Troyka: Kit Downes (keyboards); Chris Montague (guitar); Josh
Blackmore (drums)
Pulcinella: Ferdinand Doumerc (reeds); Florian Demonsant (accordion);
Jean-Marc Serpin (double bass); Frédéric Cavallin (drums).
(Review by Steve
H.)
A packed to the rafters Jazz Café last night witnessed a
mesmerising double bill from British trio Troyka and French quartet Pulchinella
in a Schmazz/ Match and Fuse collaboration. Forget the Tour De France this was
the Tour de Force.
The first set was led out by Troyka featuring returning Geordie guitar hero
Chris Montague. .
Montague explained that since
childhood he has suffered from Ornitholobia (fear of birds) after
an unfortunate encounter with a dead seagull on a beach . It
was this fear that inspired several of
the tunes performed. The band
really hit a groove moving through all the gears with their high energy rocky,
bluesy , electroniky brand of jazz. Kit Downes on keys and Josh Blackmore on drums blended
seamlessly with Montague on guitar and loops. The set finished to rapturous applause
and I was left wondering how the next band could possibly be anything other
than an anti-climax?
How wrong I was the French band Pulcinella on paper have
little in common with Troyka but
they soon proved to be their equals in terms of ability to both surprise and
entertain . What followed was a joy as the musical styles of Jazz, folk, tango
(to name but 3) were all fused together in
unique combinations with marvellous playing from all 4 musicians soaring sax
solos from Doumerc, lyrical accordion playing by
Demonsant, bass playing
accompanied by some strange gurning dancing from Serpin . Not to be outshone
drummer Cavallin injected glockenspiel
and swanee whistle
additions to the mix. The music ebbed and flowed it was like being taken for a breath taking trip on a
Wurlitzer (sic). At the end
of the set the crowd rose to applaud the Gallic warriors . C’est magnifique indeed..
But if that was not enough a septet was formed to
conclude the night’s proceedings as both bands joined together to perform a
Montague piece Oliver Reed dedicated to one of the last
great hell raisers.
As the enthralled audience filtered out of the building
they were accompanied rather inappropriately by Weather Report’s Birdbland (sic) on the PA a pertinent reminder
maybe of just how far Jazz
has moved on .
Steve H.
Dead Seagulls? You're right Steve, jazz has certainly moved "on"!
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