Soweto Kinch @ Hoochie Coochie - Sept. 25

Soweto Kinch (alt/voice/sampling); Nick Jurd (bs/bs gtr); Jonathan Silk (dms) + Hannabiell (tmb).

(Review by Lance).

As cool looking a dude as ever strutted his stuff at Hoochie - and Warren has presented some of the coolest dudes on Planet Earth - Soweto Kinch took the crowded room by storm and didn't take any prisoners! It says much for the man's charismatic appeal when I observed that there were more musicians in the audience than I can ever recall.

With no keyboard or guitar to chain him Kinch soared off into the unknown. Technique to die for, a tone to cherish and ideas galore. I could have listened to his alto playing all night but, having witnessed previous performances, I knew there was much more to the man than sheer instrumental virtuosity.

Is he a rapper or a hip-hopper? I don't know the difference, does anyone? whatever it was,  we got it a-plenty. Audience participation is at the core of his performance. The room was randomly split into "Haves" and "Have nots" with the former chanting "Privatise the gains" and the latter "Socialise the losses" - perhaps a prequel to the Labour Party Conference!

The music was from his last album, The Legend of Mike Smith, reviewed here by Russell, and successfully downsized to trio format albeit with the aid of some laptop sampling - if this had been a CIU club we'd have called them backing tracks!

Based on the Seven Deadly Sins - the audience knew them all - the music varied from the wildest alto playing I've ever heard to some of the most sensitive. Jurd fluctuated between double bass and bass guitar soloing effectively whilst Silk, who is becoming something of a regular visitor to the area, also stamped his credentials on the proceedings with plenty of drive - powerful without being domineering.

And, as if  that wasn't enough, a cameo spot for Hannabiell on trombone gave us just that little bit extra.
Truly a, in years to come, night to say proudly, "I was there"!
Photos.
Lance.