Michael Janisch (bs); Paul Booth (ten); Jason Palmer (tpt); Leo Genovese (pno); Colin Stranahan (dms).
This was one of those gigs that held you spellbound from start to finish - particularly the finish!
In my preview I'd suggested that, this being the last concert of the tour, there might be an end of term feel to it and there most certainly was! The players blew their proverbial socks off on the encored Blues. This wasn't 'end of term' it was the Eve of Destruction - the next gig is Armageddon!
Just when we thought it was all over Leo Genovese emerged from behind the piano blowing Archie Shepp style tenor whilst Paul proved he too knows his way around a piano keyboard! Michael performed some bass gymnastics and Jason played trumpet with the instrument upside down! Colin was the only person who appeared to be sane (ish!)
Prior to these shenanigans we'd had an evening that everyone in the world should have heard. A first set of originals by band members - if the Jazz Messengers had been around today they may have sounded like this. Paul Booth continues to develop his phenomenal technique - some of his solos leaving me breathless but not him! On trumpet Jason Palmer blew in a manner fashioned stylistically on 52nd Street and nurtured in a Greenwich Village loft. Jason's a natural successor to say Lee Morgan or Freddie Hubbard or any of todays heroes. Leo Genovese had a lot of moments to remember and one to forget when the grand piano and the electronic keyboard appeared to be in different keys! The more futuristically inclined members of the audience thought it was wonderful...
The second set comprised of a suite written by Janisch - The Paradigm Shift Suite. A masterpiece in it's own right it also reminded me of some of the things Mingus did as indeed did Michael's bass solos. Drummer Stranahan drove the others, kicked them, cajoled them transferring his energy to their's with propulsive accompaniments and searching solos.
It was awesome and if you weren't there - and there were some who weren't - then your life, I'm sorry to say, is now incomplete.
Lance.
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