Shabaka Hutchings (tenor saxophone & clarinet), Oren Marshall
(tuba), Seb Rochford (drums) & Tom Skinner (drums)
(Review by Russell.)
Splinter, the Bridge Hotel’s
resident jazz promoter, joined forces with Jazz North East to present Sons of
Kemet. The Four Sons pre-gig preparation showed commendable discipline. Band
leader Shabaka Hutchings warmed up as reeds players do – in a corner, then on
the wander checking out the acoustics (he chose to play acoustically). Tuba
player Oren Marshall limbered up with some nineteen sixties’ football style
exercises (the ghost of Joe Harvey swept through the room – ‘Pick those knees
up, son!’). Drummer Seb Rochford (a high profile example of Newcastle College’s
successful jazz degree course) slept on the floor and percussion partner Tom
Skinner went down to the bar.
Oren
Marshall’s plumbing gear suggested that we could be in for some street funk. As
the band took to the stage it wasn’t lost on this reviewer that Grandmaster
Hardy’s New Orleans’ funk outfit - the Northern Monkey - would be
about to hit the stage up the road at Hoochie Coochie. Unable to be in two
places at once it was time to stay put with a pint of Lord Marples at hand.
The opening number hinted at Caravan before Hutchings broke ranks and
blazed a trail from North Africa to the Middle East by way of New Orleans . The coolest of slow grooves -
Rochford and Skinner proved conclusively that two drummers can keep out of the
way of one another - changed gear with Hutchings’ injection of four star tenor
and Marshall ’s
second line tail-gating teamster blasts. Wow! That was some opening number! A
Hutchings’ improvised clarinet folk melody took it down but not for long as the
percussionists forced the issue with layer upon layer of 12 inch rhythms. The
windows steamed up, trains on the mainline a water colour blur through the
night. Stoker Marshall relished his job throwing hot coals at the feet of the
seated audience. The assembled grooved (as best one could sitting down with Lord Marples
demanding attention) as the Four Sons pumped up the volume.
The tunes were Hutchings’ - Song for Galliano, Burn (the band certainly did!) and Going Home to name but three - though he willingly let the band
take ownership of them. The finale risked putting in a call to the fire and
rescue service. The Sons of Kemet could have been up on a charge of arson.
Spontaneous combustion was a distinct possibility. Fortunately everyone got out
alive. What a gig! Ask the survivors – they will tell you how it was.
Splinter’s gig next week (Sunday 21 October) features the music of Graeme
Wilson. For ‘Graeme Wilson’ read ‘guaranteed treat’. Jazz North East’s next
concert - Moss Project: Short Stories- is at the Lit & Phil (Monday 29
October) in a joint promotion with the library.
Russell
No comments :
Post a Comment