Kurt Rosenwinkel Bandit 65 @ Sage Gateshead - September 28

Kurt Rosenwinkel (guitar, electronics); Tim Motzer (guitar, guitar synth, electronics); Gintas Janusonis (drums, percussion, electronics)

(Review by Russell)

Bandit 65 has been described as a 'post-jazz sonic trio'. The box office name is Kurt Rosenwinkel, the guitarist's lower profile co-leaders - Tim Motzer, guitar, Gintas Janusonis, drums - are deserving of equal billing but, hey, this is showbusiness. Other than concert appearances in London this Sage Gateshead performance was Rosenwinkel's first British gig! Considering the guitarist has been active on the jazz (post-jazz?) scene for the best part of thirty years it was a long overdue visit to these shores.

Two sets (2 x 60 mins) with little in the way of interaction with the audience (it was fully forty-five minutes before Rosenwinkel spoke), Bandit 65 created a series of improvised 'electronic landscapes' featuring stunning musicianship from the trio. Post-jazz? The much derided 'prog rock'? One thing is for certain - Kurt Rosenwinkel possesses unparalleled technique. Your correspondent has heard many of the contemporary guitar greats - McLaughlin, Scofield, Di Meola, Lagrène, the list goes on - and none of them could/would put the man from Pennsylvania in the shade. One or two half-decent guitarists were in the Northern Rock Foundation Hall to hear for themselves, it's a fair bet their jaws dropped. Don't give up lads, there's hope yet! 

Rosenwinkel didn't bother to offer titles, suggesting everything they were doing was wholly improvised. Well, yes, but such was the trio's breathtaking precision that it couldn't be other than agreed frameworks were in place. Tim Motzer's electro-acoustic looping wizardry alongside Gintas Janusonis's constantly shifting drum patterns and electronic interventions primed the canvas for Rosenwinkel to apply dashing, daring, spellbinding flourishes.  

A first set blues groove with a samba beat recalled Bandit 65's 2017 album Caipi and second set Rosenwinkel's bluesy solo rode atop Motzer's insistent, soulful, synthesised basslines. As the evening drew to a close Rosenwinkel apologised for not having any hard copy CDs with him but suggested we look out for the band's next release due on October 11 on his own Heartcore label. Rosenwinkel left us with this observation: Everything we do is to meditate on the common good. 

Russell