Robert Mitchell - Equinox

British pianist Robert Mitchell, yet another distinguished alumnus of bassist Gary Crosby's Tomorrow's Warriors development programme for young British jazz musicians, throws up many questions on his ambitious solo release Equinox. Performing alone is not unusual to Mitchell: as recently as 2004 he played opening recitals for saxophone luminaries Wayne Shorter and Branford Marsalis.

The launch gig for the new album took place on September 15, 2007. It was part of Lifting The Lid, a three-day festival celebrating modern solo piano, curated by Mitchell. Taking place at London's Pizza Express Jazz Club, the line-up included Django Bates, Bheki Mseleku and Zoe Rahman among other pianists.

According to the press release, Equinox contains a common philosophical thread as a suite of prayers for peace and balance. Musically it is far more complicated. The set opens in a ponderous manner, with Mitchell providing a cautiously conservative overture on "Agenda For Change," an improvisation built around seven notes. The track continues in the same vein, with rippling bass chords and tinkly little right-hand lines moving into a bolder, more percussive phase that fades away for the ending. Mitchell displays impressive sensitivity, but it's very clear he's playing well within the limits of his formidable technique.

"Passion Radar" begins with an ominous opening passage and waves of dissonant harmony. Mitchell employs all manner of melodic devices to embellish this solid foundation of deep, throbbing chords and effectively builds up tension for the climax. "Equinocturne," which Mitchell opened with at the Pizza Express show, has an almost clairvoyant quality. He concentrates very much on the higher octaves, largely abandoning the previous theme of establishing a hard base of sound.

The next track, "Star Law," sees Mitchell experimenting with jovial, striding ideas in the left hand but offsetting this with starkly contrasting phrases on the right. The theme then changes to a more bluesy approach and we hear flashes of the blistering sheets of notes he is capable of producing, while the left hand provides stabby accompaniment. At the very end, the striding returns in a different form with use of the echo pedal and a sharp single note gives finality.

"The Envoy" is clearer by comparison to Mitchell's earlier tracks, with a distinguishable structure of melody and improvisation. The rhythmic support for dashing right-hand runs stays fairly steady, with less veering avant-garde randomness. It's nice to find something a little easier to follow amidst this swirling maelstrom of abstract ideas—in fact, right at the end, Mitchell even adopts what some might regard as a vaguely conventional method of melodic phrasing.

It is interesting to note that Mitchell's other projects include such diversity as a Latin jazz duo with Cuban violinist Omar Puente and a post-fusion sextet called Panacea. Perhaps it was important for his creative realisation to contrast his work in groups with a solo piano recording. Seeing the material performed live, with the pianist introducing many unplanned amalgamations between pieces and considerably extending them, may well have contributed to my personal challenge in trying to unravel his concepts.

Equinox is very much a musical riddle and I wouldn't recommend it to casual jazz listeners. The one running theme is that Mitchell's playing states an unequivocal desire for this record to be difficult to categorise; it's not jazz, it's not minimalism, it's not contemporary classical. It contains traces of all the aforementioned along with many other different elements and represents a creative voyage of discovery for the composer.


Tracks: Agenda For Change; Passion Radar; Each Bird Must Sing; Equinocturne; Star-Law; Age of Reason; More Than Meets The Eye; We Must Learn; The Envoy; Priceless; There Is A Reason For Everything; Entanglement.

Personnel: Robert Mitchell: acoustic grand piano.

Published @ allaboutjazz, 28/9/07 - click here for original.

Elan Mehler Quartet - Scheme For Thought

Scheme For Thought was released on Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood Recordings in September 2007, accompanied by a series of gigs around London by pianist Elan Mehler and his quartet. This group has completely abandoned standard notions of jazz: the absence of a drummer and repeated use of arco playing on the double bass give an almost classical and very ambient feeling to this ten-track set.

There is a great deal of subtle harmonic interaction between Mehler and the sometimes ghostly presence of David Moore on Fender Rhodes; it can take several thorough listening sessions to fully appreciate what they’re creating. “The Pale 45s” begins with a simple bass ostinato and exploratory piano overture, which develops into a basic melody used as a reference point throughout the track. Saxophonist Andrew Zimmerman briefly improvises over a Mehler vamp and the theme then returns, with an extended exchange of ideas between piano and Rhodes building up in tempo and volume.

“Auntie-Biotics” features louder, grittier provocation from Mehler while Moore takes a long solo, after a delicate opening with a faintly swinging sax line. Zimmerman is in possession of a soft, malleable and breathy tone, and the clicking of keys on his instrument is frequently audible; it’s easy to imagine sitting meters from the action at a smoky little jazz club somewhere in the depths of New York City. Bassist Tod Hendrick is very attentive to the nuances of his colleagues throughout the recording and does not overcrowd their sound with too many notes.

Philosophical references in the disc title are definitely appropriate for this inward-looking and highly contemplative release. The lack of a steady pulse instigates a spiritual, free-flowing quality but an undercurrent of deep intensity is always there. A chance meeting between Peterson and Mehler in a bar in Switzerland has turned out to be a blessing to jazz listeners everywhere.

Track listing: Little Lost; Christmas Song; Scheme For Thought; The Pale 45s; Muse Suite; Vals; Auntie-Biotics; Ruby D; Head Trick; Elvis Presley Blues.

Personnel: Elan Mehler: piano; David Moore: Fender Rhodes; Andrew Zimmerman: tenor saxophone; Tod Hendrick: bass.

Published @ allaboutjazz, 23/9/07 - click here for original.

Empirical CD Review

Empirical burst onto the international music scene at the 2007 North Sea Jazz Festival, beating four other bands to win the inaugural European Jazz Competition. Two days later, with perfect timing, their self-titled debut album hit the shops. British saxophonist Courtney Pine had been keeping a keen eye on the quintet’s progress and produced the CD, which is released on his own Destin-E records.

It’s a startlingly mature set for such a young group, undoubtedly as a result of time spent playing together in Tomorrow’s Warriors, a development programme which has seen the likes of Denys Baptiste, Soweto Kinch and Tony Kofi pass through its ranks over the years. All of these have become established names on the UK jazz scene and Empirical look set to follow their lead.

The opening track, “Blessings”, is a crisp, quick, swinging post-bop melody penned by saxist Nathaniel Facey. The composer moves into the limelight, taking the first solo with a pleasing dexterity, and is flawlessly overlapped by Jay Phelps on trumpet. It’s clear from the start that a near-telepathic understanding exists within the group and this gently whets the listener’s appetite for what is to come.

A strong African influence is present on a couple of tunes: Ali Farka Touré’s “Tulumba” is delightfully arranged by Phelps, with a meditative overdubbed opening passage taking off into a whirling frenzy of collective improvisation. It’s a shame this track was cut to less than four minutes, as it fades away into nothingness just as pianist Kit Downes is setting out his ideas. The first few seconds of “The Deep” recall the opening of A Love Supreme as Facey’s wailing sax borrows a touch of Coltrane phrasing. However, this ten-minute offering moves into other directions as a spiritual chant begins and extended solos follow. Chanting then returns at the end, apparently depicting the emptiness of deep, unexplored regions of the ocean.

Drummer Shaney Forbes displays a loose affiliation to hip-hop in the album’s longest track, “Palantir”, which clocks in at nearly 17 minutes. During movements of this composition and on the tracks “Clapton Willow”, “Kite” and “Dark Lady”, Empirical demonstrate their aptitude for intimate, more sensitive moods – as opposed to freewheeling, dynamic and fast-paced jams.

This is a highly promising release from a band which can only go from strength to strength. All tracks bar “Tulumba” are originals, with a multitude of influences and fresh, excitable energy in abundance. Watch this space.

Track listing: Blessings; Tulumba; A Tyrant's Tale; Clapton Willow; The Deep; Kite; Fat Cat; Palantir; Dark Lady (Bonus Track).

Personnel: Nathaniel Facey: alto saxophone, voice; Jay Phelps: trumpet, voice; Kit Downes: piano; Neil Charles: bass; Shaney Forbes: drums, percussion.

Published @ allaboutjazz, 19/9/07 - click here for original.

London's Funkiest Hour

The Sound Stylistics
Jazz Café, London
Thursday 30 August, 2007

After witnessing Australian deep funk outfit The Bamboos tear up a small Bristol wine bar some months ago, it was hard to imagine how any other band could ever match such a boisterous performance. However, the funk gods up above clearly had other ideas when they gifted us The Sound Stylistics.

This 11-piece group, essentially operating as a loose collective of some of London’s finest session players, stormed the packed Camden venue with an awe-inspiringly vibrant display. The tight 6-man horn section was flawless in its delivery of clever arrangements of songs ranging from the James Brown vintage to original compositions and the occasional groove-infused blues.

The opening number featured an extensive solo from Jim Watson, whose simmering organ lines were a foundation of the band along with Al Cherry (guitar), Neil Robinson (drums) and Gary Crockett (bass). A highlight of the evening was when the horn section dropped out entirely, leaving these four to play one song as a quartet. Robinson produced one of the night’s most inspired solos, going it alone on the kit for at least five minutes and coming up with many highly challenging rhythmic ideas at blistering speed.

“Party People” is an eminently danceable composition featuring a vivacious fanfare chorus underpinned by deep booming saxes and a catchy bassline. “Shake and Hip Drop”, released on 7inch in February this year, is another melody to remember with sharp stabs of brass reminiscent of the great JBs’ classic ensemble sound. Other notable tunes include “Soul Dynamite” and “Get Ya Some”, which began with a Brown-esque group chant and spotlighted the considerable powers of The Herbaliser’s Andy Ross on flute.

The best thing about this gig was the obvious fact all members of the band simply loved the experience of playing together for a full house of responsive punters. This enjoyment translated into heightened levels of verve and creativity in improvisation and palpable energy was bouncing around between the audience and the musicians on stage.

The Sound Stylistics have a 17-track CD, Play Deep Funk, currently out on Adrian Gibson’s Freestyle Records and several vinyl releases. Live performances, on the other hand, occur somewhat infrequently – so next time you hear of a show in the offing make sure you get down there. This explosive jam band needs to be seen live for the complete experience.

Published @ allaboutjazz, 16/9/07 - click here for original.

Trio Innovation

Avishai Cohen
Ronnie Scott’s, London
Friday August 24, 2007

This was the first time I’d visited London’s legendary jazz venue since its recent swanky refurbishment; still dimly lit, but with a classier kind of ambience, Ronnie’s barely allows punters to appreciate the photos of great jazz musicians adorning every wall.

One man well on the way to joining this still illustrious company is Avishai Cohen. The Israeli bassist, with his acoustic trio of Shai Maestro (piano) and Mark Giuliana (drums), is seriously pushing the boundaries of creativity in the jazz medium. “One for Mark” featured a forceful opening riff followed by fluid, undulating piano passages and a variety of innovative techniques from Cohen. Throughout the night he approached the bass from many different angles, both physically and technically, including frequent use of percussive strikes to the shoulders of the instrument.

There was not a standard to be heard; Cohen even announced they were “trying new stuff” and sometimes “didn’t know what was going to happen.” To a certain extent, unpredictability is always the case in jazz, but on this evening it was true to a greater degree than normal. Drummer Giuliana played with an uncommon minute sensitivity, carefully listening to the others and edging them along with delicate variations on the beat. 20-year-old Maestro was given the somewhat monotonous role of vamping set chords for most of the night, but he avoided repetition and possesses a natural gift for elegant phrasing.

Such a restricted role is a sacrifice the pianist has to make in this new conception of the jazz trio, in which no instrument takes the lead for a sustained period. Although—as expected—Cohen did have a few notable moments in the spotlight, the music was more about exploring group interplay than focusing on any individual. The audience was taken through a neverending passage of hypnotic changes, with what seemed to be bright, airy compositions shifting to dark, intensive jams within the space of a few short moments.

Published @ allaboutjazz, 5/9/2007 - click here for original.