Michael Janisch & Aruan Ortiz - Whirlwind Maestros

Michael Janisch - Bass

It was the final throws of a heavy few days but every hour had been worth my undivided attention. Not every Whirlwind Festival gig had been sketched but still 13 in three days is worthy of a little fanfare. Its incomprehensible what organiser and record boss Michael Janisch must have endured but if you gamble big then I suppose the rewards are significant. This was the end and the beginning. The Saturday night 10pm (12/10/2013) slot brought it to a close while audiences and musicians alike left King's Place dreaming of what to expect in 2014.

Aruan Oritz - Piano

There was a serious no talking, no shit attitude to the last curtain finale. Seriously no anecdotes, very unlike a normal jazz concert. I believe there wasn't even one reference to a CD being on sale, which as you might know is de rigueur for journeymen and bright jazz sparks alike.

Greg Osby - Saxophone

Here there was an energy between the players as if they were held together by Nature's bond. Not too close though, mutual respect helped keep a healthy distance but you could feel the invisible force. Co-leader, Aruan Oritz  of course could survey from his poop deck, ducking the right shoulder when the storm wave from the quintet hit his piano.

Mark Ayza - Drums

Greg Osby by comparison barely flinched in the face of the night's peak and troughs. Gabardined in a tight Burberry and matching trilby he rivalled a stylish Shaft in style and power. Sparse doesn't do his performance justice but there was a streamlined directness and penetration that achieved its goal with the minimum of fuss.

Raynald Colom - Trumpet

Insert a section that describes the texture of the tunes and their themes it says on the label before me. That rule book went out the window when I started this Whirlwind odyssey, and this last gig was one that just washed over this storm battered man. Now two and half weeks later my gig notes are surprisingly absent but I remember the entertaining figure of Mark Ayza. He is becoming one of my favourites to draw. Never a muppet on drums but it seems one in my sketches. If his hair was a shock of orange then he would have unmistakably transformed into Beaker, the shy laboratory assistant.

Stephen Jay - Photographer

It was a night of hats and Raynald Colom's had an air of Shemp Howard with its comic air. These lips were not made for smiling though and Colom took his shift as the figurehead of this fighting ship frequently. A mature and inspiring set that propelled Colom to the fore early on with "Precisely Now", followed by "Please Stand By" and Osby with his directness.

Dan Redding

As if in harmony with the third tune "Orbiting" I quickly took a final sweep around the auditorium as I perched in its upper tier. Amongst the off-duty musicians there was Stephen Jay, Dan Redding and Steve Pringle, still photographing and filming. I imagine their films are still uncurling in editing suites throughout south London, slowly being sifted and honed.

This isn't a festival that talks solely of promise, it is ready for consumption now! Virtually all the musicians were at the top of their games, in the prime of their young lives and full of ideas for the year to come. Yes the future is significant, with a 12 month gestation period before us it is going to be some 2014 for the Whirlwind Record label and its flagship Festival.

Viva "The Maestro", their final tune.

AL.

Rachael Cohen - Whirlwind Halftime launch

 

Rachael Cohen - Saxophone

Another day (11/10/2013) and another launch to kick off a Whirlwind Festival day in King's Place's St Pancras Room. This time we had different approach from the label's first female band leader, Rachael Cohen. The 'hair of the dog' after the night before was just the ticket with a rich mellow brew from Cohen's imminent release 'Halftime'.

Mark Lewandowski

The relatively new face of Rachael Cohen was hidden in the St Pancras Room's gloomy lighting but it suited her music, especially crepuscular tunes like her sixth of the set, "Intermission". Cohen has a stillness and calm about her playing, not so much punch and sway. With her slim long legs, teetering on wedged heels she looks like a hunting Crane, elegant and full of latent strength. In fact the sedate and emotive "Ask me later" has a sequence toward the end that suggests circular ripples in a still pool, the casting off of sound into a quiet hall and the powerful moments of silence in between.

Phil Robson - Guitar

After the opening tunes we encountered one of many compositions that highlighted the talents of Phil Robson on guitar. The disparate "Groove Envy" is an ambitious piece that was expertly bound by Robson's playing. Initial impressions predicted a darned repair, but Robson stitches were short and sharp and his darting needle left us richly embroidered. His precarious solo on "Just for you" was a simple delight on the strolling, wistful Ornette Coleman tune.
It brought out the swing of Mark Lewandowski on bass too. His playing wandering over the belt line of the groove, unlike the man himself, who kept his white shirt firmly tucked into his black trousers.

Jim Bashford - drums

The quartet gained more momentum toward the end of their launch. Jim Bashford stretched out a little without ever becoming musically inebriated, although "The Manor" let his bubbles rise to the top like a good champagne, subtly fizzing. The finale of "Riggins Higgins" gave Rachael Cohen the chance to rock off her wedges and onto her toes. She left both the crowd and the band animated for the day ahead. Rumour has it that this musical shot in the arm propelled Cohen well into the wee small hours of the night too, along with the album's photographer Pippa Evans.

AL.

Aquarium / Sam Leak - Final Destination London

Final Destination London, calling at Marrakech, Pisa, Milan and Sam Leak's bedroom...please mind the closing doors.

 As I sat waiting for Aquarium to launch their second album 'Places' at Kings Place (12/01/2013) I was fully prepared for the journey ahead of me. I'd been lucky enough to be Aquarium's artist for their debut album creating an emotive charcoal driven portfolio of imagery to reflect Sam Leak's intense personal vision.
I was also fresh from listening to their most recent CD on Jellymould Jazz as Sam had pressed me into action to produce the album art (right) and an animation of 'Marrakech'. Just as my body had anchored me down into the sofa with the weight of mince pies I had to catapult myself into the sunshine and mystery of North Africa.

Obviously the journey ahead of the audience last Saturday was through the new CD but also encountering geographic and personal landmarks. None could be more poignant than 'Catherine Grove' which detailed Sam's mugging at knife point in early 2012.


Sam Leak  piano

 'Clutter' was also a favourite with the audience, its theme being Sam Leak's unruly bedroom.
Sam introduced all the tunes in his own modest style, usually with a self deprecating 'I hope you like it?' footnote to every announcement.


James Allsopp - Sax

He is a delicate and careful player that has a manly gentleness about him with a mix of Mediterranean 5 o'clock shadow and British politeness. In fact, Sam told me a story about how he was saddled with an Aegean nickname,

"Someone came up with 'the 99 beautiful names for Sam Leak' which was basically a list of things that rhymed with Leak - Geek, Freek, has a beak, likes Dawson's Creek etc. It just so happened that one of the most popular ones was 'Sam the Greek' and one day I foolishy walked into school, post holiday, wearing a 'Greece' t-shirt - I didn't live that one down for a while!"



Calum Gourlay - Bass

Front centre stage was occupied by the handsome James Allsopp who's presence was gentle and assured. If I could over-stretch the actor analogy just a little further, he cut a figure like a clean-living Rob Lowe.


Back Centre was the domain of Calum Gourlay who quietly simmered behind his bass and a long bashful fringe.
To the right was a treat for any artist like myself. Usually drummers are hard to draw because of their constant movement especially their heads as they often bob and weave and shake uncontrollably. Some though like Aquarium's Joshua Blackmore (and Ed Richardson) possess an almost Egon Schiele like bone structure you can't help but get carried away with.



Joshua Blackmore - drums

The journey ended when the lambswool jumpered quartet transported us to 'Milan' with a final encore through the mind of the man who composed these beautiful tunes, the 'Shy' Sam Leak.

AL