John Hall (ten); Jim Hall (keys); Keith Tulip (bs); Martin Wake (dms).
(Review by Lance.)
Redemption Jazz don't take prisoners - they go for the jugular from bar one. That they do it in a contemporary manner whilst still retaining the basic ingredients of jazz (and music) is very much to their credit. They swing, they get a groove going, at times the intensity is almost unbearable until they bring you down - sometimes you don't want to be brought down!
Think back to the Tommy Chase Quartet - remember them? you should because they relate to the all-time British band listings.
Not everyone will agree, the Chase Quartet had it's detractors, just as I'm sure Redemption Jazz do - there can't be many if, indeed on tonight's performance, any!
Opening up with a piece by - did John Hall say the Harper Brothers? - the battering ram brigade took off with the unknighted John Hall displaying his prodigious tenor technique to great advantage. An original, Quando, not to be confused with the triplicated titled tune, kept the jazz funk latin mode moving and Uptight described this band perfectly - as tight a band as any I've heard lately.
Then came Free Lance - dedicated to yours truly it is certainly a tune I'll bear in mind for my funeral, glad I was wearing black and someone did ask me if the piece was depicting one of my dark moods?
There's a Question Mark, If (no not that If!) and Chick Corea's La Fiesta brought the set to a close. More fiery tenor and good piano from Jim Hall who didn't play guitar.
Manteca, Spain, El Loco, Cole-Trane and a blast on God Bless The Child that suggested that this particular child was about to be drowned in the bath were some of the numbers in the second set.
Tulip on bass and Wake on drums never flagged driving the quartet relentlessly along - rocking, swinging, grooving, taking it to the limit but never beyond.
This band don't take no prisoners, this band.
Lance.
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