Marius Neset - Golden Xplosion

Saw Marius Neset at the Brighton Jazz Club on Friday. One of the best gigs I have ever been to. Downloaded his last album Golden Xplosion a few months ago but have been listening to it more frequently recently. It is rather dense and takes time to accumulate the complexities of his playing. However to see him live makes everything clear. He simply has phenominal technique. Think of Michael Brecker, Chris Potter and Colin Stetson and roll them into a 25 year old Norwegian and you have Neset. His compositions, all of which are really strong, reflect the influence of Django Bates who he has studied and played with. In fact Django plays keys and tenor horn on the albume although Ivo Neame played in Brighton. Another member of the band who was astounding was the drummer Anton Eger, along with Jasper Hoiby and Neame also plays with Phronesis. Expect to hear much more of this prodegy in the future. Interesting to note that GX is recorded on Edition Records which is, for my money, the best contemporary jazz label in the country.

Elephant9 - Walk The Nile

This is a strong funky organ trio bordering on punk jazz. The scandinavians do it again. Superb

Gilli's Got Tallent

I'm just an old hippy that likes more than the three minute pop song so it was with a certain degree of trepidation and scepticism that I put on an album performed and produced by one of the BJMC members. Gilli Bloodaxe, known to frequent the Wednesday free improvisation sessions at The Open House, has produced and album called This Is Bon Bon. And it does have a hippy vibe. It is 22 short poems with accompanied by some excellent improvisation and electronic effects. Every tack is different and I have to admit to laughing out loud and thoroughly enjoying it.

Ho would I describe it? Quirky, imaginative, warm, very funny, a recording that would give Ivor Cutler some very serious competition, and not just because there is no harmonium! Gilli narrates the poems and plays drums. The fablous Geoff Hearn plays saxes, Monty Oxymoron - keys and the strangely named Adrian Newton - electronics. Check this album out - www.myspace.com/gillibloodaxe or
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003O0WEL6/ref=dm_sp_alb?ie=UTF8&qid=1284710410&sr=8-1-catcorr but it is cheaper to buy the album directly from Gilli. Recommended track, The Curve of Your Neck.

Martin Drew

Jazzwise this month reports the death, following a heart attack, of the great drummer Martin Drew. Martin was in his 60's and played with Oscar Peterson for 30 years and Ronnie Scott for 20. I saw Martin at the BJC on numerous occasions. His hard bop driving wall of sound had a fantastic swing to it. He led his own band of stellar players, The New jazz Couriers, which included the fantastic Mornington Lockett, Steve Melling, Nigel Hitchcock, Jim Hart, and Andy Cleyndert. I also saw him with Ben Clatworthy. Martin was pretty much losing his hearing, which must be an occupational hazard for a professional drummer. Several of his albums can be downloaded from www.emusic.com

Clark Tracey Sextet

Fabulous gig at Brighton jazz Club last night. Clark is obviously promoting some of the new boys on the block. All five of his players were in their early 20s and were superb instrumentalists and the band played some nice compositions. Wayne shorters One By One was great but I really liked Clark's own composition, The Devil's Chair. He really should write all his own stuff. Although I thought they were all superb Lewis Wright, vibes, who also now plays with Empirical, played some amazing solos clearly demonstrating that he has a voice of his own. And it was good to see a packed club for such quality live music.

Brecon again

An amazing long weekend. The jazz festival is plagued by the Fringe Festival which is probably far bigger in that it has more events and is probably what draws the biggest crowd. The Fringe is mainly local rock bands and it attracts large numbers of young people who go to "have a good time" which means getting off their faces. We camped in the Rugby Club. First night was a nightmare with loud drunken yobbish behaviour going on until 4 am. It seemed to be that cock, or hen, that crowed the loudest got the most points. The town centre was also full of drunks too with police around but not doing much.

The jazz was great and so we will probably go again. Brecon is beautiful too, set in the hills and valleys of the Brecon Beacons. I saw Dave Stapleton 5tet again. Fantastic. Definitely my current favourite band. Ben Waghorn was substituted this time but the sub was a fabulous player.

Saw the National Orchestra de Jazz play songs of Robert Wyatt. Fantastic arrangements although they played so loud I could not hear the solos properly. It was bloody cold in the marquee too. 10 Piece band so pretty much a small big band. Check out the album on emusic.

Jon Lloyd Quintet - Brighton Jazz Club

First time I have come across Jon Lloyd although he has been around for some time. Currently doing a Jazz Services tour and fortunately BJC is on the circuit. With John Law and Asaf Sirkis in the band I knew it would not be a wasted night. They only play with the best and are worth going to hear in their own right. Jon has had Mark Sanders and Paul Rogers in previous bands so I was expecting something at the end of free improvisation. The music was more European than American in style (if those categories hold any more) moving between floating ECM type soundscapes and groove based extended improvisations. The excellent guitar and bass guitarists gave the band a full and locked in sound. Jon's coruscating lines made the music float and soar. His use of space and dynamics was effective and he had a number of musical conversations with John Law. In fact the band was very much that, a band, rather than just a collection of great improvisors. His compositions, arrangements and use of sop and bass clarinet reminded me strongly of John Surman but this band also built intensity through complex groove structures and extended modal improvisations. Asaf, who also plays with the likes of Tim Garland and Gillad Atzmon, drove the music with his musical and imaginative drumming along with Rodney Teague, the bass guitarist who played riffs rather than walking. Rob Palmer on guitar used effects pedals well giving the music ambience and John Law huddled at the back of the stage using sequences and recordings, as well as playing piano, to further embellish the music with effects.

As with so much jazz it is so much better live. The CD for sale at the gig is well worth the £6 but is typical of many jazz CDs in that it was produced before the start of a tour to promote the music and does not reflect the way the live music has matured as the band members have developed it over a period of gigging. Jon really should do a live double album at the end of the tour. Fabulous stuff.
http://www.myspace.com/jonlloydmusic