tonal layering. From within this complex web of melodic expression he isolated and developed the moments of tension inherent within the original phrase to thrilling effect. This introspective expressionism intensified under the strain of rhythmic reactions to Blackmore’s fills and accents. These were expressed in a variety of idioms; from brisk bop struts through neurotic and hyperactive avant-garde atmospherics, to subtle, erudite hints towards drum and bass. When bowed, Kane’s double bass delivered the emotional penetration of classical romanticism. His a cappella solo was evocative of Arild Andersen, combining powerful melodic expression with a resounding tone and inventive percussive textures.

Trumpeter, Alex Bonney featured briefly. His distinctive regal tone soared above a dense layering of free-form rhythm and melody with sparse incisive phrases before descending into a haunting wail woven with resentment and loss.

There was an undeniable sense of the sublime in this creation and experience. Though the music has not been named and the group has no recording the sensations visited on the audience will be carried for much time to come.

Corey Mwamba - http://www.coreymwamba.co.uk/

Dave Kane - http://www.myspace.com/chunkmusic

Joshua Blackmore - www.joshuablackmore.com

Minghe Morte, Andrew Plummer's World Sanguine Report & Bilbao Syndrome - 15.12.2008

2008-12-24T21:42:00.007Z

"The thing is, we just want you to gag on our jazz," offered electric bassist, Colin Sutton as a revealing insight into the irreverent manifesto for this evening’s entertainment. It featured ten members, arranged into three ensembles, of the iconoclastic LIMA (Leeds Improvised Music Association) Collective. This was self-conscious music born from the most rebellious strains of jazz’s D.N.A.

Minghe Morte, a group that systematically deconstructs the tenor saxophone trio, opened proceedings. Their sound fuses jazz, funk, electronica, punk and death metal in a maelstrom of creative activity. It conveyed the impression of an experiment in human-computer interaction that teased the audiences’ sensory perception of the sounds created as phrases were bent, refracted, reverberated, looped and delayed. Dark, prowling, funk bass lines by Sutton intermixed with drummer, Chris Bussey’s hyper-active rock beat. Saxophonist, Christophe de Bezenac intelligently executed succinct funk-tinged Brecker-esque melodies with unambiguous post-Coltrane ‘sheets of sound’ muscularity.

Andrew Plummer’s World Sanguine Report plays English folk music burnished by a simmering resentment and a toxic malaise. Plummer’s sonorous vocals and brooding performance captured all the despondency and antagonism of the most disaffected and alienated elements of Western counter-culture. Matthew Bourne on Fender Rhodes struck a path somewhere between Sun-Ra and Keith Jarrett, while trumpeter, Alex Bonney contributed with regal, engaging melodies that betrayed both Latin and British folk influences.

Slayer and Napalm Death are hardly familiar names to most jazz audiences, but their progenies may well become so. Bilbao Syndrome, ever the entertainers, entered dressed head to toe in florescent white jump suites supplemented by reflector aviators. The electronic effects were heavy and intense. Bussey, Sutton and Bourne powered forth with vigorous bass lines, domineering metal beats and Arkestra inspired expressionism. Electric guitarist, Chris Sharkey built the harmonic tension with devious rock/metal artistry that brought a vociferously supportive section of the audience to their feet. Plummer excelled as death-jazz vocalist extraordinaire, displaying a formidable ferocity to glorious effect, with snarls, growls and guttural shrieks.

‘Bilbao Syndrome’ names an epidemic transmitted by civic enthusiasts who believe that iconic museums are the shortcut to successfully transforming a rust belt city into a Mecca of creativity. Needless to say it has its doubters. However, it cannot be doubted that these bands represent one of Europe’s most vibrant, creative and energetic music scenes.

http://www.myspace.com/minghemorte

http://www.myspace.com/andrewplummer

http://www.myspace.com/bilbaosyndrome

Acoustic Ladyland - 11.12.2008

2008-12-15T14:44:00.002Z

To pioneer a movement is no modest feat. To inspire creation is no meagre accomplishment. Acoustic Ladyland can however justifiably lay claim to both. The vanguard of the British post-jazz movement revealed their latest incarnation with an ever erupting swell of emotion and creativity. Electric guitarist, Chris Sharkey, co-founder of the LIMA Collective, replaces keyboardist, Tom Cawley who left to pursue his own project, "Curios". Poised with new material ready for the glare of the public eye, this resplendent quartet played with all the passion and verve that audiences have come to expect and on account of the rearranged line-up, a stimulating new dimension was revealed.

The compositions revealed an array of styles while maintaining a unique and identifiable sound. Drummer, Seb Rochford propelled the group with his distinctive punch and vitality from up-beat ska, through forceful funk to reflective post-rock. The taut, unpretentious and hard-edged melodies towed the compositions with phrases that seemed to have jazz in their genes but were played with the ferocity and drive of punk.

Highlights included, "Plant Hunters" which opened with a characteristically punk/rock but jazz infused melodic phrase played by tenor saxophonist, Pete Wareham over a light rock pulse laid down by Rochford. As Ruth Goller, on electric bass, broke into a strong blues/rock hook, Sharkey supplemented Wareham’s melodic lines with insistent, penetrating punk voicing. Having already worked with Wareham and Goller in "The Final Terror", the foundations for this demonstration of mutual understanding and appreciation had been set. Wareham’s saxophone roared like a tortured beast before transitioning into a jazz/rock vamp to draw the composition towards and ending illuminated by Sharkey’s sparse psychedelic phrasing. Rochford and Goller began, "Have Another Go" by combining a self-assured punk/rock beat with a throbbing baseline in advance of a bop-punk groove. Sharkey featured with brutal punk expansions on the main melodic line and phrasing which referenced Hendrix and McLaughlin.

The material performed will constitute the basis for Acoustic Ladyland’s next album. On this evening’s evidence, it will surely prove to be among 2009’s most dazzling releases.

http://www.myspace.com/acousticladylandmusic

Blink featuring Merit Stephanos

2008-12-08T01:10:00.006Z

The Leverhulme Trust awards fellowships on the basis of originality, judgment, appropriate risk and the transcendence of barriers between traditional disciplines. It will come as no surprise to those who attended Blink’s latest performance at the Vortex that pianist and composer, Alcyona Mick received this award to help fund her debut album, "Around the Sun". Featuring Merit Stephanos on vocals, Blink developed their already distinctive sound by drawing inspiration from previously untapped sources.

The first set consisted in material from the trio’s eponymously named album. The absence of a bassist both necessitates a degree of harmonic responsibility when playing within a structure and creates an intriguing space for exploration when playing free. These qualities attained a degree of excellence during "Hall C", a dark, contemplative composition by Blink’s saxophonist, Robin Fincker. Mick’s simple and engaging bass part anchored the group. Once rooted, she explored some of the more abstract implications of the melody. She swirled across the entire range of the piano with phrasing evocative of Messiaen or Rachmaninoff. Fincker worked a poignant atonality into the main melody before launching into expansive melodic lines within the key signature and echoing them with ‘outside’ responses. As though propelled by this development drummer, Paul Clarvis broke into a characteristically strong, driving rock stride that saw the piece out.

Merit Stephanos infused the second set with a potent Arabian scent which, during the endearingly titled, "I’m his Darling, he’s my Darling", brought the group to the zenith of their inter-genre philosophy. It began as a hard-bop ballad with Mick delivering spacious, Monk-like voicing over terse cymbal effects and rumblings by Clarvis. Stephanos’ vocals distinguished themselves with their Middle Eastern intonation, elegance and emotional intimacy. While Mick and Clarvis built to a cinematic depth, Stephanos sang the lyrics with a clear and resounding heart, producing an utterly compelling performance. Fincker contributed with concise abstract calls before weaving Arabic inflections into the fabric of his fundamentally post-bop solo.

In years to come, Blink, together with a handful of other groups, will be adjudged to define a particular breed of early twenty-first century music which draws influence from multiple musical categories. Presently, the music is indefinable. We are left simply to bask in the glow of its romantic mysticism.