Jordi Cooke (guitar), Matthew Forster (tenor saxophone & bass clarinet), John Pope (double bass) & David Francis (drums)Splinter @ The Bridge invited Wilbur's Fate to the regular Sunday evening session to further develop a pad of original tunes. Guitarist/bandleader Jordi Cooke keeps on writing tunes as does his front line cohort Matthew Forster (tenor sax/bass clarinet). Cooke is a tune smith of hooks and riffs that are meat and drink to the bass and drums team of John Pope and David Francis.
The first set included now familiar material in Animation of a Puppet and Praying Mantis with Cooke and Forster taking solos in turn. The set closer - When in Rome..- revealed Forster as a composer of tunes with a significant jazz element. A good first set.
An interval pint of the excellent new house beer - Castle Brown - and a bit crack about jazz 'n' all that and it was time for the second set. John Pope laid down an excellent solo amidst a welter of tunes - Lost at Sea, Grinning Mouths and Absolute Destination. Drummer Francis had it all covered as Cooke stretched out as soloist (good to hear), as did Forster on tenor. Bass clarinet (with clip mic) at times can be a difficult instrument to hear in a group context such as this. Forster's facility on the instrument is not in question - finding the opportunity to play it to full effect is, perhaps, another matter. A good session and an attentive crowd. Check the listings into 2012 for more gigs by this young, developing quartet.
Russell .
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