Duncan Eagles Quartet - Spicing Life

Duncan Eagles - Tenor Saxophone

From a cursory glance at Facebook it is clear that some jazz musicians spend days sitting in their pants with Playstations in hand. Even though I have sketched Duncan Eagles more than any other muso in my brief tenure on this blog I do not know whether he embraces the tracksuit pose or a full Y-frontal exposé in his spare time. On this day (17/11/2013) of the EFG London Jazz Festival he had absolutely no time to put his feet up. Earlier he had performed with Mark Perry and then Leo Appleyard's Quartet at Pizza Express. Despite this heavy workload he saved the best to last and flourished at a boisterous Spice of  Life in Soho.
 

Benet Mclean

The opening set by Duncan Eagles' younger brother, Samuel, had got us in the mood but it was Eagles Senior who now commanded the stage with a relaxed repertoire from his various projects. The wild card in the quartet's pack was the mercurial Benet Mclean who I had sketched the day before at The Southbank Centre. Despite being in a laidback mood Mclean laid down a lyrical palette with a pointillist's verve. Although he is more of the Hieronymus Bosch and Richard Dadd persuasion his colourful dabs transformed the opener 'Shawty' into a dreamy interlude that left us in a state of hypnotic wonderment.

Chris Nickolls - Drums

Two new tunes warmed the belly of the set, both of which I had heard recently at the Jazzed Up Exhibition. Both Chris Nickolls and the aforementioned Mclean drunk deeply from Max Luthert's new composition 'Banrock Station' while Eagles was at his most direct, with that overblowing style and rising left shoulder illuminating his own 'Folk Song'.

Max Luthert - Bass

Luthert's composition skills were again called to the fore in the form of 'Quiet December' which is soon to be released on his debut album. It has a pedestrian opening and a lulling effect that always makes me feel like smoking again, just to complete the reflective vibe. There were a few yawns in the audience but this shouldn't reflect badly on Luthert or the quartet because it was the cold reality of Monday morning that had started to dawn on us. Similar to that cold sweat when January peeks its icy head under our Christmas duvet. Benet Mclean added the tinsel once again to the Duncan Eagles Quartet's Douglas Fir.

Paul Pace - Mr Spice

The finale was a family affair with a powerful tenor and alto combo from Eagles senior and junior. It was a challenge of dexterity over conflict even though Duncan watched Samuel like a hawk. It was not clear whether this was in admiration or with a sibling's protective arm around his younger brother. The family theme was complete when I accosted the Eagles' parents on the escalator which descended into the dungeons of Tottenham Court Road and I embarrassed them with my tipsy praise, but we must acknowledge Paul Pace's nurturing involvement too. This is the third year in a row that he has hosted Duncan Eagles at the London Jazz Festival and from his balconied perch he must look down with pride at how this protégé continues to artistically develop and grow.

AL.

Frolicking with the Samuel Eagles Quartet

Samuel Eagles - Alto Saxophone

On Sunday 17th November 2013 the Samuel Eagles Quartet presented us with a superb performance that announced his and their arrival upon London's burgeoning Jazz stage. This was the first half of an Eagles double bill, with older brother Duncan also trotting out for the EFG London Jazz Festival. The Spice of Life and Paul Pace deserve the credit for these progressive bookings. On the first Sunday of the LJF I always bring a band of jazz lovers and newbies out with me, make a party of it, and we had a ball!



Ralph Wyld - Vibes

To many this was new material from fresh faces but I had been lucky enough to hear these tunes before in the comfort of Clown's Pocket Studio as they recorded their debut album. Eagles had grown a mane since then, which was firmly swept back and with leather padded elbows he looked the studious type. He is a quiet man who you imagine could bend in even the most feeble breeze but he is so firmly grounded, both in his music and temperament.

Fergus Ireland - Bass

Opener "Remembering Myself" moved to "The Place I Live" and we had an early glimpse of what make the SEQ such a breath of fresh air. Amidst Eagles' frenetic composition there was an explosion of calm from the vibes of Ralph Wyld, though not without some tension. It seems you can't keep drummer Eric Ford under wraps for long, for it was he who played the role of sadistic P.E. teacher to the youngsters around him, zipping up the pace with an ever increasing zeal.

Fergus Ireland ran the bass line on "We Were meant to be", which resulted in an exciting tumble as we roly polied with Eagles' hedgehog delivery. "My Instigation" was captivating because of its precise changes in pace and epitomised what is so exhilarating about this set. The music represents a joyous balance between light and dark. This is not a Ying-Yang kind of checkerboard light, more of a dabbled variety like a frolic in and out of a tree lined avenue. You long for the crisp sunlight of Wyld and Eagles when the canopy's chill seeps into you and then the calm of Ireland's Bass when you need that time to dwell.


Eric Ford - Drums

My favourite was the penultimate "Outsider", once again a tune defined by the pooling eddies of Ralph Wyld but expertly set up by Samuel Eagles and Eric Ford whose sluice gates accelerated and guided the currents of the composition. The final offering was "Next Beginning" which ended perfectly on a carefree note, with a promise of a bright future. This includes the release of their debut album and a tour that will be worth experiencing.

AL.