Matthew Read (bass); Arthur Newell (drums); Benedict Wood (guitar).
(Review by Steve H)
This may not have been the best-attended gig I
have ever attended but what the audience lacked in number the quality and
sheer commitment of the band more than made up for. This was the second
night of a 25 gig UK tour to promote the band second album anecdotes
II (reviewed here by
Russell). After the gig Matthew told me that although the numbers had been
far lower than that in Manchester the previous night the fact that the Black
Swan attendees gave their playing such respect was a really positive
experience.
It did appear that
the trio were really enjoying themselves on stage and this contributed to the
overall feel-good factor of the evening. All but one of the pieces performed
were written by Read, the exception being Surprise Flight from
guitarist Wood. Read enjoys pairing unlikely combinations when writing tunes, for example When She Leaves was
inspired by a parting from his fiancé for a couple of days and then not being
able to listen to Brad Mehldau for a similar period. The most novel of these
pairings was between Kurt Rosenwinkel and Kenrick Lamar on the tune ‘K’.
The overall feel of the music was relaxed, intricate and
melodious, pyrotechnics were in short supply but that made it easier to focus
on what the individual musicians were playing as well as taking in the overall
canvas. All three members were not only highly gifted performers but seemed to
be a genuine collective - playing for the group rather than themselves.
So, despite the sparseness of the crowd, a highly rewarding night and I wish the band every
success with the rest of their tour.
Steve H.
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