Cath
Roberts (baritone sax); Sam Andreae (alto sax); Anton Hunter (guitar); Seth
Bennett (bass); Johnny Hunter (drums)
(Review by
Steve H/Photos courtesy of Ken Drew).
After two successive Sunday nights of quality
straight ahead jazz it was good to get back to a performance that would warm
the cockles of the free jazz fan's heart.
Sloth Racket were created in 2015
at the behest of Jazz North East who asked Cath Roberts to form a band to
perform at the GIJF of that year. It proved to be such a successful
collaboration that the quintet has continued to play together. Their current
national tour began on Sunday night at the Bridge the purpose of which is to
launch their fourth album Dismantle Yourself.
The band, not all living in the same part of
country, must find rehearsing together logistically difficult but if they were
under rehearsed it certainly didn’t show. In fact maybe it was the freshness of
performing together again which contributed to such an exhilarating and thoroughly
entertaining performance.
All five musicians went for it from the
off, there are no distinct individual solos yet every so often a particular
performer’s efforts seems to jump out of the musical kaleidoscope and captivate
the listener. Such is the collective feel of the performance there is no need
to single out any musician over another although band leader and composer
Roberts has to be congratulated on producing such a fine contemporary modern
outfit.
The music itself is dynamic
invigorating sometimes fast and furious and at other times reflective and
peaceful. Hooks and motifs appear all over place catching one unawares lifting
the listener out of any complacency they may have settled in
to. Having seen this band before I knew roughly what to expect but I
enjoyed this gig more than on previous occasions which is obviously a very good
sign.
At the bar during the interval local bass
supremo John Pope summed the gig up perfectly ‘stonking’ he said I couldn’t
have put it better myself.
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