Matt Anderson (tenor & soprano saxophones), Laura
Jurd (trumpet), Jamil Sheriff (keyboards), Alex Munk (guitar), Sam Vicary
(double bass) & Sam Gardner (drums)
(Review by Russell/photo
courtesy of Pam Young)
It’s the middle of nowhere on the outskirts of Durham.
It’s the end of January. It’s cold and it’s dark. Let’s choose a poorly sign-posted
venue on a sprawling country estate off an unlit road. Let’s put on a gig! Only
a jazz promoter would think it could work.
What do you know? Fifty, perhaps sixty people,
turned-up! And on a night of gale-force winds wreaking havoc across the north
of England. Ushaw College, an amazing country pile – think Durham Cathedral,
then some – screened from the road by mature woodland, is in the process of transforming
itself from a Catholic seminary into a multi arts venue.
Classical, folk and jazz concerts are just some of the
regular events at Ushaw. January’s jazz gig featured the Matt Anderson Sextet.
The Leeds College of Music graduate (First Class Honours) has assembled a band
of fine musicians. All are busy, the Yorkshire link a common bond, the lure of
London irresistible for some, they get together from time to time to play some
Wayne Shorter tunes and some Matt Anderson tunes. This Durham date, in the
refectory, kicked-off with Anderson’s JG (Ballard).
The tenor man led, Alex Munk (guitar) followed, as did the under-amplified
pianist Jamil Sheriff. The horns were heard acoustically, the rhythm section
boys – the Two Sams, top coats and woolly hats – were on the money right from
the off, all the makings of a great gig. But it was cold. Boy, it was cold. The
audience wore winter coats and hats, just like the Two Sams.
Wayne Shorter the inspiration, Anderson played Ponta de Areia, recorded by Shorter and
Milton Nascimento some forty-odd years ago. Trumpeter Laura Jurd developed an
intro, the relaxed Alex Munk showed what he could do, the band nicely warmed
up, musically, if not literally! Jurd featured once more on Masqualero – in 7/4, said Anderson. Shorter,
then Anderson, the bandleader’s tunes stood comparison. Three Clowns (comp. MA) was perhaps the highlight of the first set
with Anderson’s commanding solo marking him out as an individual voice amongst his
peers.
Second set, straight in with a swinging Sfumato. Another Anderson tune first
heard up the road in Newcastle, MA and LJ had their say, then Munk. Sam ‘Woolly
Hat’ Vicary stated the melody on Burning
Man (another familiar Anderson composition), grabbed a solo, as did Jurd,
as did the fluent band leading Anderson. A new arrangement of Iris from Miles Davis’ Sorcerer featured a beautifully
considered solo from the consistently impressive Alex Munk and Jamil Sheriff,
heard to better effect in the second set, reminded us that he is a fine pianist.
Anderson closed the set with a new long form composition. Described as a
‘through composed’ work, Loch Lomond
Mists featured Anderson on soprano. Reams of sheet music covered music
stands and Sam Gardner’s drum kit (a word for Gardner – excellent, as always). The
Ushaw College audience responded with sustained applause. A delighted Anderson
returned to the stand with one more. A bluesy, swinging Fire Dance featured late night horns saying this and that, the kind
of tune that could have gone on for another chorus or two and no one would have
complained.
February’s gig – Friday 26 –
is one for lovers of GASbook chamber jazz. The Virtuoso Jazz Trio (they live up
to the name) are George MacDonald (clarinet), James Birkett (guitar) and Tony
Abell (double bass).
Russell.
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