(Review by Russell)
Dashing from the Jazz Café – foregoing Paul Edis’ solo
piano concert – to the recently refurbished Head of Steam pub to hear two power
jazz trios made for what can only be described as an evening of extreme
contrast! Broadly, the Jazz Café presented ‘jazz’ as we know it, the Head of
Steam offered punk-jazz – ‘skronk’ wouldn’t you know – at a level of volume
that some simply wouldn’t appreciate or tolerate. A triple bill, the first act
– Waskerley Way – had been and gone before your reviewer arrived late, hot foot
from the Jazz Café (see earlier posting).
Just taking the stage were the Dead Hedge Trio who, earlier in the year, played a gig at the nearby
Jazz Café. Nick Branton (tenor &
baritone saxophones), Rory Ballantyne (guitar) and Michael Metcalfe (drums) travelled from Liverpool to play a set of
forty minutes or so in front of a predominately student audience. Standing with
a pint in hand is to be expected, some chose to arrive on/with a skateboard.
So, some stood with pint and skateboard in hand as the band ventured to the
outer limits of a post Brötzmann world. Pedal boards, extension tracks,
looped, processed sound. Branton blew tenor. Branton blew baritone. Physical, ferocious.
Drummer Michael Metcalfe hammered mercilessly, a glance, a smile. Guitarist Ballantyne appeared the epitome of serenity amidst the cacophony. Ah,
don’t be fooled, his pedal board set-up made him culpable, guilty by way
of joint enterprise, in a set including Antibiotic
and some Sun Ra. Check out the Dead Hedge Trio, they’re good.
Headliners Taupe
formed at Newcastle University. The ‘power jazz commando trio’ are Adam Stapleford (drums), Jamie Stockbridge
(alto saxophone) and guitarist Mike
Parr-Burman. As post grads they’re on the road taking their music to all
four corners. A Newcastle Head of Steam gig was something of a homecoming. More
pedal boards, track and cabling. Parr-Burman, standing between drums and alto,
has a personal, identifiable sound integral
to Taupe. Thunderous, measured riffs give free reign to his band mates to
create razor-sharp improvisations. Stapleford’s precision power drumming ranks
with the very best on the scene as altoist Stockbridge wrenched a braying horn
into the maelstrom. Hugely impressive, an immersive experience, resistance is
futile, enjoy!
Russell
3 comments :
The Dead Hedge Trio guitarist is Rory Ballantyne, two names are associated in error in this review.
Error corrected - our apologies ,
Error corrected by the editor. My apologies, as the incompetent author of the piece, for getting it wrong. If one thing should be got right it is a name.
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