The Ex & Brass Unbound @ The Sage...

I wasn't going to bother going to this gig. I knew a couple of albums by The Ex (the two with Tom Cora), and I hardly thought it would be the kind of gig where either Ken Vandermark or Mats Gustafsson would get much of a chance to show what they can do. Factor in my now distant relationship to the punk era, and considerations of Louise's need not to hear this kind of thing, and it looked eminently missable.

That was until a former workmate called and asked if I wanted to go (I was tempted to say former anarchist punk, a bit of an 'in' joke, particularly as he now drives a rather beautiful Audi estate car...) He's one of the few people I know who would even have heard of The Ex, and the chance for a catch-up over some music was in the end a more than sufficient lure. So. it became a quiet night-in for Louise and a noisy night out for me.

Using The Sage's Hall 2, I was surprised by the respectable turn-out for this event. Support was provided by Zun Zun Egui, whose collision of Krautrock, Afro-beat and hardcore was interesting if not compelling. After 30 minutes they'd been through their repertoire, and for the last 15 of their set they'd really outstayed their welcome. It was The Ex & Brass Unbound that most people wanted to hear.

Getting Mats Gustafsson and Ken Vandermark onto the same stage at the same time isn't that difficult, and their cutting-edge retro free-jazz (the contradiction is deliberate) is about the best that there is. Ken has been keen to distance himself from past rowdy DIY-punk associations for some time now though, and you won't hear him pushing his discs with The Flying Luttenbachers as high watermarks of his career. I remember talking to him about those days several years ago and he seemed more than a little embarrassed. The Ex seem to have a unique pull though, his pal Gustafsson is clearly less reticent, and this being a special event to mark the group's 30th anniversary Ken clearly decided 'what the heck'. Filling out the brass section (and right at the opposite end of the stage) were Wolter Wierbos and Roy Paci, more of whom later.

When the gig finally got underway it was divine mayhem. The Ex did exactly what they do best, rough and ready and extremely loose, their energy actually out-did the horns for much of the time. Vandermark and Gustafsson huffed and puffed, and despite being two of the most lethal saxophonists on the planet they struggled to penetrate the wall of sound created by these like-able Dutch dilettantes. It wasn't all down to excessive amplification either. The triple fuzz guitar attack was really too close to the frequency of the baritone and tenor saxes, and when Ken got out his clarinet he was a metaphorical needle in a haystack. Much of the time he looked disinterested (even bored), but as the evening progressed he found his feet, and a way into the mayhem.

Wierbos and Paci fared better at their end of the stage, their rasping brass attack really enhancing the group's sound. Arrangements were basic to say the least, real back-of-a-beer-mat stuff, but that's part of the group's charm. Could you really imagine them with a slick horn section punching out the riffs? I even recognised two of the pieces ('State of Shock' and 'Hidegen Fujnak A Szelek' from Scrabbling At The Lock), and this led to a vague feeling of smugness that I won't try to condone. As the gig wore on there were small chinks for Ken and Mats to cut through the din, and hats off to The Ex for sticking to their guns.

It was almost a shame to have to get into that Audi and drive away...

Fred Grand

Jan Garbarek @ The Sage...

I'm tempted to just cut and paste the review of Jan Garbarek's previous appearance at The Sage, but that would be more than a little unfair. Last night's performance was subtly different, with some of those differences being for the better, and others for the worse.

First the bad. The programme was extremely similar, and almost 18 months on you'd perhaps expect at least some evolution. For what is essentially a very structured and form-conscious music, Garbarek's group weren't even as slick as they'd been in November 2007. He played a little too much soprano (there seemed to be a problem with the mechanics on his tenor), and Yuri Daniel's identity is still a little blurred. He made a great short notice stand-in for Eberhard Weber, but as a replacement he lacks the grace, melodicism and taste of the great German. Some of his sound processing bordered on Metheny-esque vulgarity, but I do approve of his grasp of funk and the added edge that he brings to the group. Oh, and finally, Brünninghaus still looks like a Smurf.

Now we move on to the good stuff. As billed, Trilok Gurtu replaced Manu Katché, and in so doing he not only brought a much wider range of textures and sounds, but he gave the music a looser feel (perhaps turning the comment about the group's relative lack of slickness in the previous paragraph into a positive). He also made clear the well established influence of Indian music on Garbarek's work. He's a virtuoso, a heavyweight, and easily the best percussionist to work with the group since Nana Vasconcelos. Let's hope he can be a permanent fixture - heck, he's a busy man, but it's not as though this group tours prolifically.

Just being Jan Garbarek is almost enough. He occupies a special place for me, and his singular sound evokes so many good memories and feelings. The deceptive simplicity of his music is great too, and I love trying to figure out how he moves through his harmonic progressions. His ability to make a note hang above an ever changing backdrop of colour is often breathtaking. Unpicking the links to Ayler, Ornette, Jim Pepper and Coltrane is a good sport too, although as time goes by it becomes easier and easier.

So, it certainly wasn't a wasted evening. This time we were just three rows from the front so it was as much a visual as an aural experience. It's perhaps a little disappointing to think that if he returns in the next couple of years the performance probably won't be that much different, but from the earliest days with George Russell, Keith Jarrett and then his own projects he's remained consistent. Change with Garbarek is glacial, and he's no less a musician for that. He's confident of his voice, and people also happen to like it in large numbers.

With a reprisal of Mission: To Be Where I Am as an encore, it was in so many ways the very essence of Garbarek...

Fred Grand

PS: A happy New Year (very belatedly) to any readers. More posts soon, I hope. Ken Vandermark and Mats Gustafsson with The Ex lined up for Sunday, and millions of old CD reviews still to post...

Chris Yates (R.I.P), with references to Henry Grimes...

I haven't posted a review of the Henry Grimes-Paul Dunmall-Andrew Cyrille gig last Thursday as yet, partly because I haven't felt inclined too, but mainly because of the sad news that Jazz North East secretary Chris Yates suffered a suspected heart attack on the way to the gig, and died within 48 hours.

Like many people in North East England, a lot of my exposure to top quality jazz was a result of Chris's sterling work. Long before we had The Sage, and in times when jazz was so unfashionable it spelled commercial suicide, Chris was flying the flag for the music he passionately believed in. His enthusiasm was infectious, and nobody will ever forget his slightly bumbling persona, stooping to speak into a ridiculously low microphone to announce forthcoming events.

I remember how thrilled I was when he asked me to replace Noel Proudfoot on the committee in the late 90s, and although we had many disagreements about the music, his generosity was unbounded. He was always the first to back new initiatives aimed at audiences beyond the comfortable mainstream core, and that marked the beginning of the shift that Paul Bream has emphatically consolidated.

When I put on Hession/Wilkinson/Fell at the Live Theatre and we got an audience of 15, that would have been enough for many to pull in the reins. Not Chris though, and shortly after we broke the 100 barrier in the same venue with Derek Bailey. Ultimately the strain of constantly balancing promotion with full time work (and many other interests) proved too much for me and I was the one who called time. I can only marvel at how Chris effortlessly balanced his work at the university with his family life and his role as both a reviewer and a promoter. That is a mark of both his organisational acumen and his dedication.

I'll carry many great memories of Chris, most of them private and personal ones. My involvement in jazz at the level of more than a mere fan started with the helping hand that Chris gave me, and I won't forget that. For a man who proudly boasted that he hadn't missed a Jazz North East gig for several decades, we were all shocked to note the impact of his declining health over the last year or so, and coincidentally Louise and I were sitting with Dave and Pam from the committee discussing this very topic before this very gig.

Even in his absence you always felt that Chirs had an in loco parentis presence, and I suspect it will be that way for some time to come, given how closely he was identified with the organisation. That in no way minimises the massive part that Paul and Dave both currently play, and it is some consolation that the organisation looks to be in a strong position to build on his legacy.

Ironically, I think he'd have enjoyed the Grimes gig more than I did. Apart from the sheer surprise of seeing and hearing Grimes after so many years where he was off the map, the main interest came from Andrew Cyrille, who at least tried to bend and shape an otherwise predictable flow of what now seems to be known as 'fire music'. After Dunmall had done a stint on each of his instruments I felt that there was nothing left to add and it became a mercifully short gig. It had a directness and underlying blues feeling that I know Chris valued highly, (and if only...).

Instead of a proper review of the gig I'll simply post a review of a recent Grimes CD, an oddity I wasn't totally won over by, despite my obvious reverence for the bassist. After last Thursday I'm more inclined to go back to his work with the Gerry Mulligan Quartet. Mulligan, like Chris, was a key figure in my early appreciation of jazz.

Enough of life's circular flow, for all of those who knew Chris it's time for some serious contemplation...


HENRY GRIMES
Solo Bass & Violin
ILK MUSIC 2CD set (ILK 151)

Solo Improvisation

Henry Grimes (b, vn) 3/08.

Recorded in New York in March 2008, this un-edited solo performance could turn out to be the masterpiece of Grimes’ second career flush. This is the same Henry Grimes who anchored the Gerry Mulligan Quartet in the late ‘50s, also playing countless mainstream gigs with everybody from Benny Goodman to Coleman Hawkins before moving to New York and hooking up with Sonny Rollins and, significantly, Cecil Taylor. Just as the ‘New Thing’ was gathering momentum, Grimes quietly ‘disappeared’ into a world of menial day jobs for 35 years, presumed lost, before dramatically re-emerging in 2002 amid much excitement.

Interestingly, his return was nurtured by his modern day equivalent, William Parker. Both bassists share phenomenal facility and have a huge sonorous presence. Abstract, bittersweet and tumultuous, every sinew-jarring plucked and bowed note is preserved faithfully on this richly detailed recording. To sustain a solo performance of this duration and keep it interesting is no easy task, even for a player of Grimes’ stature. Occasionally he’ll switch to violin for brief interludes, and the same logic and clarity of expression is brought to each instrument. Undoubtedly demanding on the listener and with inevitable longeurs, this some times tortured journey goes directly into the mind of a great musician without any filtering. Highly recommended.

Fred Grand
(Jazz Review)

Tomasz Stanko's 'Dark Eyes' Quintet @ The Sage...

After a long pause, plus a few days to let this event sink in, it's time to put something out on the blog again. Amazingly, to me at least, Sunday evening was the first time I'd ever seen and heard Stanko live. I've been a fan for many years, and as you'd probably imagine from the title of this blog, Balladyna is one of my favourite albums. I love his gravelly burr, smokey half valve slurs, wild interval leaps and uniquely bleak and portentous way of phrasing. I follow his music wherever it goes, and with him being such a rare visitor to these shores you can imagine how delighted I was when I noticed the listing for this gig a few months ago.

Helping me through the long wait was the release of the new disc, 'Dark Eyes', which went to the top of my pretty small play list when it arrived last month. With the Wasilewski trio I thought he'd found his best and most stable group since the '70s, and in truth that's probably the case. This new project, a darkly elegiac film soundtrack, saw the formation of a young and relatively unknown quintet from every corner of Scandinavia. A slightly harder edge and a more pronounced jazz sensibility, the group mark a welcome new strand to his career.

Jakob Bro, electric guitarist (a Telecaster, no less), is the most noticeable departure from Stanko's recent projects. Running the fairly small gamut from Abercrombie to Frisell, he added colours and textures which expand the music's palette. Take him out of the group and the sound would have been closer to the group from the '80-'90s with Tony Oxley and Bobo Stenson which first drew me to the trumpeter's work. Bro's control was impressive and his imagination vivid, and although not everything he did worked, I appreciated his refusal to play licks or cliches.

The group played in The Sage's intimate Hall 2, probably my favourite venue for live music bar none. We has seats that put us close to the action, and it was also good to see a large Polish contingent in the audience (the gig formed part of a Polska! festival). They played one set of almost 1h 45m, and it was essentially a reprisal of the album, slightly re-ordered to allow a better flow. The extra minutes were made to count, though it was Stanko, Bro and pianist Alexi Tuomarila (very much a '70s Jarrett-man) who were the main soloists. Bass guitarist Anders Christensen didn't really solo as such, but he didn't put a foot wrong, and despite looking like Flea he played with impressive sensitivity. Finnish drummer Olavi Louhivuori was similarly impressive, his armoury taking in everything from pastoralism and impressionistic strokes to complete abstraction and kick-ass aggression. In short, this is a versatile and highly mobile group.

Stanko let his horn do the talking, his gaunt features and tall but slender frame projecting an enormous presence and awesome power. As with the Gustavsen gig (reviewed in the last post) the sound engineering belied the fact that this was a live performance, and these pristine standards seem to be becoming a feature of many touring ECM artists. That's not to say that the performance was airbrushed, far from it. The soundstage may have been optimal, but a pristine recreation of the album wasn't the outcome it may have been with lesser artists who don't share Stanko's questing spirit. Listening to his fast post-bop lines the link to late '60s Miles was more obvious to me than it had ever been.

We left completely satisfied, and in a year of great gigs this stood out there on its own. Lots more live music to come, including Henry Grimes next week, Andy Sheppard with Michel Benita/Rita Marcotulli, Jan Garbarek, Nik Bärtsch and Nils Petter Molvaer. We've even booked to see Jerry Douglas next year as part of a tasty looking 'Transatlantic Sessions' package, so inspiring was Sunday's performance. The best live performances should always be inspiring and uplifting, stoking the flames and whetting the appetite for more. The worst simply leave me cold and have me irritatedly glancing at my watch. Tomasz Stanko delivered one of the best.

Fred Grand

Tord Gustavsen Ensemble @ Queens Hall, Edinburgh...

It may have taken a few days to get this posted, but then it has also taken a few days for the effects of the gig to sink in and fully hit home. Just as Tord seems to consider and deliberately execute every stroke of the piano keys, a pause for reflection probably wasn't a bad idea really, although in truth there's little I could have done to write up the gig any earlier having only just arrived home after a few days of much needed holiday in Edinburgh. What I suppose I'm trying to say is this: Friday night was deeply impressive, and I don't often leave a concert hall feeling so completely satisfied. In order to set in in context and get some perspective takes a decent amount of time, so rather than stringing together a list of superlatives and pressing 'publish', I've taken some time to reflect.

Although I've enjoyed his trio of trio discs for ECM and enthusiastically greeted Restored, Returned when I first heard it last week, it should be noted that I didn't go along as a committed fan ready to enthusiastically lap up anything he offered. Despite having had other opportunities to hear him play, this was the first time I'd actually committed to going out to hear him live. I went into the gig looking for some confirmation of his talents, needing to be fully won over. The '70s is really my favourite decade for Manfred Eicher's iconic ECM label, and the Esbjörn Svensson effect - a superficial reinvention of the piano trio to a point where they're proliferating at a rate which makes them too hard to properly evaluate - has also made me harder to impress when it comes to this old established format.

It turned out that in much the same way as with Marcin Wasilewski earlier this year, first hand experience was enough to make the breakthrough. There's really nothing like seeing a good live performance to help understand what makes a musician tick. Last Friday I feel as though I may have got close to understanding where lies the bottom of Gustavsen's estimable depths, and as a result I now feel more comfortable to embrace him as an outstanding talent.

The opening night of a 10 date UK tour and the first time that this particular quartet had played together in concert, Gustavsen seemed to sense that something special was in the air. Everything about the leader was hushed and respectful, and his quiet introductions of the musicians - Tore Brunborg, Mats Eilertsen and Jarle Vespestad - spoke volumes about how pleased he was to be there with them. Integral to the performance was the sound engineer, brought on the tour as the Ensemble's 'fifth member', and rather like seeing true high definition television for the first time, you wish that standards could always be as high and are surely in for a disappointment next time you go back to a standard presentation. In some branches of jazz such clinical precision may not be necessary, but for Gustavsen's subtle gestural music it is imperative.



Unlike the latest CD, where the fifth ensemble member is vocalist Kristin Asbjørnsen, last Friday's music was purely instrumental. Gustavsen has worked with vocalists - notably Silje Nergaard - in the past, but for this tour the band were cut back to a four piece. From several short lullabies to feature pieces such as 'The Child Within' and 'The Swirl', the new album was the group's main focus, and the same low key and thoughtful modes of expression predominated. 'The Gaze' stood out among the newer pieces, though everything that the quartet did was in truth perfectly executed. Only on the Spanish-tinged modal piece 'Where We Went' did the group seem to let go, a strictly relative relative observation in as much as the ensemble's letting simply consisted of digging in to a deep modal groove. Normally I'd be looking for dirty blemishes, grit and grease as a sign of authenticity, but Gustavsen establishes a convincing exception. He has no need for any of that in his music, and you only need to see him writhe at the piano stool to know that he's lost in the process, as deeply involved in the act of making music where everything counts as any expressionistic avant-gardist.

If there was anything about the music that was disappointing then it was Brunborg, only because he relied so heavily on Garbarek for his voice and direction. Rather like hearing a Coltrane disciple with no twists of individuality, the effect is slightly uncomfortable when you strongly believe (as I do) that jazz should be about individual expression. For a Norwegian to lean so heavily on an influence is of course no worse than the hundreds of Coltrane disciples around the world who bring nothing new to the table, and as far as this particular project is concerned it must be said that Brunborg's approach was perfectly fitting and appropriate.

The long-haired almost bear-like bassist Mats Eilertsen oozed cool concentration, his rich woody tone and guitar-like virtuosity recalling the heyday of Palle Danielsson. Vespestad seemed to be in a constant state of slow motion or suspended animation. A heavily miked drum kit meant that the smallest gesture resonated around the walls of this beautiful old hall, and given the group's almost holy asceticism - they even closed the set with an 'evening prayer' - the former church made a fitting arena for such a deeply moving and in some ways ritualistic performance.

This trip had started out as another hardly required excuse to have a weekend away in Edinburgh. What we witnessed at The Queens Hall on Friday was something very special, and after the sonic-slugging that characterised much of 'On The Outside' last week it was impressive proof that intensity and passion can be just as powerfully realised in quieter ways. Anybody can play loudly and with a lack of discipline, but to distil so much emotion into such a potent brew is something that you don't encounter every day. To say that 'less is more' misses the point because the same quiet approach that Gustavsen shares with Cor Fuhler and latter day Crispell is not actually 'less'. Welcome to my quiet revolution...

Fred Grand

On The Outside Festival: Day Three...Marilyn Crispell, Rob Brown, Günter 'Baby' Sommer et al...

The final day of the festival proved to be the busiest, but the most rewarding of the three. The quality of the music remained high, the atmosphere among the musicians light and friendly, the audiences attentive and enthusiastic, and I'd even go as far as to say that I started to warm to Alan Tomlinson's idiosyncratic trombonery by the close of play. His duet with 'Baby' Sommer in the last set was in all honesty one of the festival's highlights - a theatrical display full of absurdist humour and ironies. Rasping trombone and marching band beats, it could almost have been an offshoot of the Zentrall Quartett.

Starting for us at 11AM, the pace of the day didn't really let up until midnight. We'd arranged to take Marilyn to see the coast - just like me she's a great fan of the sea, and Tynemouth was the destination. Louise postponed her shopping mission to come along and enjoy the morning, and to me this was really what 'artist liaison' should be about. OK, with such a large scale festival staffed by overworked and under appreciated volunteers it may be an unrealistic ambition, but showing visiting musicians something other than hotel rooms and concert halls is an enriching and rewarding thing. We walked for a couple of hours, including a trip along the pier in high winds, and Marilyn enjoyed it so much that on her recommendation Rudi Mahall and his partner took off on the Metro later that afternoon to see it for themselves.

It was back to the festival for 2PM, and highlights of the afternoon set included Marilyn's group with Chevillon and Taylor, and the established duo of Rob Brown and Daniel Levin. As the musicians worked their way through the matinee, a fiendish plot was being unhatched by Raymond MacDonald to divide the evening session up into twelve short groupings selected by the musicians. I say 'fiendish' because I was the person charged with having to round up the groupings and get them on stage one after the other. In the end it was a breeze, the musicians by and large needing no prompts to get up and play.




Following a breathtaking solo by Marilyn and an equally engaging duet with MacDonald, the artists' selections commenced. Turnover was rapid, and the audience had a chance to hear everybody at least once. Rob Brown did a nice duet with Günter and Marilyn, Bruno & Chad drew the biggest applause with a highly rhythmic workout, and I've already mentioned the pleasant surprise of Alan and Günther.

Crowds were consistently good throughout the festival, but with such an outstanding line-up it's disappointing that more didn't travel from Scotland or the South. Perhaps marketing needs to sharpen up and the web presence increase if there's a next time, because although crowds for this kind of music will never reach blockbuster levels there's still room to grow.

The biggest threat to the continuance of this festival is the need to secure ongoing funding. As the crowds dispersed just before 11PM, many will have been wondering if they'll get the chance to do it all again next year. Paul chooses to remain optimistic, and I don't blame him. If nothing can be done then he should be proud of the festivals that he did pull off against so many odds, but you can bet he'll be doing his damnedest to see that we're all back next year.

Our last act of the 2009 festival was to drop Günter back at the hotel and wish him a safe journey home. I never imagined I'd ever see him up close in the UK, and to get the opportunity to see and hear him play in so many contexts was unforgettable. A niche music this might be, but it has a place. Let's hope that one of those places is still Tyneside in 2010. As Herr Sommer remarked when we shook hands in front of the hotel, 'It's up to you!'. Words to live by, and if there's anything I can do to help, I will.

Fred Grand

On The Outside Festival: Day Two...

Just a short write up of yesterday, before today gets underway. The festival really seemed to take off on Saturday, with some consistently high quality sets. The artists are settling in and getting to know each other, and the atmosphere is warm and friendly. Günter got his bag back and lit up the stage three times yesterday with his uniquely theatrical performing style, and the arrival of Bruno Chevillon (late due to a missed flight) added yet another dimension.

After the smooth running of the opening night it started to feel a bit chaotic behind the scenes, but amazingly things appeared normal at the front of the house, everything running just about on time and to the schedule. Perhaps traumatised after shock exposure to the affectionately re-named 'trombone loon' (aka Alan Tomlinson) on Friday night, Louise opted to go shopping in the afternoon. My first challenge came when Rob Brown couldn't be found before his 4PM slot, and after searching the building high and low several times I had to think on my feet, asking young Scottish tenor/baritone saxophonist Graeme Wilson if he'd mind filling in. Keen as mustard he took to the stage, only for Brown (delayed by a late-running Metro) to appear as they finished their first piece. The result? A dramatic entrance and a real bonus in the form of a quartet with a two horn front-line that for me turned out to be the day's highlight.

Günter was the next person to go Missing In Action, although it later turned out that he'd been behind the curtains on the stage all the time. He's already a big favourite with the crowds, and I'm pleased to finally get my chance to see him live after many years of admiration. Marilyn only played once, but found more space in today's ensemble, the Ducret/Chevillon combo was as tight as I'd imagined, and Fuhhler continued to impress with his work inside the piano. The young Dutchman closed the evening in a group consisting of his piano, two cellos and two bases. Another of the day's best groupings, their chamber-ish 'new music' recalled the New York avant-garde of the 50s and was just the kind of contrasting change of pace and direction that the evening needed.

Our work ended in dropping Bruno off at his hotel. No wrong turns down any one-way systems this time, just the cattle-market of Central Newcastle on Saturday night to negotiate. Bruno was the second ECM recording artist to hop into my car in as many days, making this a very acceptable way to close out another tiring but successful day. For Sunday morning we've arranged to take Marilyn sight-seeing, and then the music begins again at 2PM. I'm looking forward to her solo set in the evening, and also to artist programmed segment of the festival. Hopefully I'll find the time to blog all of that tomorrow...if not Monday.