Alex Garnett & Nick Vayenas - Whirlwind Festival

The two worlds of the Whirlwind record label collided last week (10/10/2013) with a terrific collaboration between

Alex Garnett - saxophone

the UK's very own Alex Garnett and the NYC invader Nick Vayenas. A night of contrasts with Garnett drawing from the well of his debut solo release 'Serpent', which is a Whirlwind 'oldie' and Vayenas launching his album 'Some other time' that is so new that the musical ink is still drying on the page.

Femi Temowo -guitar

After experiencing the previous two concerts of the festival where the nice lads of Partikel and Ollie Howell Quintet conversed in polite tones it was like getting one stuck on your jaw when Alex Garnett came to the stage. Here is a man with charisma of the saloon type. Dapper in attire with a handle of witty banter he reminds one of a handsome Peter Lorre or a chancer, straight from the set of the 1947 film 'Brighton Rock'. You couldn't help but warm to his 'del boy' charm but there was nothing Robin Reliant about his playing and the opener "Serpent" was suitably sleek. Hard blowing and aggressive in his pin striper the only thing I was disappointed in was that he didn't possess a hoard of watches when his jacket swung open.

Nick Vayenas - Trombone

Nick Vayenas smoothed the pace with the full and rich "City of Notions", switching from trombone to trumpet and later casting off all his accoutrements for the only vocals I experienced over the 3 days with a Bakeresque "Blame it on my youth". Unlike Chet, singing the tune with all your own teeth improves diction and sound but maybe doesn't add the backstory of the troubled early years. Although I'm sure Vayenas had time enough to misbehave at the after-show Whirlwind parties. I underestimated his throbbing vocals at the time but in retrospect they do have more than enough pathos to carry his sentiments.



Femi Temowo played second fiddle to the main duo but was radiant in his sheer exuberance and heart, making both his smile and talent sparkle on Garnett's "Three for a Moor". Due to the brief hour slots that each group was assigned I couldn't devote much time to Marc Ayza, just a quick sketch of his coquettish 'Barnet fair'.


Marc Ayza - drums

Let us not forget this was our first glimpse of Michael Janisch, throughout the Festival he stayed in the shadows, deep behind microphones and music stands. Janisch gave us plenty to mull over with bass in hand and was magnificent on the final tune, a latin firebrand called "The Pimp". He brought us three bass lines in one with total commitment to the cause and more than our money's worth.

Michael Janisch - bass

I met plenty of students in the audience who had taken up his generous offers to be there for a minimal outlay. Including young guitarist Giorgos Pafitis who I had drawn just a few weeks earlier with Melissa James. As we congregated in the foyer afterwards his beaming grin said it all.

AL.

Partikel Ascending - Whirlwind Festival

Duncan Eagles - Tenor Saxophone

Duncan Eagles and Max Luthert graduated to the main stage of the Whirlwind Festival's Hall 1 last week at King's Place (10/10/2013). Just an hour before they had opened the festival with the Ollie Howell Quintet and this ascension was both physical and symbolic for the likeable duo.

The bull ring for the main thrust of the Whirlwind Festival was Hall 1 and it was a mighty impressive theatre to watch and hear the next 3 days unfold. With its warm wood lined façade and cathedral like height that drew the eyes up along its vertical strokes, this was the place to be. The stage and sound were excellently managed through all of the sessions and I hope the festival and venue maintain their association long into the future.

Eric Ford - Drums

Coming out of the smaller St Pancras room with the Ollie Howell Quintet and into this cavernous space only exaggerated the change in scale, as did that of the smallest (numerically) band of the festival.
Partikel Trio, an early signing to the fledgling Whirlwind at that time are now blossoming into one of the labels stalwarts. Only a few months away from recording their third album but unfortunately without their string quartet, Eagles admitted they we just a few days shy of rehearsal time for the full blow out. I have heard them in recent months trailing some new material with cellist Shirley Smart and think this third album will contain a little more zip and concept than their second.

Max Luthert - Bass

As if to undermine what I've just written the trio's diminutive presence in this vast arena was bolstered by their second tune 'Assam', one of the stand out tracks from their second album 'Cohesion'. Written by bassist Max Luthert and performed with fullness, Eric Ford (drums) swept us in with his brushes, Luthert bouncing and then Eagles first sips of his soprano. Never has Luthert sounded so good, which bodes well for his first solo recording. It was a busy weekend for the willowy bassist and on Monday morning he brought his quintet, including Gareth Lockrane, Seb Pipe, Dave Hamblett and Matt Robinson to Derek Nash's Clown Pocket Studio in Kent.


Dan Redding - Filmmaker

'Assam' wandered into a new tune 'Midnight Mass' which had been toned down for this performance. Diluted more than usual, but not for long, the following composition 'Shimmer' did exactly what is says on the tin. The ever quizzical Eric Ford delighting us with his box of percussive tricks. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed another part of the Whirlwind stable, the filmmaker Dan Redding whose skills have become a label staple. Although discreet he has now perfected a professional stance since establishing his Youtube credentials, with legs akimbo he reminds one of David Hemmings' character in the film 'Blowup'.

Partikel finished with the excellent 'Landing' and here they worked at their best together. A tune that feels coded yet simple, Luthert teases us with a bass binary, those 1 and 0s floating out into the vast auditorium. Ford expresses in seesaw rhythms while Eagles' sax has a viscosity like a dribbling sap, the sound barely liquid until it crystalised into a rock hard resin that bombards us.

AL.

Ollie Howell Quintet - Whirlwind debut

Ollie Howell - drums

 True to the spirit of London Jazz's most exciting label Ollie Howell launched both the Whirlwind Festival and his own debut CD at King's Place last week (10/10/2013). This is a thrilling time to be amongst the metropolis' bubbling jazz fraternity and find oneself in the company of a label that is synonymous with creativity and Jazz's forward propulsion.

Ollie Howell's journey to this point made it a poignant night even in the modest surroundings of the St Pancras Room. He was diagnosed with a brain malformation in 2009 and since then has undergone surgery and long periods of recuperation. To his credit this hasn't dampened his composition skills nor his spirit and both the CD itself and the night's raw promise lived up to the label's highest standards.

Sebastian Scotney

Introducing Howell and the whole festival was aficionado and King's Place denizen Sebastian Scotney. Every gig was succinctly flavoured with his knowledge of London's burgeoning scene and his warmth for the music and performers alike. After his opening gambits he would sit down and contemplate the music. A reflective listener, with head bowed in anticipation he rubs his nails together as though he is about to light his tinder. With the St Pancras' round window silhouetting his profile, he looked like a Bond villain that is contemplating world domination rather than a mere CD launch.

Matt Robinson - piano

With his back to the audience it would be easy to dismiss the role of pianist Matt Robinson even before starting this short hour set. Yet it was this shy wit that shone in the early skirmishes, a pumping, driving gallop in the opening tune 'Later On' was reinforced in the wild up tempo 'A World Apart' where he cast off his reins and roamed free.

Mark Perry - trumpet

The third tune 'They' was dedicated to Ollie Howell's family who proudly occupied a healthy portion of the crowd. Although Howell isn't prone to emotional outpourings here was an opportunity for him to plough the depths of his affections. His searching start rattled into a loose solo, slowly he took control with just his digits, as if blind to his surroundings his fingertips led us onto more gentle ground. This softness was only supported by both Mark Perry (trumpet) and Duncan Eagles (saxophone) as the tune developed. It was a pleasure to meet some of the Howell Clan afterwards and the festival layout encouraged everyone to draw together, creating the opportunity to see familiar faces and make foster new friendships.

Duncan Eagles - Saxophone

The front line of the OHQ was led by the lithe Perry and Eagles. On the pulse of recent trends in the 1980's fashion revival the former dazzled younger devotees with his slick suit that was reminiscent of the decades' icons Crockett and Tubbs. Unfortunately we saw no more of Mark Perry during the rest of the festival, for he always adds a spark to proceedings with his attire and playing.

Max Luthert - Bass

Duncan Eagles was on good form, terrorising the audience on 'Beyond', where his legendary left shoulder reached its peak. Both Perry and Eagles are competent musicians with a recent release as leaders to be launched on the 17th November at the London Jazz Festival (Pizza Express, Soho) and they coped well with the expectation placed on them as the Festival's opening act. Their only moment of discomfort, a clapping sequence at the end of 'Beyond' when both looked at each other but couldn't decide whether to take it to a full boyband dance routine. Max Luthert on bass didn't let them down though and his left leg couldn't resist wobbling in Shakin Stevens stylie.

Ollie Howell's debut recording 'Sutures and Stitches' has already received a bucket full of good reviews. His music has also attracted the attention of both Jimmy Cobb and Quincy Jones and you can see why. The penultimate tune 'Dear Old Stockholm' gave Howell the freedom to express his talents through his playing rather than composition and he was mesmeric with his fluid changes in pace. Howell has a serenity around him, his long face emits a wisdom that must have been gained through some of life's toughest lessons. Whirlwind's Michael Janisch trusted him enough to launch the festival and he didn't disappoint.

AL.


He's currently on tour with a whole range of dates countrywide to take your choice from.
Including tonight in Bristol (18th October) and Sunday (20th Oct) at the excellent Southampton Modern Jazz Club.

Leyla McCalla & Rhiannon Giddens - Chocolate Bonbons

Leyla McCalla - Cello

Two of Carolina's sweetest chocolate drops started their tour of the UK and France at Cecil Sharp House last Wednesday (03/10/2013). An array of prone musical instruments lay basking in the light of Leyla McCalla and Rhiannon Giddens as they took to the stage. By the end of the performance we too bathed in their talent, beauty and charm, it is the kind that washes over you, letting the spirit soar for those brief hours of listening.

It was my first visit to Cecil Sharp House since my tenure as Twickfolk's artist-in-residence earlier this year. Every week I was welcomed into the bosom of Twickenham's folk scene and got to know many of the regulars there. Due to their loyalty and dedication the faces rarely changed, so foolishly I thought I would recognise a few on this night. Not only was every face in the warm wood-panelled hall a new one but no singular demographic materialised with which to pigeon-hole them with my artistic eye.



Neil Coffey - Fan

Luckily there was a couple of faces that I recognised, a gig wouldn't be worth going to unless the legendary Dr and Mrs Fizzy were in attendance. Mike Watts was fizzing with his camera, taking pictures (only for the first 3 songs) for the EFDSS or English folk dance and song society. I was lucky enough to sketch the whole way through, but it wasn't an easy brief. No sooner had Leyla McCalla picked up her cello than she had replaced it with banjo. Rhiannon Giddens was equally culpable, swapping violin for banjo, then triangle, and as if to tease us she blew her Kazoo at one point.

It was a whirl of lyrical songs and beautiful craftsmanship, carefully carved from their own traditions and with a sweep of their musical chisels in our direction too. The two major pillars of the evening that held the impressive Cecil Sharp ceiling so high were Giddens' US Civil War inspirations and McCalla's tasty Haitian brews.

Rhiannon Giddens - violin

Both the stars of Rhiannon Giddens and Leyla McCalla's are in the ascendancy but it was the later that shone particularly bright. Her most recent release 'Vari-Colored Songs'  has received some Very-Favorable reviews already. Her performance on 'Rose-Marie' was a standout and the flavour of her Haitian songs created extra layers to an evening that was already eclectic. As if to exaggerated the flight of McCalla's words on 'Meci Bon Dieu' the flock of tattooed birds seemed to spring from her slender frame into the excited hall. She often created the thermals for Giddens to soar too with her own voice of purity and clarity.

As always I roped in the nearest expert to hide my woeful knowledge and met a charming fan in the form of Neil Coffey. His favourite of the night was Rhiannon Giddens' 'Cuckoo' song and there was an appreciation of the change in material and pace from their work in the foursome Carolina Chocolate Drops. Neil even admitted that he saw them twice during a recent visit to the Cambridge Folk Festival. Its easy to see why, with such depth and pure musical talent you would have to have a second nibble on these chocolate bonbons.

Tour dates still to come include -
9th October - The Greystones, Sheffield
10th October - The Met, Bury
11th October - The Atkinson, Southport
12th October - Oran Mor, Glasgow
and then onto France.

AL.

Dare to Love Jacqui Dankworth

Jacqui Dankworth

It wouldn't take much of a gambler to venture that Jacqui Dankworth has blown on the dice of love and thrown them with both tenderness and hope before. Last Wednesday (02/10/2013) at Chelsea's 606 Club she gambled with us once again, mixing a suitable dash of class and style with her brinkmanship.

A launch for new album 'Live to Love' does exactly what it says on the tin. Peel back the label though and we start to see her extra layers. Yes, we are treated to both heartfelt lyrics and well crafted music, produced by collaborator Geoff Gascoyne (bass), which swell the narrative. Words and stories may dent my wizened heart a little but it was Dankworth herself who is the most powerful puncture to a cynic's affections.

Charlie Wood - piano

The 606 was busy with young couples photographing their meals for their social media status', old gents sniffing cork and a couple of bubble-perms, as if to remind us of Jacqui Dankworth's heritage. We were served the tunes like a diner working their way through the menu from top to bottom. The opener 'Live to Love' was swiftly followed with an appearance by Dankworth's lover, Charlie Wood on backing vocals for 'Malala (he later appeared on his more customary piano in the second set).



Rob Barron - piano

The night kicked into gear with the third tune, 'We do need love' on which Rob Barron played a strong role. More than a stand in for Charlie Wood, he switched between keyboard and the 606's Yamaha piano. His fop of dark hair lashed down from the strictest of side partings and the tune was an excellent foil for his skill. That's not to say Wood's presence wasn't felt, his compositional skills on 'A certain kind of Eden' along with Dankworth's delivery created one of the night's highlights. The tune originated from a writing circle which Wood is a member of, where a bright creative spark chooses a title and everyone else lights the touch paper to produce something of merit and musical expression.

Geoff Gascoyne - Bass

Geoff Gacoyne got his hips moving seductively on 'A certain kind of Eden' and if he had started a conga line I would have been the first to join the queue. Surprisingly it wasn't his pelvis that showed us his best credentials, both his playing and writing on 'All is Quiet' was superb and illustrated why he is feted as both producer, player and probably all round good egg. Although the 'egg' is pure assumption, but to see the affection in Jacqui Dankworth's eyes when she talked of him must show he is of the golden rather than the rotten variety.

Chris Allard - guitar

'It's Tomorrow's World' saw a strong hand by Chris Allard on guitar and the strength of a daughter's love for her father too. The tune of the night was the up tempo 'Just a song', not on this new album unfortunately but an excellent mast to hoist Jacqui Dankworth's sailing voice upon. As the night progressed I realised that Dankworth was best experienced live, for not only is her voice and storytelling uplifting, it is her persona that you cannot keep your eyes from.

Here is a woman of tenderness, a woman who needs love and to reach out to love others. It is this casting-off of her affections into the deep dark of the 606 audience that was the real tension of this night. We can all say the words of love that come easy, the 'I love yous' to our partners and sometimes family but can or should we stretch blindly in the shadows like this.

One short statement seems appropriate here, from Jacqui Dankworth's childhood schooling no less. A simple Quaker motto, Dare to Love.
And we should.

AL.

A special thank you to Jessica Gerry of Brissett Music who took care of me for the night.

Apologies to Mike Smith on drums who I couldn't draw because he was hidden from my gaze.

Vasilis Xenopoulos & the Nigel Price Organ Trio

Vasilis Xenopoulos - Saxophone

You've got to hear this guy, they said.
He'll be worth it!

My muddied thoughts screamed STOP! The desire to knock him down after he had been built so high would be irresistible. Vasilis Xenopoulus' Jenga style rise had been remarkably solid in my mind as not only jazz fans but musicians too placed effusive bricks atop one another in a Empire State style ascension.

Nigel Price fan -
Peter Wild

Yesterday (19/09/2013) at Twickenham Jazz Club was the time for the uninitiated to choose whether to add another brick to his reputation or swing the wrecking ball in defiant mood. The club was completely packed, the crowd in generous mood despite the awkward suburban yoga when knee touches knee of complete strangers. Many had come through devotion to the leader of tonight's quartet, Nigel Price. I recognised the dashing Peter Wild, whose handsome Milk Tray Man profile stood out in the throng. All the ladies love chocolates it seems and Nigel Price, who has become the most popular performer since the Club re-launched 9 months ago.

Nigel Price

Despite his regular visits, Price keeps us on our toes, with a changing repertoire and new combinations of facial hair each time. This was a chance to hear his own work, a rich slice from his most recent recording Heads & Tails and some older still. Surprisingly nervous in speech, dexterous in motion on guitar and as always unassuming in demeanour he spent the evening bathed in blue shadows.

Paul Hutchings

Price, resplendent with new moustache
/goatee, sat astride his saloon chair like a diminutive cowboy or perhaps a wild west prospector, and he seemed to strike gold regularly. He excelled on 'All In' and drew the biggest roar for '4 on 6' which brought a hypnotic beat to our collective pulses, coursing the blood, and eventually stinging the hands in applause. His final tune of the night 'Go', recently penned, was a fine illustration of his clarity.

Matt Home - drums

The hot topic of debate on my pew was between Twickenham Jazz Club stalwarts Max Macson and Paul Hutchings who were discussing Matt Home's rimshots. Assuming this was an affliction which plagued drummers whose job requires them to permanently sit down only exposed my ignorance once again. Hutchings, an 'oily ragged' engineer and aficionado Macson put me right, giving me an analysis and dissection of rimshots on Brubeck 'Take Five'. Home was fluid throughout and his rimshots precisely hit their mark, the aforementioned '4 on 6' ringing true.

Peter Whittaker

'Stealing Time' was a favourite of the evening and none shone brighter than Peter Whittaker on organ. On the face of it an unlikely marriage, because the tune is a bossa nova based upon Kurt Weill's 'Speak Low' played by Whittaker who looks very much the stoic, sporting a side parting straighter than Gareth Bale. Whittaker flung off a perceived British reserve with his pumping carousel of notes that catapulted us into a bevvy of throbbing carnival beauties.

Kelvin Christiane -
Tenor

There was an audible sigh of disappointment when Kelvin Christiane came to the stand. Not because of the man himself but because he had left his baritone sax at home. His tenor duel on 'Voyage' dispelled the dark clouds, where Christiane was deep and intense. The saxophone's path wasn't always straightforward, but challenging compositions brought out the best in Vasilis Xenopoulos in particular. He blew his cheeks out in anticipation before attempting the frantic 'Its not alright with me',

Ted

Xenopoulus is a compact and powerful player, demonstrating a rapid peppering style during the 2 sets and especially on 'Stealing Time' where he was particularly uncomplicated, yet penetrating. He lived up to my expectations and I believe those of the audience too. Students of the genre developed creeping smiles that were hard to shake off like the man sitting opposite me. Ted, a sax player for 10 years, a student of Kelvin Christiane's for 3 of those, who turned to me after a Xenopoulos solo and said to me, "Learning to play the sax is hard work you know."
....and all I could think was, where would you start?
Even though the sensible answer would be to construct your knowledge and skill block by block, in all honesty I know my tower would have collapsed around my ankles long ago.

All credit to the talents that keep building theirs to the sky and beyond.

AL.

Sam Leak - Aquarium and Places album inspiration

In the months before the Christmas of 2010 I was contacted by young pianist, Sam Leak, who had recorded his debut album with the shining lights of James Allsopp, Calum Gorlay and Joshua Blackmore under the name Aquarium. It was a heartfelt request from a intense man who was searching for an imagery he couldn't quite put his finger on.

Unused drawing for Aquarium

Without ever meeting face to face you would think we started at a disadvantage, but Sam had other plans. He wrote me an honest letter, detailing a personal voyage of love fulfilled, unrequited and dashed upon the rocks. It was a letter that was so personal that I have never shown it to another person but it was full of depth and tangibility.

Kingston Town centre

The sincerity of the written word is all to rare nowadays, so you can imagine the effect it had on me, and although images came to mind it never felt as if its sentimental load was heavy enough to illustrate Sam's personal journey. After a correspondence and a few false starts, Sam sent me an email with images of empty warehouses, railway stations with slanting shadows and views of pedestrians with backs turned toward the viewer.

View from the elevated platform of
Hampton Wick Station

The photographs were old and grainy, the definition wasn't good, and all were most definitely black and white. Sam wrote, 'Do you see what I see?'........
Well there was nothing to see, perhaps that was the point, these were empty spaces, devoid of real human animation but rampant with the emotional detritus from the human condition. This was the world of the voyeur, which was very apt for an album entitled aquarium.

It was a matter of getting out into the urban spaces where our lives are staged and to experience those scenes where the main protagonist has left...... and the clues of the story remain. Sam was brought up in the Kingston area so that was where I started, trawling trains, sketching madly trying to find a modern 'Brief Encounter'. You see here some of the images that were drawn but never used. Always in black and white, with the grainy grittiness that Sam craved.

Kew Bridge Steam Museum

There was a healthy amount of industrial props on my wanderings, that only emphasised the loneliness that we sometimes feel. Although the drawings are indistinct and 'lost', Sam had already found the concept for his front cover. He wanted the CD face to be a tesseract, which is the four-dimensional analog of the cube. Or simply put, the tesseract is to the cube as the cube is to the square.

Amongst these set of drawings was one of Grosvenor Bridge, which is the rail conduit carrying passengers in and out of Victoria in London. Colour versions have been a popular painting for me but this new charcoal version was very gloomy. In its darkest corner is Battersea Power Station which has become an unlikely icon for Londoners. We decided to shelve the image because of its dimensions. It just wouldn't work on a CD cover, where one was a square format the other was a snaking panorama.

Grovesnor Bridge, Battersea, London

The debut album was released on Babel in 2011 and was well received.

"Multi-faceted and smart as a pin, this is poetic chamber jazz of a very high order" - Ingham, C. (2011, October). Aquarium. MOJO, 215, 96
Buy the album on Babel.

Eventually we met and I sketched him, although it took some time to get his profile just right.
To my surprise earlier this year he contacted me once again, asking if I could create an animation for his tune 'Marrakech' to help launch his new album 'Places' at King's Place.

I was seriously impressed by his latest compositions and wasn't at all surprised that Sam had given me just 10 days to complete the short film in. He often left this sort of thing to the last minute. Unexpectedly though Sam had already sorted the design and artwork for the album on Jellymould Jazz. It required a double take of course, but there was our bridge in confident graphic tones, it was strong and assured just like the album itself.

Once again Sam Leak's music reached out to pleasure critics and audiences alike.

"Leak clearly puts heart and soul into his writing, as well as his playing; the emotion and conviction are there for all to hear" Adrian Pallant, March 17th 2013 - AP Reviews website

 

“A band full of the great heavyweights we have on the young British jazz scene… a beautiful mixture of extraordinary playing… great grooves and extraordinary improvising. I’m a fan of this band.” Jamie Cullum

 

Rumour has it that Sam is embarking upon a PhD in Music Cognition at Cambridge University this year, lets hope this doesn't reduce his presence on the London and UK live music scene. 

He would be sorely missed.

 

AL.