Svarc Trio - "Touch" review

To some, the very sight of a band line up that includes guitar loops, makes the heart beat faster. The sound of Nik Svarc teasing loops from acoustic and electric guitars, Garry Jackson on basses, Dave Walsh on percussion and featuring on the lengthy “Chainsaw Snore”, Russell Van Den Berg on saxophone and Matthew Bourne on Fender Rhodes, is in no way a disappointment. Leeds based Svarc Trio’s album “Touch”, released through Bandcamp, is a treasure trove of influences and styles that requires repeated attentive engagement. In an age where album cover art may be sadly neglected as an art form in itself, one of the striking elements of the Svarc Trio’s album “Touch” is the image on the cover. Featuring two hands conjoined at the wrist laid across the top of a parcel, the surreal nature of the image may help to set the mood for the sharp music within.
“Nothing Serious” opens reflectively and modestly, allowing the listener access to intimate lines on guitar buoyed along with brisk percussion and bass. Moods change progressively throughout, as passages layer upon each other, until, some eight minutes in, the pace swiftly gains momentum and the playing turbulent. Listening to a lengthy piece such as this, the listener may consider how enthralling this music could be in a live setting. The shorter “Imprints Part 1” is a lilting interlude of gently shifting textures underpinned with melancholy bass lines. This soundscape approach is reminiscent in some ways of Robert Fripp’s sound sculptures. At eighteen minutes and opening with commanding guitar motifs and unearthly atmospheres, “Chainsaw Snore” is one moment savage improvisation, one minute motorik beat driven Krautrock, one minute funk, one minute musique concrete, before unexpectedly touching into areas of Sun Ra influenced space jazz. If any of these styling’s appeal to the reader, then “Touch”, as a whole will be a delight. “2 Troubled Magnets” is a seductive shift through solemn bass lines and splashing cymbals whilst leaving the listener aware that in the background sinister sounds are being produced from some inexplicable instrument. The guitar lines may be influenced by the work of Bill Frisell at times and informed by the phrases of John Schofield at others.
The collection closes with “Imprints Part 2”, which meanders initially, before bringing “Touch” to a close with majestic riffs and phrases. As the final few lines gently melt away and the album ends there is a sense that a number of influences have been shrewdly engaged to bring a cohesive finished product that, hopefully, will be suggestive of future releases.

Gig Preview - Matt Anderson Wild Flower Sextet

"thinking of misty landscapes with wild flowers and strange, dimly-seen shapes…”
Wayne Shorter about ‘Speak No Evil’

After winning the Jazz Yorkshire young musician of the year in 2010 Matt Anderson is becoming well known on the Leeds jazz scene both as a side man in Kate Peters Septet, Jiannis Pavlidis Quartet and Jamie Taylor Quartet and as a leader of his own quartet.

Matt has moved on to the music of Wayne Shorter with his new band ‘Wild Flower’

Wild Flower Sextet: Celebrating Wayne Shorter are:
Matt Anderson – Tenor Saxophone
Mark Chandler/Laura Jurd – Trumpet/Flugelhorn
Alex Munk – Electric Guitar
Jamil Sheriff – Piano
Sam Vicary – Double-Bass
Dave Walsh – Drums

Ahead of the first full band gig at Seven Arts I caught up with Matt in a Leeds coffee shop to chat about his new project ‘Wildflower’

 

Mark Beirne-Smith – Most of your music as a leader has been your original pieces, why change to interpret and arrange the music of someone else?
Matt Anderson – In playing jazz there is always this question of balancing between the great jazz tradition and your own more original music and ideas. I’m always trying to straddle this gap and keep both things in the picture, and I felt I could still express my own thoughts and ideas through someone else’s music.

Mark Beirne-Smith – Why the music of Wayne Shorter? 
Matt Anderson – Wayne Shorter has always been a huge influence on me as a saxophonist, composer and improviser. There aren’t as many ‘tributes’ to him as other saxophonists like Coltrane, perhaps because his tunes are often quite complex and odd, and I felt I was reaching a point where I wanted to play more swing-based, straight-ahead jazz whilst not missing out on all that great contemporary harmony. When you add to that the huge body of work that Wayne has produced during his lifetime, he seemed like the perfect choice!

Mark Beirne-Smith – Is this to be a mix of Wayne Shorter music or from a specific period? Will it include some written by the band?
Matt Anderson - I wanted to avoid the easy route of just picking tunes from the periods I know best, e.g. his 60’s Blue Note albums and his work with the Miles Davis Quintet, so I’ve also incorporated tunes from earlier when he was working with Art Blakey in the Jazz Messengers and just starting to find his compositional voice, as well as later with Weather Report. Shorter tunes make up about half the repertoire of the band, and the other half are original compositions.

Mark Beirne-Smith – Does playing the music of someone who is still alive give a different perspective to the interpretation of the music? How has this affected the approach you have taken?
Matt Anderson – I think it does, especially with Wayne because he is producing some of the best music of his career right now – I consider the new Wayne Shorter Quartet album ‘Without a Net’ pretty much the cutting edge of the music. I wanted to take a similar approach to Herbie Hancock when he put together his ‘Directions in Music’ tribute to Miles Davis and John Coltrane – he said ‘the idea was not to recreate original Miles and Trane recordings but to evoke anew the creative spirit and boundary-breaking that was the hallmark of their genius.’ As such, I feel I can’t just transcribe his music and play the tunes note-for-note, but instead try to use for example more modern approaches to rhythm and metre to create fresh re-interpretations of the compositions.

Mark Beirne-Smith – In arranging this music do you feel, after nearly 50 years from some of the original recording, you will be bringing something present to the arrangements?
Matt Anderson – Yes, for example the rhythmic language of today is quite different from those 60’s Blue Note recordings so we can play around with odd-metres, metric modulations (tempo changes) and layering up polyrhythms. I wanted to keep it swing-based though, and I suppose the influence for a lot of that stuff comes from Brad Mehldau and his trio.

Mark Beirne-Smith – Is it viable to run a sextet in this day and age of arts council cuts?
Matt Anderson – Not really! The sextet is a kind of ‘special occasion’ line-up – I think in reality we’ll mostly gig as a quartet, with the sextet an option for bigger promoters or festivals. I am also running workshops alongside some of the gigs to subsidise them.

Mark Beirne-Smith – Do you intend to record this set or are you keeping this just for live performance?
Matt Anderson – I am recording the Seven Arts gig and organising some video, so depending on how that turns out I should be able to put some more material out online in the next few weeks.

Mark Beirne-Smith – Next gig? Tour?
Matt Anderson – With this band it’s Seven Jazz this Sunday 24^th Feb, and that’s the full sextet. After that I’m doing a few dates with Jiannis Pavlidis (25/2 Sela, 13/3 Matt n’ Phreds) and the Wild Flower Quartet is also playing at Sela on the 25^th March. There are more dates on my website at http://www.matt-anderson.org.uk/performances.

　
I am sure that there will be many dimly seen shapes at Seven Jazz on the 24th February in the audience, if you wish to join them there are more details here ttp://www.sevenjazz.co.uk

And of course Matt’s website has full details of where he is gigging and some clips to listen to and watch. From what I have heard so far Wild Flower is a fresh approach to Wayne Shorters earlier music yet faithful to the original feel. It would be interesting to have some comments from those that have seen the band live.
http://www.matt-anderson.org.uk/bio/wild-flower-sextet-celebrating-wayne-shorter

Mark

Alligator Gumbo

Leeds based Alligator Gumbo have, it could be argued, come to the attention of Jazz Goes To Leeds at the zeitgeist in interest in music of the 1920’s and 1930’s with the popularity on BBC 1 of the Stephen Poliakoff television drama “Dancing on the Edge”. They play a rabid mixture of New Orleans Creole that utilises popular instrumentation of that era. Their Soundcloud page features a number of pieces from their repertoire showcasing that familiar technique of improvisation and melody woven together to produce a sound that is at once sophisticated yet raw and exhilarating, as a collection of tunes under the umbrella "Alligator Gumbo". “Everybody Loves My Baby”, “Canal Street Blues” and “Sheik of Araby” should be familiar to anyone with even a passing interest in the history of this music whilst “Blue Drag” soars along on that giddy combination of clarinet and violin, intertwining and glancing briefly at the melody, before veering away into another glorious ad-lib.

Featuring Jon Sculley on trumpet, Greg Surmacz on clarinet, Matthew Tiffany on violin, Chris Lloyd on accordion, James Paylor on bass and Mike Simpson on guitar, Alligator Gumbo take the music of almost a century ago and bring it wailing and stomping into 2013. Looking at the biographies of each band member there is a palpable sense that a disparate number of influences have been added to this traditional mixture from hip hop, comedy, big band, blues, classical and improvisation. “St Louis Blues” and “Sweet Georgia Brown” are distinctive standards that help give some idea as to where the band is drawing their influences from, whilst their repertoire also features such tongue in cheek classics as “All That Meat and No Potatoes” and “When I Get Low I Get High”.

In times of austerity, music as vibrant and joyous as this should be required listening to evoke a sense of enchantment.

A poem from Seven Jazz

Mikkel Ullah wrote this really affectionate poem about the Atlantic Inspired by a gig at Seven Jazz on 27.1.13

Mikkel is from Chapel Allerton and has just had her first art exhibition in Leeds Art Gallery with her painting and has a poetry showcase in Manchester in February.

As I sit and wait with anticipation,
I can hear the gentle sounds of the
instruments,

The tall bass guitarist strumming
His chords like he’s gently tying his 
Old favourite shoes,

The pianist tip-toeing his hands 
Across the ivory keys,

The saxophonist sways in time with
The music like he is holding his
Beloved in his arms,

The trumpeter gently kisses his 
Instrument like the girl who left 
This morning at 5 am,

I close my eyes and let the 
Music whisk me down the old ,
Mississippi,  
Feeling her cold breeze ease 
My soul

For jazz on a Sunday afternoon is soul food for my,
Soul.

Gig - Jamil Sheriff Trio - Ilkley

Great sell out gig from one of the newly appointed ambassadors of Northern Line...!

Jamil Sheriff Trio – Ilkley Manor House

The Ilkley Manor house is not a conventional jazz venue however it does host a mixed concert series which includes some jazz. Upstairs amongst the photo exhibition we found the trio had set up. The audience of 40 or so filtered into the room to fill it.

The trio comprises of

Jamil Sheriff on piano

Pete Turner on bass

Dave Walsh on drums

The first set started out with 'Stella by starlight', followed by the first of the Sheriff originals, 'Contortionist' inspired by a trip to the Edinburgh Festival where Jamil saw a contortionst act. The set continued with 'All the things you are' then an interpretation of the Neil Young song 'Only love can break your heart' and ended with 'How deep is the ocean'.

The second set started with that well known Disney classic 'Someday my prince will come' followed by the un-named 'Trio piece number one' with the bass opening, the drums in next, finally piano, setting the scene for one of the trio’s fine new original tunes! This was followed by another Sheriff original 'Blueish' which resolves to 12 bar blues. Next up, ‘In your own sweet way' by Dave Bruebeck and to finish, 'God bless the child'.

This trio of highly accomplished musicians, has influences of Jarret and for me some of Oscar Peterson’s work, especially in the improvised solos.

The audience were quiet and attentive during the gig and very appreciative from the comments I heard. After this wonderful, intimate gig, I am looking forward to hearing more of Jamil Sheriffs original music especially in this trio setting.

After the gig I had a quick chat with Jamil:

Mark Beirne-Smith: So why the trio format, after the bigger ensembles you have written for?

Jamil Sheriff: The time just seemed right to put my music into the more exposed setting of the trio, where I have to take more of a lead, I wanted to follow some new harmonic ideas, combined with it being easier to organise trio gigs!

Mark Beirne-Smith: What challenges does writing for the trio give you?

Jamil Sheriff: Again it is the exposure and focus on the piano.

Mark Beirne-Smith: How long has this project been running?

Jamil Sheriff: About a year now.

Mark Beirne-Smith: Are you intending on recording this work or is it strictly for live performance and you tube?

Jamil Sheriff: With being given the Jazz North Award - Northern Line, I am looking to tour the music over the next year and maybe get to record it at some point. But in the mean time some of it is available on you tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPKAlXN9d3k

Mark Beirne-Smith: Are you involved in any other projects at the moment?

Jamil Sheriff: Yep I have the new quintet that I am writing for then I am performing with Matt Anderson - Wild flower, Sam Gardner Quartet and We Free Kings

Congratulations to Jamil and his trio (http://www.jamilsheriff.co.uk/) on becoming ambassadors for Jazz North (http://www.jazznorth.org/) Looking forward to seeing more of you guys!
There are a few more photos - on my other blog!

Mark

Jamil Sheriff Quintet, Seven Arts, Leeds February 3rd 2013

Jamil Sheriff Quintet, Seven Arts, Chapel Allerton, Leeds Sunday February 3^rd 2013

It is often an integral part of the creative process that personal life experiences can be drawn upon to help shape the finished product. Leeds College of Music course leader and pianist Jamil Sheriff brought a new quintet to Seven Arts in Leeds and showcased a set of mostly new material, some of which was influenced by his life with his young daughter. Supported by Richard Iles on trumpet, Matt Anderson on saxophone, Sam Vicary on bass and Sam Gardner on drums, this quintet of contemporaries and ex-students cut through a grey and wintry Sunday afternoon with disparate set of compositions of such density and warmth that the outside world could be forgotten for a few engaging hours.  Opening with a Sheriff composition “Pink Triangle” (not as uncouth a title as it may sound), each piece helped to highlight the number of influences at work at any one time, from Latin-American flavoured phrases, to classical composition, to dark, baleful passages of melancholy. At times the character of saxophonist Wayne Shorter shone through, whilst at others the playing of McCoy Tyner seemed to illustrate the mood.

The second set of the afternoon could be argued to have been the more dynamic of the two with “Matticulous” (?), in particular, managing to infuse its lines with wit and eccentricity. “Sfumato” saw Sheriff produces passages that were not only reminiscent of Keith Jarrett, but make the facial expressions and noises that brought that virtuoso pianist to mind. Sfumato, it seems, is a painting technique often associated with the artist Leonardo da Vinci and refers to the fine shading that is used to create soft transitions between colours and tones. Not only an afternoon of thoughtful music but also an education it seems. With song titles that allude to his relationship with his daughter, such as “Porridge Head”, an intimacy and empathy was created between composer and audience, which goes some way to bring the two together. Throughout each tune there was a palpable sense that the musicians were confidently enjoying the music which again, translates to the audience.

As the last unlucky raffle ticket was discarded the afternoon closed with a Miles Davis “Nefertiti” inspired “For T W”, which featured a repeating expression over which Gardner’s drums added the dynamics to push the tune forward, and one could be confident that the fifty or so members of the audience were not only happy with the afternoon, but expectant of what else Sheriff has to offer in the future. 

Paul Stone – “Reprise of Swing” Linn Records

According to Leeds based singer Paul Stone, “...a record is a living breathing thing which is never finished so why take years over recording it?” Consequently his latest release on Linn Records, “Reprise of Swing”, was recorded over two days at Sphere Studios in London, and taken as a complete piece of work, has a loose, comfortable feel, that indicates how such an ambience can be achieved with dedication and enthusiasm. “Reprise of Swing” takes an eleven piece band and a collection of both familiar compositions and original material, and produces a coherent album of big band swing, silky jazz and uplifting easy listening arrangements.  Simple Minds’ “Don’t You Forget About Me” is given an arrangement that will bring a grin to the face of even the most cynical listener, whilst U2s’ “With or Without You” manipulates the mood and tempo of the original to produce something wholly unrecognisable yet somehow familiar. “Lovely Day” by Bill Withers and “Wicked Game” by Chris Isaak are nearer in essence to the originals, but here without the baleful melancholy that Isaak infused his version with. The Doobie Brothers “Long Train Running” is again virtually unrecognisable from the familiar version, but given a swing makeover is given a new life and personality.
Perhaps the cover version that would appear on the surface to take most risks, but which in reality, comes closest to the essence of what “Reprise of Swing” is aiming for, is “Sex on Fire” most likely recognised from the Kings of Leon version. Given a big band swing identity, the song bristles with vitality and polish. Stings’ “Englishman in New York” fits easily into its’ new jazz framework, whilst the version here of Barry Manilow’s “Could It Be Magic” although lacking the intense passion and romanticism of the original, is given a light hearted arrangement, which if not passionate to listen to is certainly entertaining.  The original pieces fit in beside the covers with ease and indicate a level of musicianship that feels comfortable with this area of jazz. Paul Stone portrays himself as the consummate entertainer who has the showmanship to pull off a collection of disparate covers such as these with effortlessness.
Of course “Reprise of Swing” is doing nothing new in covering contemporary and divergent tunes, as jazz has been covering show tunes and popular chart songs for decades. To criticise the album in this way would be missing the point however. “Reprise of Swing” is keeping alive a tradition of music that is about pure entertainment and ease of access. The listener has no need to analyse and critique these pieces; they are presented here to be uncomplicated and reassuring. At a time of national austerity and unease, music as inspirational and as joyous as this should be required listening for all.

Paul Stone "Reprise of Swing" on Linn Records