Monthly Archives: October 2009

Tonight: Duo at Drum; Bear in Glee

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A reminder that there are two excellent gigs to choose from this evening in Birmingham.

At the Drum, pianist Robert Mitchell and vibes player Corey Mwamba trade licks and interlock in a very subtle way on the two kinds of keys. These are both outstanding players and together they have a certain kind of magic that comes from kindred spirits and mutual understanding. Music that contains both flaring sparks and dark resonances.

It starts at 7.45pm and there is more info here.

Meanwhile over at the Glee Club in the Arcadian Centre, the key band of the new British jazz sound, Polar Bear, will be playing courtesy of Birmingham Jazz. This five piece led by drummer Seb Rochford does amazing things with a double tenor sax frontline and the addition of live sound manipulation.

it starts at 8pm. More here.

Disc of the day: 25-10-09

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Stan Tracey Quartet: Senior Moment (Resteamed RSJ108)
It’s a catchy, Caribbean-tinged, joyful tune that could have been written by Sonny Rollins, and the saxophonist is doing nothing to dispell that thought. The pianist launches into a solo of exuberant high and low end keyboard conversation, before the saxophonist returns to work a sure-footed and nearly manic display of melodic happiness. Meanwhile the rhythm team buoys them all along, the bass solo takes the theme of enjoyment on and the drummer carries it through. And then it’s back to the head. The whole thing seems to be over in less than a minute, though it has lasted more than five. That’s what happens to time when you are having fun.

The tune is Triple Celebration, and Simon Allen is on saxophone,  Andy Cleyndert on bass and Clark Tracey on drums. And, of course, this whole widely beaming, overflowing with joy and good vibes thing is masterminded by our favourite grump, Stan Tracey, on piano.

Stan’s always played a strong card in irony and deadpan, of course – and the title is a classic case in point. In a blindfold “guess the ages of the band members” test the number 80 would have no chance of being mentioned, yet this adventurous, spirited, robust and superbly executed album is the latest from the supreme grandaddy of British jazz. Some of those half his age should be ashamed!

Senior Moment is made up of new versions of tunes from his vast library – Duffy’s Circus, Stemless, Dream of Many Colours, etc – but making up the second half is the four-section The Grandad Suite of recently written pieces inspired by his grandchildren.

Of course, we know of Stan’s exemplary taste in musicians, but a special word for Simon Allen is in order. We may be familiar with his playing from a longish stint in Clark Tracey’s band, and with the BBC, Laurence Cottle and Matthew Herbert big bands, but he really gets to shine at length here, and, on whichever saxophone he chooses, he is superb: articulate, impassioned, big and bold or more delicate of tone as the music dictates, and always matching head and heart in perfect balance. You feel like every note is considered and every note is heartfelt; he doesn’t let his concentration stray for an instant, neither does he let in any cliches.

All in all, a storming set.

Gig review: Percy Pursglove organ trio

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Free Jazz sessions, Symphony Hall foyer bar
23-10-09
The original plan was for guitarist Jim Mullen to bring his organ trio and add Stan Sulzmann on saxophone and Percy Pursglove on trumpet. Well, it was clear a few weeks back that wasn’t going to happen. Step in Pursglove to save the day, and because the organ thing seemed an attractive drawcard, he enlisted Ross Stanley in on the Hammond and Leslie (the organ sporting black metal legs in place of the unnecessary and cumbersome wooden box – a guy I used to play with in a Northern Soul band had a much cruder and still pretty awkward solution to the transport problems of a B3; he just hacked it in half with a saw and moved it in two bits – and the Leslie on wheels – stroke of genius). Andrew Bain on drums completed the band.

As Percy explained to the audience, they were just going to play some of his favourite jazz standards – and so they did, at a cracking pace for the first couple. The slowed a little for Skylark, and then it was back up to speed with Monk’s Straight No Chaser. After last week’s good but rather reserved performance from the Sara Littlefield band, this was a real hot-from-the-start performance, all three players just raring to go and relaxed enough to have a good time, take some chances, even delay a while for between tune discussions (presumably on what to play next rather than what daytime TV they had watched earlier).

Pursglove started out playing rather too many obvious runs but started to sound much more inventive as the early evening darkened, Stanley was the reluctantly tethered racehorse until his solos came, but he also settled as a supportive soloist, while Bain began to grin and grimace in delight fairly early on and stayed that way for the duration.

It begs the question, why aren’t there more Hammond players around (like the trombone, it’s an instrument practically incapable of conveying misery – just good vibes all the way) and can we hear more of Ross Stanley in future, please?

A great little band and the enthusiastic audience response to prove it. And proof that playing standards isn’t just for boring old farts.

Disc of the day: 24-10-09

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Threeway: Songs Of The Year (Jazz Cat JCCD112)
Threeway is electric bassist Ben Crosland, Steve Waterman on trumpet and flugelhorn, and Steve Lodder on piano and keyboards, and this is their second CD release.

The title says it all: Crossland has written 12 songs to form “a celebration of the English calendar and climate”, and it goes from Crystal Morning through to Hymn For Christmas, taking in Sunshine And Showers, Lazy Heat, Cats And Dogs and Storm Warning along the way.

Would we know what these tunes were meant to evoke if we didn’t know all this? Probably not. It’s all pretty and prettily played – one can expect from such experienced players a good deal of strong and assured improvisation, and some fine interaction. Waterman has a big, warm, rounded tone, though can sound suitably chilly at the beginning and end of the album, Lodder adds some Hammond organ sounding keyboard to Lazy Heat, and his piano playing brings relaxed swing to bear on often complex improvised lines and two handed chord work-outs. Crosland is solid at the centre.

Overall, however, this ends up being much like the English weather – pretty average overall and lacking any highs or lows.

Organs and flamenco

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First a reminder that this early evening’s Free Jazz session in Birmingham’s Symphony Hall foyer bar will not be Jim Mullen’s Organ Trio. But the good news for lovers of jazz organ is that that instrument will still feature. The player is Ross Stanley, and with him are Andrew Bain and Percy Pursglove. Starting time is 5.30pm, the music runs till 7pm, and it’s the entrance which is free, not the jazz.

Not jazz tomorrow, but a certain affinity. It wasn’t just Miles Davis’s and Chick Corea’s affections for Spain that drew jazz and flamenco together – there is a certain fellow feeling in the improvisatory spirit, too. And the same goes for tango. So a heads-up for Tanguisimo, a double-bill featuring the Uruguayan tango singer Jose-Luis Barreto and the French pianist Stephane Spira, along with flamenco dancer Ana Garcia and the band Asin. They are all at the CBSO Centre in Berkley Street tomorrow from 7.30pm. Tickets are £15 from 0121 780 3333 or here. And there is more about this here.