Xhosa Cole-Francis Tulip Quintet, Matt Anderson & Paul Edis @ Ushaw Jazz Festival (Afternoon Day 2, Part 2) - August 24

Xhosa Cole (tenor sax); Francis Tulip (guitar); Will Markham (piano); Shivraj Singh (double bass); Kai Chareunsy (drums).

(Review/photo by Lance).

The boys from Birmingham were on stage or, to be more precise, were in front of the stage. The second city's conservatoire is renowned for the amazingly high level of young jazz musicians it produces and these five young guys are the perfect example. Francis Tulip we know well from his gigs with his own band the Francis Tulip Quartet who, only a week ago, set the pulses racing in a Jazz Coop session with Dan Garel at the Globe. 

Xhosa Cole (I think the X is silent unlike his saxophone) is the most recent recipient of the BBC Jazz Musician of the Year Award (Alexander Bone last week and now Xhosa - well worth the licence money us seniors are shortly having to cough up with) and on this form well worthy of the prize.

I was unfamiliar with the other three but, if Birmingham Conservatoire ever needs a recruiting team these three will do. "Ma, if I go to Birmingham will I be able to play the piano like Will?" "If you practice your scales you might". "Ah shucks, I knew there'd be a downside ".

These five knew their scales, multi-rhythms and progressions better than the original occupants of the building knew JC's Sermon on the Mount

A superb mix of Trane, Rollins, Monk - given the venue, an appropriate choice -, Dameron and others made this a hard bop session to remember - not least the duo take on Monk's Reflections by Cole and Markham which drew a respectful silence from the audience until the end when the room erupted with applause.

Another Monk composition, I Mean You, had all five taking it to the limit leaving the only expletive acceptable within those hallowed walls to be expressed as WOW!

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Matt Anderson (tenor & soprano sax); Paul Edis (piano).

After his cameo appearance with Jo Harrup, Matt Anderson spent the afternoon imparting his knowledge to others culminating in a mini recital with his students. Meanwhile, Paul Edis was doing what festival organisers do i.e. balancing plates on poles. I don't think any plates were broken.

These tasks accomplished, the duo got together for a delightful set of, mainly, originals. For a duo to succeed the pair have to have complete trust in one and other and, like trapeze artists, keep that faith. Anderson and Edis kept the faith.

Lance

(Photos courtesy of Malcolm Sinclair).