LJN offers essentially the most in depth evaluation protection of the EFG London Jazz Competition. By far. This 12 months we can have performed over thirty of them. We now have additionally requested our writers and different buddies (*) to remark in short on gigs for which we now have not performed full critiques and/or to ship us images:
The Unhealthy Plus at Ronnie Scott’s : The Unhealthy Plus returned to Ronnie Scott’s for 4 exhibits on Monday and Tuesday night time – the primary time in years. They’ve swapped round their line-up, changing Ethan Iverson with guitarist Ben Monder and Tenor Saxophonist Chris Velocity. Reid Anderson and David King have been lifelong buddies and stay the spine of this band. Their fashion is all the time evolving however are identified for his or her avant-garde jazz soundscapes that evoke wild imagery. On this event, we solely heard preparations by each Anderson and King. Anderson’s dry, awkward humour punctuated the efficiency to share a title or two however general the live performance was through-sung. Compositions like Sick Hearth felt like a chaotic catastrophe adopted by a melancholy bass-led Giants to convey the viewers again safely to the bottom made for an exciting musical journey. Monder and Velocity have been an equally tight workforce and preparations have been complicated and provoking. (Lavender Sutton).
Leon Foster-Thomas Quartet: Leon Foster-Thomas is likely one of the nice soloists on metal pan. So it was a pleasure, having heard that he’s to be in London for some time, to listen to him on the Vortex together with his new quartet together with the imperious Sam Leak on piano, Mirko Scarcia on bass and Ebow Mensah on drums. His upbeat enthusiasm and creativeness made the membership into a celebration venue, with the music feeling like the most effective darkish rum: the identical deep lustre and an uncloying pleasure. In the meantime we have been additionally lucky to have the suitable sounds of DJ Paul Bradshaw, in the beginning to place us in the best temper and on the finish to make sure that the optimistic vibe wasn’t misplaced too rapidly. (Oliver Weindling/ Vortex)
Abdullah Ibrahim solo, Barbican: Unamplified, understated, a freely flowing medley of the thoughts of a dwelling legend, Abdullah Ibrahim’s solo piano live performance conceived as prolonged études sparked from classics like Blue Bolero and For Coltrane, and suggestively tracing the widespread inspirations of his lengthy profession and the turbulent historical past and landscapes of his homeland South Africa. Richer than the gorgeous Solotude album, the reconciliatory sense of ‘late fashion’ introduced a way of profundity to his silences. The unforgettable near the 80-minute live performance noticed the frail determine singing a cappella, weaving collectively Duke Ellington’s Leap For Pleasure, which he first recorded almost 50 years in the past, with fragments of indigenous tune and poetic reflections. (AJ Dehany)
Gareth Lockrane Large Band on the Spice of Life: (Sebastian writes) Monika S. Jakubowska is a buddy of LJN and I requested her to call a gig she had notably loved taking pictures. She stated she was amazed to expertise a full massive band.. and an viewers too.. all packed into the tiny house of the Spice of Life. With top-quality individuals too (eg see Paul Sales space on this photograph). Her cache of extra photographs is on her Facebook page. She captures Gareth Lockrane’s focus and vitality so nicely right here.
Makaya McCraven, Islington Meeting Corridor: Drummer and “beat scientist” Makaya McCraven’s modus operandi is crowd-pleasing self-indulgence. Overimagination is the draw and curse of his sprawling albums stretching in deluxe editions to 6 sides. Whether or not stay or studio cuts or remixes and hybrid varieties, they profit from canny modifying and an infinite pool of collaborators. In London towards the tip of a European tour with a decent band of brothers in Julius Paul, Matt Gold, and Marquis Hill the lengthy set dragged by means of a set of easy grooves taken from the brand new and extra concise album In These Occasions, which proves the paradox that it’s his eclectic abundance that’s his energy. It took a eternally to seek out actual pleasure, however that’s beat science. (AJ Dehany)
Nduduzo Makathini on the Barbican: Opening the BBC 3 Jazz J to Z live performance and recording for broadcast on Saturday twenty sixth November on the Barbican Freestage pianist Nduduzo Makhathini fitted the religious theme completely in his solo set. His piano fashion is clearly influenced by that of mentor Bheki Mseleku, in addition to by Abdullah Ibrahim; it has that South African heat and openness. His set additionally included a major variety of vocals sung in his native language Zulu together with the clicks which are a characteristic of the language. (Tony Dudley-Evans)
O’Higgins & Luft/Pizza Specific Soho: A breath-taking line-up assured to ship a top-drawer efficiency, coming collectively for the celebration of their second album, ‘Pluto’, at a sold-out present. O’Higgins & Luft are again with a vengeance, following their extremely profitable +40 date UK tour final time round. Tenor sax man Dave O’Higgins, whose enjoying continues to age just like the most interesting of purple wines, went toe-to-toe with guitarist Rob Luft, who constantly brings a youthful fearlessness to his enjoying. Mix this with a rhythm part of pianist Ross Stanley, double-bassist Misha Mullov-Abbado and the loyal steadiness of Rod Youngs on the drums, and you’ve got an intoxicating cocktail of straight-ahead fashionable jazz super-bop of the best order. The night’s leisure was a melange of Monk and Trane savouries, peppered with originals all through, which blended collectively comfortably and naturally. This can be a group of real-deal jazz musicians who’re all on the high of their respective video games. (Martin Hummel / Ubuntu Music/ representing O’Higgins & Luft.)
Roella Oloro/Ronnie Scott’s Late Late Present: Pianist Roella Oloro, a British-born composer/multi-instrumentalist who’s at present learning at Berklee School of Music in Boston (USA), graced the stage of Ronnie Scott’s on late Saturday night with two classmates (Ciara Moser/electrical bass, Ande Liu/drums) to a sold-out present and enthusiastic viewers of all ages. The previous Trinity scholar delivered a broad repertoire of music, which ranged from unique compositions to demonstrable appreciation for Nubya Garcia and Wayne Shorter. The trio’s efficiency was intricate, energised and of the best order, which provides us one thing to sit up for with Roella’s subsequent go to again to London, the earlier the higher. (Martin Hummel)
Paul Tempo writes: The competition produced a bewildering plethora of delights throughout the capital. Nonetheless, three exhibits introduced immense pleasure to this listener. At Ronnie Scott’s, ‘The Unhealthy Plus’ sporting the present quartet line up of bassist Reid Anderson, drummer Dave King, guitarist Ben Monder and saxophonist Chris Velocity held a rapt viewers with an beautiful musical dialog underlaid with the shimmering metallic timbre of Monder’s guitar. Legendary Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek on the RFH, seemingly on the top of his powers, steamed by means of a excessive vitality set, peppered with calming ballad interludes. Unimaginable Afro-beat singer/keyboardist Dele Sosimi and Mates purveyed infectious rhythms and poignant political messages, thus filling the dancefloor on a heady Saturday night time on the Spice of Life, Soho. (Paul Tempo / Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Membership/ SpiceJazz on the Spice of Life, Soho)
Julie Sassoon. Theatro Technis: It was an incredible alternative to listen to how Julie Sassoon has moved in her musical interpretation and strategy over the previous decade since she left London for Berlin. Performing a solo piano set at Theatro Technis in Mornington Crescent, a brand new venue for jazz, her rippling clear sounds and robust method made the piano sound like a high Steinway and transported us to a different stage. A lot of the music mirrored her journey into her personal character, music written throughout lockdown and launched on “If You Can’t Go Outdoors….Go Inside”. It’s an in the end rewarding journey for us to hitch her on. Comparisons have been made between Sassoon and Jarrett in addition to a number of others. However the one pianist to whom she needs to be in contrast is herself! (Oliver Weindling)
Photograph by Martin Hummel
Stan Sulzmann on the Meeting Rooms in Kentish City. I used to be moved by the way in which Stan Sulzmann‘s quartet set in Kentish City mirrored his life. Improvising at this stage converges with autobiography. A considerable evaluation of this gig leads off my Competition Spherical-Up for The Arts Desk. (LINK HERE) Certainly, for his seventy fifth subsequent November Stan Sulzmann deserves to be positioned in a extra central venue, and, by God, Will Barry deserves an honest piano. (Sebastian Scotney)
Photographer John Watson writes: One of many joys of the EFG London Jazz Competition is to have the ability to roam with my cameras across the free phases, and seize photographs of younger – or previous – musicians who might need been making their first main competition appearances. It’s nice to listen to a lot expertise on the market. This shot is of One Drum within the Africa ManiFest: Sounds of West Africa afternoon on the Southbank Centre’s Clore Ballroom, This was a day with youngsters bopping round on the entrance of the stage and followers each younger and previous swaying or dancing, captured by the spell of the music. I photographed alto saxophonist Laura Misch (TOP PICTURE) in an awfully atmospheric live performance in Corridor Two at Kings Place – a present held largely in near-darkness, and I caught a second the place projected woodland shone on her face. Magical. (John Watson).
Norma Winstone, Nikki Iles, Mark Lockheart (Small Print). The Vortex: The Vortex has been proud to have been an intimate London musical residence for Norma Winstone for over 30 years. We have been all made to really feel in a entrance room collectively, as we might all wallow within the ageless fantastic thing about her voice and interpretation. Performing as a trio Small Print, with Nikki Iles on piano and Mark Lockheart on sax, all have been really equal companions all through. So one was drawn into interpretations of requirements, materials by Nikki, the place she confirmed a nonetheless faultless method and, inevitably, songs to compositions by the likes of Kenny Wheeler, John Taylor and Steve Swallow, usually together with her personal ironic lyrics the place the shine of her singing was accompanied by a glint in her eye. (Oliver Weindling/ Vortex)
(*) A few of these items are written, admittedly in a private capability, by individuals with a particular associated curiosity. The place related this has been disclosed of their by-lines.
