David Preston (guitar), Kevin Glasgow (electric bass) & Laurie Lowe
(drums)
(Review by Russell)
Splinter at the Bridge booked a
young trio, took a chance and were rewarded with a low turn out. Audience
numbers are down just about everywhere but when it is a struggle to reach
double figures at the door it begs the question: Why bother? Well, people
bother because the music means a lot to them. The promoter - Splinter - will
soldier on and the few regulars will continue to show up.
This week’s guests - David
Preston, guitar, Kevin Glasgow (six string electric bass) and drummer Laurie
Lowe - presented a programme of almost entirely original material and played it
with commitment and the highest level of musicianship imaginable. Tyneside is
home to tens of thousands of students (several hundred of them studying music)
and they were nowhere to be seen. Well, it’s their loss. Hearing the trio would
have inspired (or perhaps disheartened) them. These guys could play, big time!
The tunes owed much to seventies’
jazz fusion. The likes of McLaughlin, Clarke and Cobham would have run for
cover had they called in to the Bridge for a pint. Preston ’s
four-fingered fret board work had to be seen (and heard) to be believed.
Glasgow, no stranger to the Bridge, possesses amazing chops and Lowe must
practice eight days a week! The standard was terrifying. Tunes featured extended
solo flights - Preston ’s Silvertide featured the composer who laid down a great solo. Everything, Everything (comp. Preston ) hinted
at lyricism until the fusion pulse took charge once more. Olivier Messiaen’s
composition for choir - O Sacrum
Convivium - rang out loud and clear in a re-voicing for the three piece. A
big sound from a small band! The Priory
(comp Glasgow )
referenced architect Le Corbusier with Lowe constructing a mighty solo.
Piercing guitar developed from a cracking riff on Preston ’s
CPU with his band mates right on the
money. The trio’s closing number - The
Anvil (named after the music venue) - ensured we went out on a high.
Check out www.prestonglasgowlowe.com
Russell.
3 comments :
Excellent summary. Disappointing crowd, not for the first time this year. Let us hope we can keep attracting first class musicians to the venue in spite of the apathy of some of the locals. Maybe someone could tell us what we have to do to attract a proportionate crowd to the skill and musicianship of the bands that come to Splinter @ The Bridge. All suggestions welcome.
I would have gone if there had been some form of reminder mechanism for informing me about the gig (Twitter,Facebook, Email)
Reminder mechanism? The gig was advertised for weeks ahead on this very blog, plus there is a listing for Splinter in the left hand column of this page. There is a facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/splinterjazz/). There is also a website - http://splinterjazz.co.uk/wordpress/ and on either you can subscribe for news bulletins etc.
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