Nick Svarc (gtr); Martin Longhawn (org); Steve Hanley (dms).(Review by Lance).
This was a high powered gig that hit the deck running with some fancy stick work from Hanley. This wasn't your usual Organ Trio band. No funky grooves (at least not initially), instead, floating ephemeral sounds that, before our very eyes/ears, built up into a groove merchant thrash and from Newcastle we were transported by the magic of sound to Harlem, or was it Detroit? or maybe the South Side of Chicago?
These three push all the buttons, tick all the boxes. You want funk? you got it? You want Jazz? It's right there. Maybe you want to go a little towards the outside? They'll take you there and bring you back in one piece.
Svarc, joined at the hip to a Gibson 335, produced some amazing sounds and ran through the changes like the morning after effects of a Chicken Madras. Yes contemporary they may be but the roots were there. Night in Tunisia still stands up to the test of time and I guess it always will as long as young guys like this have it in their repertoire.
Not surprisingly, given that they had a Scofield tune in their set, Svarc is obviously one of the great man's leading disciples
Steve Hanley is not only an exciting drummer but he also composed several of the compositions. What is the world coming to? Drummers who are also musicians? One day we may even have politicians who appoint Arts Ministers who realise that jazz too is an art..One of Steve's numbers - don't ask me - there weren't many announcements but this one, a funky opus that crept up on me, brought to mind Mohammed Ali because it "Floated like a butterfly - at first and then, by Round 12, it stung like a bee - and in case you think this is a crit - it was a honey bee!
On the Nord CI Langham produced some near Hammond sounds - close your eyes and you may or may not detect the difference.
It was a great gig and well worth waiting to catch the later 27 bus.
Lance.
2 comments :
great article Lance, they sound very talented, and I especially like what you said about appointing art ministers..... and how ironic you mentioned Ali, my son sent me a film on Twitter of Ali when he came to visit South Shields, then my son added to this by saying the ex boxer is nearing the end of his life very sad..... best wishes to you.
Val, Ali was perhaps the last great boxer, To me he was a jazzman doing with his fists and his body what a jazzer does with the sax or the trumpet or whatever - dealing with it!
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