Last weeks CJC/Anthology gig brought the Christchurch Brad Kang/ Jimmy Rainey duo to Auckland. While I have heard both artists before, this gig was a step up for them. Both looked comfortable on the bandstand and their confidence was justified. It is always a pleasure to witness early promise being realised and while neither could be considered veterans, both have received a measure of favourable attention. Both are well travelled and tested in the wider Jazz world.
I am more familiar with guitarist Kang as he has gigged in Auckland several times. The last time he played here he was just about to depart for the USA and that and his other trips have yielded dividends. He was always a competent player but a noticeable change has occurred. He is now playing fewer notes and the way he phrases resonates. I know that he has studied with Mike Moreno and it showed. The virtuosity is still there, but never at the expense of the music itself.
The last time I heard Rainey was at a CJC emerging artists gig but much has happened since then. He has benefited from overseas experience and his exposure to new ideas; particularly in his writing. This is a duo that writes to their strengths and because they understand that, they can play up a storm in consequence. At one point Rainey studied in Amsterdam, a Jazz loving genre-diverse proving ground. Anyone who has attended ‘Bim’ gigs will know what I mean. There’s a lot of freedom and innovation happening in that city.
From the first to the last tune they held us. The tunes while of varying tempos and alternating between the two composers, all spoke of the now. This is the type of music that is owned by younger players. It was unselfconsciously forward-looking and immediately brought ‘James Farm’ to mind. It did not lean heavily on harmony but the harmonic development was implied; there were clean unison lines and above all, the melody dominated. It was evident on the tune Spiral, where the cascade of lines emerged in sonic waves, while behind them piano, bass and drums carved up the rhythms.
And this was made possible by the skilled anchoring of Tom Botting’s bass lines and by the steady pulse from drummer Adam Tobeck. With Field, comping minimally the effect was enhanced. Wise heads and good players always adjust to accommodate. If he was alive today, it is tempting to think that Tristano might have embraced this direction?
The first tune Herfst was a majestic and evocative composition by Rainey. Herfst is a Dutch word meaning August (majestic and the season). This was a good warm-up tune as it gave us an idea of what would follow and the course once set, remained steady. Other tunes that Rainey penned were ‘Daze’ and ‘jubilate’. As well as the piece that I have posted on YouTube (Spiral), Kang composed ‘Passing Thoughts’ ‘A Quiet Place’ and ’Five Five Four’.
Brad Kang|guitar, Jimmy Rainey|tenor saxophone, Kevin Field|piano, Tom Botting|bass, Adam Tobeck|drums. The gig took place at Anthology K’Road for the CJC Creative Jazz Club October14, 2020
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These events focus on emerging Improvising artists and allow them to gain wider exposure in front of a discriminating audience. They generally occur around three or four times a year. Some of those featured in the Emerging Artists Series are recent graduates, others are still pursuing their studies. In this case, we had two horn players from out of town; Christchurch and Wellington respectively. Their horns were different, and their approaches to the sets different, but both approached the gig with the confidence of seasoned performers. Such confidence translates well on the bandstand and it informs an audience that the musician means business. Artists often remark that playing in a small Jazz club like the CJC is a unique experience. It’s not like a noisy bar, where people often ignore you, and it’s more intimate than a concert hall where an audience gives limited feedback. Club audiences listen intensely, they react boisterously at the end of a good solo and they call in encouragement when a phrase resonates. Mostly they listen in silence and but they listen actively.
Jimmy Rainey, a tenor player from Christchurch played the first set. He is a graduate of the Jazz School in Christchurch, now furthering his Jazz studies at the Auckland University Jazz School. In Christchurch, he’s involved with a number of groups such as the Symposium Jazz Orchestra (many will recall that orchestra on Glen Wagstaff’s album), and the earthy ‘Treme’ styled Justice Brass Band. On Wednesday, he had a premier Auckland Rhythm Section at his disposal, Kevin Field, Cameron McArthur and Ron Samsom. Most of the compositions were Rainey’s and they showed a developing maturity. His sound was interesting, especially on the down-tempo numbers, having that downtown late-night feel. He is in Auckland for a while and I am certain that we see more of him. His father is well-known on the scene but he is earning his own place in the light. With a Jazz-famous name like Rainey, he has a head start.
Bryn van Vliet has visited the club before as part of the boisterous Wellington Mingus Ensemble. In that context, I have seen him play in Auckland and Wellington, but never as a leader. He is also a member of the Roger Fox Big Band and a graduate from the Wellington Jazz School. While van Vliet often doubles on tenor, he played alto for this gig. What immediately caught my attention was his clean tone. A compelling tonal quality that quickly drew you in. His playing has cut-through in ways that Paul Desmond’s did, but for all that it was a modern sound. Vliet is originally from the far North but his Wellington credentials will no doubt anchor him there. Like Rainey, he brought many of his own compositions to the bandstand and the same rhythm section backed both players. For the last number, a standard, they were on the bandstand together.
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