Wild Flower Quintet @ Lit and Phil July 18.

Matt Anderson (tenor saxophone), Laura Jurd (trumpet), Jamil Sheriff (piano), Sam Vicary (double bass) & Dave Walsh (drums)

(Review by Russell/Photo by Ken Drew.)

The music of Wayne Shorter, the music of Matt Anderson. The heat wave continued but it didn't deter a fair number turning out to hear Matt Anderson’s Wild Flower Quintet. One of the joys of this concert (there were many) was the entirely acoustic performance by the quintet, including double bassist Sam Vicary eschewing the use of his base amp, who confided during the interval that he was having to work his instrument that little bit harder. 

JG and Burning Man opened the programme. Familiar tunes? Perhaps not. They were two of bandleader Anderson’s accomplished compositions, the latter featured a Vicary solo, then pianist Jamil Sheriff. Anderson is sure to revisit these numbers in the coming years. Three Clowns from Weather Report’s Black Market album touched base with the inspirational figure of Wayne Shorter. Anderson’s ballad playing impressed, as did the consistently tasteful Sheriff. Tenor man Anderson revealed that he and drummer Dave Walsh often discuss the relative merits of early/middle period Wayne Shorter (Messengers and Miles) and iconic seventies fusioneers Weather Report. Vintage Shorter was to come but to conclude the first set, a real swinger – Blues For Wayne – proved to be a hard blowing gem. The much vaunted Laura Jurd announced her frontline presence with some superb trumpet playing, Sheriff had his say, followed by the audience – prolonged applause said it all. A good opening set. Second set, Shorter arrived as Lester Left Town as the band engaged in a round of telling solos. Sheriff’s For TW heard more great trumpet from Jurd and Dave Walsh relished the challenge – for TW read Tony Williams! – and scaled the heights. The drummers’ union can be proud of their man! The Sorcerer conjured Masqualero, there was Witch Hunt from the Blue Note classic album Speak No Evil, the encore, fully deserved, found Anderson fully immersed in the Shorter library. The Lit and Phil Library’s jazz patrons were fully immersed in the performance and once more the sustained applause said it all. An excellent gig from a top class band.                      

Russell.