John Edwards @ King’s Hall. November 1

Improvising double bassist John Edwards visited Newcastle University to play a solo set in the popular lunchtime concert series in King’s Hall. Edwards is no stranger to fans of improvised music on Tyneside having played countless gigs for Jazz North East. This midweek performance introduced the prolific bass virtuoso to a wider audience. Edwards chose to perform one piece across forty five minutes drawing on his solo CD Volume and other works in progress. He deployed familiar extended techniques to create a constantly shifting canvas. Broad brush, palette knife, filigree detail, layer upon layer, Edwards’ sound world revealed itself to the listener. Mallet, bow, found objects - all were used to sketch an image, then another and another. Edwards worked hard, dripping sweat, massaging sweat on to and in to the body of the instrument, smearing a resinous sound, then lost in the ether.

Russell