The ‘A’ List – Kevin Field

August 25, 2015 / JazzLocal32.com / Leave a comment

A List (10) ‘The A List’ release has been a long time coming, or so it seems. Every recording of Kevin Field’s is noteworthy and when rumours of a New York album circulated I attempted to pin him down. Whenever I saw him playing as sideman about town or met him in the street I would pull him aside and say, “Kev, how is the album progressing, when will you release it?”. I invariably received iterations of the same cryptic answer; a knowing smile and a brief “it’s getting there, not too far away now”. the lack of specifics only fed my appetite. I have learned to read the signs and I can sense when an album pleases an artist. It is all in the body language, readable over the self-effacing vagaries of banter. Field had a look about him; a look that told me that he was nurturing a project that pleased him. A List (7) As the months progressed I gleaned additional fragments of information in bite sized chunks. Firstly that Matt Penman was on the recording, and incrementally that Nir Felder, Obed Calvaire, Miguel Fuentes, Clo Chaperon and Marjan Gorgani also. The substantive recording took place at Brooklyn Recording in New York with additional recording in Roundhead Studios Auckland. That was pretty much the extent of my knowledge. I have encountered this phenomena before. Treating an album as a child, holding it close before sending it out into the world. It generally presages good things to come. In this case it certainly did. A List The title is probably tongue in check, but it speaks truth. There are a number of A List personnel on the album. Field is arguably Auckland’s first call pianist. No one harmonises quite like him and his consistency as pianist and composer is solid. New Zealand Jazz lovers also regard Matt Penman highly. His appearances with leading lineups and his cutting edge projects as leader always impress. In the same vein is Nir Felder; frequently mentioned in the same breath as the elite New York guitarists. Obed Calvaire the same in drum circles. This was an obvious next step for Field; having risen to the top of the local scene, it was time to record with New Yorker’s.

The album is a thing of beauty and satisfying on many levels. Under Field’s watchful eye a flawless production has emerged. Having an album released by Warners is a coup. The big labels rarely release New Zealand Jazz (Nathan Haines being an exception). All compositions are by Field (on the vocal numbers he is co-credited with Clo Chaperon & Marjan Gorgani). From the title track onwards the album engages. We generally hear Field in a straight ahead context but he wisely followed his instincts here. This album extends the explorations of his well received ‘Field of Vision’ release; turning his conceptual spotlight on genres like disco funk and the brightly hued guitar fuelled explorations of the New York improvising modernists. The album also features Miguel Fuentes tasteful percussion which is subtle but effective. Field has done what brave and innovative artists should do. Take risks in the search for new territory. A List (6) The CJC (Creative Jazz Club) Auckland launch substituted ‘A’ List locals for the famous New Yorker’s. On guitar was Dixon Nacey, on bass Richie Pickard and on drums Stephen Thomas. The vocal section was; Clo Chaperon & Marjan Gorgani (as on the album). These musicians are superb and so the comparison with the album was favourable (Field is a little higher in the mix on the album and guitarist Felder is a little lower). A List (5) The CJC was in different venue this time, owing to the refurbishment of the 1885. The Albion is no stranger to Jazz and in spite of the ‘livelier’ acoustics, it was a good space in which to enjoy the music. Dixon Nacey always sounds like a guitarist at the peak of his powers, but somehow he manages to sound better every time I hear him. This time he used less peddling and spun out wonderfully clean and virtuosic lines. Apart from a tiny amount of subdued wah-wah peddle on the disco number his beautiful Godin rang out with bell-like clarity (the clipped wah-wah comping was totally appropriate in recreating the tight disco funk vibe). The other standout performance was from Stephen Thomas, who is able to find a groove and yet mess with it at the same time. His complex beats added colour and he mesmerised us all. At the heart of the sound was Richie Pickard. Some of the material was definitely challenging for a bass player as timing was everything. Pickard navigated the complexities with ease. There are were three vocal numbers at the gig (two on the album). Chaperon and Gorgani are impressive together and well matched vocally. Hearing them on the album showcases them to best advantage, as sound mixing is harder in a club. Their presence certainly added excitement to the gig. A List (9) Buy the album and if possible see Field perform this material live. This music is exciting and innovative; past and present rolled into a forward looking Jazz form.

Kevin Field: The A List – Keven Field (Piano, Keys), Nir Felder (guitar), Matt Penman (bass), Obed Calvaire (drums), Miguel Fuentes (percussion), Clo Chaperon & Marjan Gorgani (vocals). – Live performance: Kevin Field (piano, keys), Dixon Nacey (guitar), Richie Pickard (bass), Stephen Thomas (drums), Clo Chaperon & Marjan Gorgani (vocals). Performed at the CJC (Creative Jazz Club), Albion Hotel, Auckland, 19th August 2015. Available from all leading retailers.

Scott Taitoko Sextet @ CJC

October 7, 2014 / JazzLocal32.com / 2 Comments

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It was great to catch a sextet gig lead by a trombonist. There are a number of trombone players about Auckland, but we usually see them buried in the centre of a Jazz orchestra or hiding in the shadows of an ensemble. When they do appear in a brass section they enrich the palette and texture. There is something special about that fat burnished sound. The slurs, the rich colour tones, the pitch, and above all that hint of wistfulness that can hang in the air momentarily after the sound emerges from the bell: even mournfulness on occasions.

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Emerging in the late baroque period, the trombone has a lineage stretching back to the sackbut. In Jazz lineups it is the saxophone family which dominates the brass instruments, closely followed by the trumpet. The slide trombone and especially the uncommon valve trombone are rarer commodities. This is the reverse of what occurs in the classical setting where saxophones are still regarded as interlopers. While the instrument may not dominate modern Jazz lineups, listeners, musicians and composers alike hold a deep affection for it. On Wednesday we heard Scott Taitoko perform a number of Hardbop era standards. This was the high watermark for Jazz trombone (the Jazz orchestra not withstanding). Hardbop leaders like Horace Silver and Art Blakey always included a bone and players like Kai Winding, J J Johnson, Curtis Fuller and Frank Rosolino were never out of work. IMG_3008 - Version 2

As I went down the stairs before the gig, I could hear the sextet rehearsing a few bars of an uptempo J J Johnson number. It sounded marvellous, as Johnson numbers do. Later, well into the first set Taitoko performed the achingly beautiful ballad ‘Lament’ (also by Johnson). This was a trio piece, just guitar, bass and bone and it worked beautifully. As Sam Taylor comped gently, Richie Pickard wove perfect bass lines; In Taitoko’s hands the melody filled the room and hung there in its melancholic splendour. We all love the gorgeous arrangements and rich voicings of the familiar Gil Evans/Miles version or our own Wayne Senior’s chart (who arranged it for Nathan Haines on his ‘Vermillion Skies’ album), but it was nice to hear it stripped down to the essentials. The other Hardbop composers who featured prominently were Horace Silver (who passed away just over a month ago) and Joe Henderson. These are among the greatest composers of Hardbop standards.

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There was at least one original during the evening and that was a stunner. Taitoko had penned it as a tribute to his grandmother and to the Marae he identifies with in the King Country. The tune ‘Koromiko’ references his mountain, his Marae and his forebears. We felt that connection strongly during the piece and the musicians clearly did too as they told the story with feeling. I have put up a clip of Horace Silver’s ‘Tokyo Blues’. A perennial favourite done well. There were nice solos on this tune by Taitoko, Steele, France and particularly by Sam Taylor. Steele could not have been better, taking a slightly oblique approach at the beginning, working with the complex meters and nailing it.

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There is a strong Christchurch connection to this lineup with Taitoko, Pickard, Taylor and Keegan all having strong connections with that city. We see a lot of Pickard and Keegan these days and are the richer for it. We hear the talented expat Scot, Pete France less often and more’s the pity.

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Who: Scott Taitoko Sextet – Scott Taitoko (leader, Trombone), Pete France (tenor saxophone), Matt Steele (piano), Sam Taylor (guitar), Richie Pickard (bass), Andrew Keegan (drums).

Where: CJC (Creative Jazz Club), Britomart 1885, Auckland, New Zealand. 1st October 2014

Matt Steele Trio/Alex Ward Trio 2014

September 22, 2014 / JazzLocal32.com / Leave a comment

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When you listen to Matt Steele, you quickly realise that he is in the middle of an interesting musical journey. In a trio setting, there is not an ounce of hesitation about him, no sense that he is micro-analysing his performance; he plays for the joy of it. This in-the-moment absorption has moved his playing to another level and best of all he carries the audience with him. While Steele is still in his honours year at the Auckland University Jazz School, it is obvious that gigging about town has added something extra to his performance. A wider awareness, an openness and a hunger for what is just out of reach. You can’t develop those attributes merely from formal lessons. The spade work for this ongoing development as an artist has been in the hands of competent teachers and foremost among those is Kevin Field. Although the club was dimly lit, I could make out Field sitting quietly in the audience; after the set he moved forward to congratulate Steele. There was an unmistakable look of satisfaction on his face.

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As Steele sat at the piano and counted in the first number you were immediately aware of movement. Pianist, bass and drums, swaying and bending into the sound; moving as if governed by an unseen force. When musicians are able to sync to the rhythms, move to the ebb and flow of the music, it can enhance a performance. When a pianist moves well it is like watching a prize boxer; the keys stung by blows or else stroked teasingly. Not all pianists move like this as approaches to the instrument are many and varied. In this situation Steele was definitely more like Kenny Kirkland than Bill Evans.

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Most of the set were original compositions by Steele, some new, some reworked. All sounded fresh, as an equal vigour infused the older numbers (like ‘Holy Moly’) and the newer ones (‘So Retitled’). Steele has brought several trios to the CJC and this time his band featured Richie Pickard on bass and Andrew Keegan on drums. His instincts were spot-on as Pickard and Keegan dug in and delivered for him. They worked well together and Steele’s insistence on approaching each gig as a democratic exercise worked. His second number (and probably the only non original) was a piece by Sun Ra. This was bound to please me, as I love Sun Ra in all his out-crazy glory. It was brave and it worked well as a trio piece.

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The second set was the Alex Ward Trio. Ward (an Honours graduate from the NZSM) has been on a scene for a few years now and his Aero Jazz Quartet, formed over a year ago, often performs about town. He recently completed a stint on a cruise ship with Trudy Lile and reports from that gig were overwhelmingly positive. He is the Jazz Programme Coordinator for the NZ School of Music (Albany Campus) and involved in music Education in the private sector.

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Wards set showcased interesting material. Some of the tunes he drew from lessor known Jazz sources, while his own compositions also featured. It was good to hear him playing Tigran Hamasyan’s ‘Leaving Paris’, an engaging waltz. It is from Hamasyans’s ‘New Era’ album and it is surprising that it is not heard more often. Ward executed this gently swinging piece perfectly. Another standout number was a tune by the Welsh pianist Gwilym Simcock.

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On bass was the always pleasing Eamon Edmundson Wells. He is a capable player able to shine in diverse settings. On drums was Ivan Lukitina-Johnston. I have only seen Johnston on two previous occasions and find his approach on traps thoroughly workman like. The one blight on the evening was the sound from a loud upstairs band which bled through into the quieter moments. It made counting-in and the quieter intros a challenge for the musicians.

Who: Matt Steele (piano), Richie Pickard (bass), Andrew Keegan (drums)

Who: Alex Ward (piano), Eamon Edmundson-Wells (drums), Ivan Lukitina-Johnson (drums)

Where: CJC (Creative Jazz Club), Britomart 1885, Auckland, New Zealand www.creativejazzclub.co.nz

Sam Blakelock @ CJC

May 14, 2014 / JazzLocal32.com / 2 Comments

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Sam Blakelock is a guitarist open to the various streams and influences around him and he is clearly going places. Formerly from Christchurch where he completed the Christchurch University Jazz Studies course, he found himself attracting wider attention. A best guitarist award and the Jack Urlwin scholarship were to follow. After a stint on luxury cruse ships he settled in New York where he is about to embark upon a Masters at NYU.

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Like a number of Jazz guitarists these days Sam Blakelock plays a Fender. With Fender playing Bill Frisell cleaning up the ‘best of’ Jazz guitar polls year after year, the instruments emergence in mainstream Jazz is unsurprising. It is hard to imagine Marc Ribot ripping up the rulebook on a classic hollow-body. These warhorse guitars can be coaxed gently or smote with force and in the hands of a Jazz trained guitarist the sound palate is open-ended. Blakelock’s approach is more to coax the instrument and the clip I am posting illustrates that approach. While the quality of an instrument matters, it is the inventiveness and the ability to communicate interesting musical ideas that matters more. The compositions were all original, many composed for this New Zealand farewell tour. They felt like markers laid down at a waypoint in the journey. A point to delineate his hometown success from the success that is surely to follow.

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For bandmates he chose two ex-pat Christchurch musicians, Richie Pickard (bass) and Andy Keegan (drums). Completing the quartet was popular local alto player Callum Passells. Having an alto in the mix gave him a very specific palate; giving the arranged heads a distinctive sound. A certain freedom in voicing made possible. Blakelock’s upper register lines blended perfectly with the clean toned melodic alto; playing in unison or subtly accenting solos with minimalist comping. Keegan and Pickard anchored the quartet. IMG_0600 - Version 2

At one point Blakelock played a riveting solo piece and on another he stole the limelight with a slow blues that burned like a torch song and sang like an exotic bird. It is when he is in complete charge or playing alone that we see him at his best. It will be interesting to see him in a few years time, when New York has further polished his already considerable skills. When he has a moment I hope he passes this way again.

What: The Sam Blakelock Quartet Farewell Tour. Sam Blakelock (guitar, compositions), Callum Passells (alto sax), Richie Pickard (upright and electric basses), Andy Keegan (drums).

Where: CJC (Creative Jazz Club), Britomart 1885, Auckland, 7th May 2014. www.creativejazzclub.co.nz samblakelock.com

Glen Wagstaff Project @ CJC

October 2, 2013 / JazzLocal32.com / 13 Comments

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Just when I think that I am getting a handle on the extent of the New Zealand Jazz scene something new comes along that tells me I don’t. I humbly admit that I am only just beginning to comprehend it. As the CJC attracts more offshore Jazz visitors it is also attracting more Wellington and Christchurch bands and those have been great. If this trend continues I half expect to see the Gore chapter of the ‘Balclutha John Zorn Tribute Band’ on the billing sometime soon.

A particular case in point is the Christchurch Jazz scene which is producing some astonishing Jazz musicians. A slow but steady stream of these musicians has been drifting northward (Andy Keegan, Dan Kennedy & Richie Pickard to name but a few). In the last few years we have had the Tamara Smith trio and Reuben Derrick’s quartet (both of which gave an excellent account of themselves) and now the Glen Wagstaff Project. Roger is never wrong about this stuff and he told us that we were in for a treat. IMG_8416 - Version 2

Jazz is a broad deep river and the tributaries running into it are now so numerous that it is easy to overlook one. I have long been urging the better writers among our Auckland musicians to do more ensemble writing (or even better write a some charts for a nonet). They have patiently explained that this is a big task and one which requires a commitment of time. I have continued to engage these musicians on the likes of Kenny Wheeler and almost everyone loves what he does. As much as he’s admired, his compositions or similar work is seldom performed. Following the progress of such outlier writing is confined to selective offshore artists.

When the Glen Wagstaff project flew in last week all I knew about them was that Glen is great writer and that Roger Manins was enthusiastic. Three of the band were familiar to me as they have played at the CJC before. I sat back expecting a quick few bars as they ran through an arranged head and then numerous solos to follow. What I got was a rich gorgeous feast of ensemble playing. I couldn’t have been more delighted. These charts are crafted with consummate skill and like any well-arranged medium to large ensemble charts they imparted a sense of space and breadth. To get the feel of a bigger unit while retaining the airiness and space of a small one is what such writing is all about. The effect of well written charts like these is profound. The choice of instrumentation is also important as it allows for very particular textures and voicings. These charts were well written and well played. I was there from the first number and remained captivated throughout. IMG_8377 - Version 2

Most of the numbers were original but several were re-arranged from the likes ‘The Brian Blade Foundation’ and ‘Kenny Wheeler’. A version of “Kind Folk’ from the amazing Kenny Wheeler ECM disk ‘Angel Song’ was breath-taking. The Wheeler disk had a pared back lineup (Kenny Wheeler, Lee Konitz, Dave Holland & Bill Frisell) but in Glens hands this expanded for an octet. The gig was divided between septet and octet and this allowed the various band members to take short solos’. On guitar was Glen and he resisted the urge to perform long soaring virtuosic lines as they would have been out of place. That said his guitar work was just great and the little hints of Abercrombie or even Rosenwinkel stylings gave us a glimpse of his prowess as a player. Tamara Smith has been to the CJC before and along with Auckland’s Trudy Lile she owns the flute space. Tamara is a gifted musician who can utilise extended technique or just floor you with her breathy soulful notes. Having both flute and voice in the mix worked well for me and the fact that they were able to blend while never appearing to crowd the others space, tells me a lot about their abilities and the charts. IMG_8390 - Version 2

On tenor sax was Gwyn Renolds (who also doubled on soprano) and on alto was George Cook. Both played superbly and both had solo spots which were enthusiastically received by the audience. Once again these guys showed how well they could modulate their sound and fit tightly into the mix. Ensemble playing of this sort requires an unusually disciplined approach and the naturally louder horns resisted the impulse to dominate where that would have been inappropriate. On piano was Catherine Wells and while she had few solos, she added just the right touch to the ensemble. A minimalist approach was called for and that was delivered. This sort of band is about texture and her occasional mid to upper register filigree added value.

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Andy Keegan and Richie Pickard are increasingly seen about town and they are well appreciated by CJC audiences. They are both skilled readers and able to deliver deeply nuanced performances or knock out punches as the job in hand requires. They have often featured in louder, frenetic bands but have also shown how tastefully they can play when presented with charts like this. I have high regard for both as musicians.

Lastly there was Toni Randle who sang wordless lines and approached the charts much as a non chordal instrument would. Adding the human voice into charts like these is to impart a degree of magic when done well. It takes writing skills and well honed performance skills to pull this off. One again this worked incredibly well. I have long been a fan of Norma Winstone and Toni followed very much in her footsteps. The human voice is a powerful instrument and to hear it freed from the job of interpreting lyrics is a joy. The tune ‘Maylie’ that I have put up, is one of Glens and it illustrates that point perfectly.

During the dying years of the big band swing era the Claude Thornhill Orchestra and a few others were doing things differently. Musicians like Lee Konitz and Gerry Mulligan came up through these bands and then came the seminal ‘Birth of the Cool’ and Gil Evans. This sort of writing has never gone away but it is certainly on the periphery. I’m thrilled that Glen Wagstaff is writing in this way and I hope that he continues to do so. His band and his charts have real integrity and the club crowd reacted to that. I left the gig deeply satisfied and that’s what this music is all about.

Who: The Glen Wagstaff Project – Glen Wagstaff (leader, guitar, compositions), Tamara Smith (flute), George Cook (alto), Gwyn Renolds (tenor, soprano), Toni Randle (vocals), Catherine Wells (piano), Richie Pickard (bass), Andy Keegan (drums).

Where: CJC (Creative Jazz Club), basement 1885 building, Brittomart Auckland

Reuben Derrick’s Hound Dogs @ CJC

September 11, 2013September 15, 2013 / JazzLocal32.com / Leave a comment

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Dog bands are a recurring theme in New Zealand jazz. There was Neil Watson’s ‘Zen Dogs’, ‘Dr Dog’ (Roger Manins, Kevin Field, Oli Holland & Ron Samsom) and now Reuben Derrick’s ‘Hound Dogs’. To redress any perceived species imbalance, I was glad to see that visiter Mike Stern recently put out an album titled ‘Who Let the Cats Out’.

Reuben has played in Auckland before but I missed that gig. I was glad that I did not miss this one. With the exception of Alan Brown, all of the band have either lived in or have some strong connection with Christchurch. Reuben Derrick is an important part of the Christchurch Jazz scene and with the Christchurch Festival underway very shortly we were lucky to lure him up for the gig. In hound dog fashion he had tracked down an impressive set list, including several tunes each by Monk, Steve Lacy and Charles Mingus. The two Monk tunes were ‘Ask me Now’ and ‘Bolivar Blues’.

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Both are familiar to me but it took me a moment to realise what they were. They breathed new life into these much-loved but less-often-heard tunes and amazingly they made them sound as fresh as paint. They did so without reharmonising, nor tackling them in an especially angular way (That would be pointless as you can’t out-Monk, Monk). There were not so many jagged edges but these were great renditions. Authentic and so accessible that their ‘Bolivar Blues’ has been singing in my head ever since.

Reuben plays an older instrument and the character of that tenor really suits his bluesy-earthy approach. Some tenor players depart the melody before it is stated but Reuben stands on confident ground. He is a an intensely melodic player but there is nothing clichéd about his approach. This is most often seen in the older bop era players, who were able to stay close to the melody but still tell a great story. Another thing that I liked was the way that his improvisations unfolded with an inner logic. A logic that allowed you to trace the steps back in your mind. A journey shared.

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I am not sure whether Alan Brown has played with Reuben before, but he couldn’t have fitted in better. I have learned over the years that Alan is not only gifted on keys and piano but he is able to adapt to a multitude of styles. I have not heard him play Monk before but he gave the band exactly what they required. Solid decisive chord work and inventive solo’s. He navigated Monk’s choppy lines with the same ease that he tackled the very different compositions of Steve Lacy. IMG_8231 - Version 2

There were two familiar faces in the lineup, Andy Keegan and Richie Pickard. Andy has played a number of gigs about town since moving up from Christchurch and he is often at the CJC. He is a versatile drummer and we saw that demonstrated as he moved effortlessly from colourist to bop drummer during the gig. I like his time feel and the fact that he lays down a solid beat without drowning out the others. He plays to the room. I often tease him by saying that he is a very photographer friendly drummer, as he often leans forward as he gets into a number.

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Ritchie has also played the CJC before and the last time I saw him was with Dixon Nacey. This is very different material to the high-octane tunes that Dixon was playing and so I saw another side of him in the Hound Dogs. I found him especially strong on the ballad material like the quirky ‘Ask Me Now’. The other member of the Hound Dogs is guitarist Sam Taylor and he is not seen in the CJC very often. That is a pity because his sound is different from many of the Auckland guitarists. He draws more deeply on traditional Jazz guitar and he does so convincingly. At times his comping was very reminiscent of Freddy Green’s; a quiet rhythmic strum that pulled back slightly on the beat and gave the number a deep swing feel. His comping may reference swing but his lines are pure Be bop or Post bop.

These guys may not get together very often but when they do they are a solid unit. With a great sound like that, I hope that they come and play the club again

Who: Reuben Derrick’s Hound Dogs: Reuben Derrick (tenor), Alan Brown (piano), Sam Taylor (guitar), Richie Pickard (bass), Andy Keegan (drums).

Where: CJC (Creative Jazz Club), Brittomart 1885 Building Basement, Auckland 4th September 2013

James Wylie & Friends@CJC

September 24, 2012January 28, 2013 / JazzLocal32.com / Leave a comment

James Wylie is a respected saxophonist, clarinetist and composer who has played, studied and taught all over the world. He initially studied in Wellington where he attended the New Zealand School of Music. One and a half years ago he moved to Berlin and soon after that to Thessaloniki in Greece.

Those reading the CJC webpages eagerly look out for returning expats, as they very often bring new ideas back with them while still retaining a core of that ‘New Zealand sound’. James played alto saxophone on this gig and he demonstrated why the alto is rapidly becoming a popular instrument again. For years the popularity of the alto waned but happily that is no longer the case. Improvised music often gives the impression of being a ‘blue skies’ horizon where no boundaries exist. All freedom comes from discipline and it is the knowledge of what works best in a given situation that marks players apart. Chops count but musical taste counts too. James showed an intuitive understanding of this.

Tonal and textural contrasts add considerable depth to a performance and in this we were well served. We not only heard the multiple facets of James Wylie’s tasteful alto playing, but we benefited from the addition of Roger Manins tenor. This was a double dose of saxophone magic. The quartet was completed by two Christchurch expats, Richie Pickard on upright bass and Andrew Keegan on drums.

While their first number ‘The Mooche’ (Ellington) got our attention, the second number ‘Just in Time Contrafact’ (Wylie) simply demanded it. It was an outright cooker. Roger Manins particularly shines in these situations and as he and James worked the changes and stretched out, there were enthusiastic cheers from the audience. The sets contained a couple of originals, some well-known standards and seldom played tunes by Jazz greats like Monk. Best of all were the tunes we have never heard in a Jazz setting. ‘Wichita Lineman’ (Campbell-Webb) – [It is a little known fact but Glenn Campbell was one of the original Beach Boys], ‘I can’t help falling in Love With You’ (Elvis) , and a memorable version of the standard ‘For All We Know’.

Nat Cole and Billie Holliday sung this so memorably (and hauntingly) that post 50’s bands often shied away from it. That is a pity because it can still evoke all of the emotions that made it a popular classic. The band approached it in the way that the late 50’s piano-less quartets did. Playing contrapuntally while extracting the maximum beauty from the melody. In this style of playing the bass is pivotal and Richie Pickard was perfect.

While the horns naturally took centre stage I never-the-less had my attention drawn to drummer Andrew Keegan again and again. The quality of New Zealand drummers often amaze and Andrew is a traps player I will keep an eye on. He is not overly busy but he has an in-the-pocket propulsive style. He listens carefully to what the others are doing and reacts in kind.

The last portion of the second set featured James interpretations of traditional Greek songs. My love of Mediterranean infused Jazz is constant and hearing Greek music was a treat. James interpreted the lovely melodic tunes (in crazy time signatures) with an ease that can only signify his deep interest in this music. In this portion he accompanied Greek singer Egli Katsiki. Her voice while a little soft at times resonated perfectly with the keening alto and between them they reached deep into the hearts of the spellbound listeners.

It was nice to have James here and I am keen to see where his musical journey takes him next (back here soon I hope).