Munk Montague - Jazz Nursery

Alex Munk

Munk Montague/Montague Munk
Alex Munk - guitar
Chris Montague - guitar
Calum Gourlay - bass
Tim Giles - drums

Date - 27th October 2016
Venue - Jazz Nursery, Waterloo, London, UK

Calum Gourlay

One of London’s most eccentric music venues, Jazz Nursery opens its doors on the final Thursday of each month and is currently resident at i’klectik arts lab, Waterloo.  The night showcases cutting edge talent, creating a stage for the best up and coming bands in London. Constantly reinterpreting jazz and improvised music, our artists play new material, try things out and bring their sound to a wider audience.
Entrance is £10, there’s a good value bar all night and two great bands over the course of the evening.

Chris Montague

Chris Montague is one of the most innovative guitarists and musicians to emerge from the UK in recent years, he is widely recognised for his skills as a composer and performer. As a founder member of Troyka he has garnered a reputation for his distinctive approach to the guitar and has gained much acclaim for his contributions to many contemporary recordings.

Having established himself as one of the capital’s most in demand guitarists, Alex Munk formed the group Flying Machines in 2014. Centred around Alex’s unique compositions, the band have established a sound that is entirely their own, fusing emotive melodies with visceral, rock out guitar improv and luscious backdrops. The musical influences are numerous, from the frenzied rhythms of Tigran Hamasyan to pearly pools of sound reminiscent of Bill Frisell.

Commodore 64 worm chasing itself, the pixels vibrate and jump. Colours rub against one another, static charged. Burgundy and red are the guitars of Munk and Montague, clashing sap-green and lime. Giles has a straight line speed that jags across the Jazz Nursery, he is a flickering etch-a-sketch.

Tim Giles

Bill Frisell's Strange Meeting lies a damp white towel across my face, I am Ronnie O'Sullivan, melancholy and forlorn. They adore me but I hate them, I need them but they don't care about me. They will never know what it is to be me, and I'll never know what it is to be them. Huxley says I will never know what it is to be Sir John Falstaff or Joe Louis.

The mystery train stops in this town of sun blanched store fronts, if ever a tune needed a solitary figure to populate it then it is this one. Just the one to talk of loneliness, otherwise it would a conversation about emptiness, which is a far easier thing.

AL.

Gareth Lockrane Grooves - Whirlwind Festival

Gareth Lockrane - Flute

Day 1 of the Whirlwind Festival came to a close with an hour set from homegrown favourite Gareth Lockrane. Bringing his award winning lips to lighten the heart of the Kings Place audience before their journeys home into Autumnal London.

Dave Whitford - bass

Not a stranger to my pen, Gareth has entered my sketchbook on a few occasions recently, most consistently as part of Mark Perry and Duncan Eagles' new release, Road Ahead. More importantly he has found his way into the hearts of many jazz lovers both on the local and international stage. His modest demeanour belies a vast talent and he is as you expect, approachable, good company and by no means intellectually challenged. He has been brave enough to choose strong stylised graphic image for his album covers and as a fellow artist they caught my attention some time ago.

Alex Garnett

Surprisingly with an initial sweep of his wand he didn't live up to expectation. A mere blip in normal service, maybe a fault of my expectations and desires or possibly a victim of his own success. The rigours of balancing teaching, recording, composing and performance may have taken a toll on energy levels. This was short lived and once Lockrane had "Put the cat out" he combined well with Alex Garnett on the second tune, "Dark Swinger"  where they both broke from trot to gallop and entwined in complex agility.

Ross Stanley - piano

 In fact the charts seem so engrossing that Dave Whitford on bass could barely raise his nose from the page. He definitely has the most low slung style on the circuit and with his left hand reaching high into the air, he has the air of urban cowboy on a mechanical bull.

Tim Giles - Drums

"Memories in Widescreen" introduced us to Ross Stanley on piano, a showcase for his emotive talents and the heart strings were ritually plucked. He is a man of two halves, the top half serene and bookish in appearance while his legs, in particular his left, pumps at a rapid rate. A repetitive stroke that could only be matched by a Viagra fuelled, foot pumping, mattress inflating desperado.

A favourite of the set was Lockrane's "One for Bheki", with its slow groove and harmonic threads which brought out an intensity in both Stanley (organ) and Tim Giles' subtle drumming. It suited the late hour too with the first flushes of sleepiness unveiling themselves. It wouldn't have been a fitting end to the first festival day so Gareth Lockrane's Grooveyard left us with the jaunty 'The Strut' to put a spring in our step.

AL.