Matt Anderson (tenor saxophone) & Jiannis
Pavlidis (guitar)
(Review by Russell)
The Leeds-Newcastle connection
brought tenor man Matt Anderson and Leeds College of Music guitar tutor Jiannis
Pavlidis to the Jazz Café on another Toon
Party City
Anderson and Pavlidis arrived in
time after a somewhat fraught journey. Their set-up a minimal affair, things
started on time. Take the Coltrane
built up a head of steam; Matt stoking a blues furnace, Jiannis spraying white
hot chords into the night. The Leeds duo, a genuine working partnership of
three or four years standing, are working on an album of standards (soon to be
available as a download) inspired by the likes of Sonny Rollins and Jim Hall. All the Things You Are encapsulated what
they’re about; due respect for a classic tune, inventive, conversational lines,
ego handed in at the door of the GASbook. Alone
Together (almost, they were in select company) dazzled in restraint; Joe
Pass, up there in the Jazz Club in the Sky, surely approved of Jiannis’
tasteful playing, chords, a single-line idea, another chord cluster, Matt, off
mic (there wasn’t one), signposting the melody.
The Caff’s Saturday crowd largely
ignored the fine music - chatter, chatter, then ape-like, applauding something
they hadn’t really heard (what’s new?). The attentive few loved it. The second
set offered more gems – Solar (Matt
offered the thought Bill Evans could be considered the composer), Sometime Ago (comp. Sergio Mihanovich)
featured Matt at his best; the tune studied, his interpretation expansive,
Jiannis with him all the way. Class. A Monk tune in the Caff is de rigueur – Ask Me Now was this evening’s selection.
Body and Soul (a tenor man’s prerogative) Oleo (another Caff staple). A night of
quality jazz. Matt and Jiannis went out on I
Hear a Rhapsody. Do it again soon, guys.
Russell.
1 comment :
Damn - should have braved the elements & gone into the Toon for this gig, like I said I was going to. Note to self, don't be a wuss about a bit of cold weather when there's hot jazz to warm me up!
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