Laura Jurd’s Dinosaur + The Early Bird Band @ Sage Gateshead. Jan 19

(Review by Russell).

Trumpeter Laura Jurd returned to Tyneside to play a gig at Sage Gateshead. The girl was impressed with the place. It’s really nice Newcastle…have I got that wrong? enquired an embarrassed bandleader. Stop digging she told herself. Jurd couldn’t claim geography as a strong suit, but, with sincerity, praised Sage Gateshead’s unparallelled facilities.

The trumpeter’s core working band – Elliot Galvin (keyboards), Conor Chaplin (bass) and drummer Corrie Dick – was in the groove from the off. 

An fx filtered horn straight out of Bitches Brew-era Miles heard Laura Run the Voodoo Down. This was Opening Sequence from Jurd’s Human Spirit project, the electric Miles signature sound, interrupted abruptly but temporarily by Gil Evans’ late ’50s orchestrations until once more being thrust into a barren fx winter landscape. Seb Swing – a nod to Seb the Polar Bear – featured the always excellent Corrie Dick. Happy Sad Song and Hardanger gave space to pianist Elliot Galvin and bassist Conor Chaplin. The pianist filled the space with many notes, the bassist stood his ground as the minimalist engine room fulcrum. Finnland, with two‘t’s said Jurd, was the set closer, quickly correcting herself: With two ‘n’s. So, the girl can’t spell, geography isn’t a strength, it’s just as well she can play the trumpet!                   

Laura Jurd’s Dinosaur: Laura Jurd (trumpet & fx), Elliot Galvin (keyboards), Conor Chaplin (bass) & Corrie Dick (drums)

Earlier the Early Bird Band opened as the support act to Laura Jurd. The teenage sextet of Saturday morning workshop students has come a long way in a short time. Assembled by pianist Paul Edis, coached and encouraged to write material, this Sage Gateshead concert performance hit new heights. Bassist Dan Lawrence wrote A Jazz Musician Always Lies. He and his band mates played it and played it well. Guitarist Francis Tulip writes material too – Effortless Presence, Blues for Big Steve and Ballad for Mr GW. Three tunes worthy of being heard in such a prestigious setting. Drummer Matt MacKellar transcribed Late Spring, a number often associated with the Jazz Messengers, so, it was, perhaps, fitting that MacKellar was dressed as if auditioning as Art Blakey’s successor. Sartorially and musically he would probably have been offered the job! The Early Birds went out on an absolute corker. A Radiohead inspired re-write – Everything in its Wrong Place – fizzed and crackled, and best of all, they nailed the ending!                       

Russell.  

The Early Bird Band: Ben Lawrence (trumpet), Nick Caughey (tenor saxophone), Andrew Hedges (trombone), Francis Tulip (guitar), Dan Lawrence (bass guitar) & Matt MacKellar (drums) + Paul Edis (piano).