Asaf Sirkis (drums, percussion,
konnakol); Sylwia Bialas (vocals, waterphone); Frank Harrison (piano,
keyboards); Kevin Glasgow (bass guitar). (Review by Russell).
The IQ's second album featured during this afternoon's King's Hall concert. Our New Earth serves to showcase the compositions of the two principals - Asaf Sirkis and Sylwia Bialas - with committed contributions from pianist Frank Harrison and bassist Kevin Glasgow. Drummer Sirkis did the talking, Bialas did the singing, all four did the playing to an attentive audience.
Sirkis' fizzing sticks, Bialas'
soaring, at times near-operatic vocals, Harrison's mature piano playing,
Glasgow's precise six-string bass playing, IQ (that's the International
Quartet) is a working unit of five years or so and it shows - a glance, a nod,
a smile, they knew where they were going.
Bialas' Nocturnity pressed
the Polish vocalist's waterphone into action. Consisting of a resonator bowl,
cyclindrical neck and brass rods, the waterphone or 'ocean harp' emitted a
range of resonant sounds as Bialas first scraped across the rods with a bow
then struck with a rubberised hammer. As Sirkis, Harrison and Glasgow picked up
on the sounds echoing around the room Bialas' vocal explorations encompassed
lyrical expression in the form of scat and vocalese.
For those unfamiliar with the work of
Asaf Sirkis, the Israeli born, London resident musician is a fine drummer. A
treat on some of his gigs, as was the case here in Newcastle, is to hear him
launch into konnakol Carnatic (south Indian) singing. Applause should have
reverberated around King's Hall but, somehow, Sirkis' vocal dexterity met with
silence - perhaps, on this occasion, it wasn't the done thing to show
appreciation.
A two-part suite - Rooting and
the new CD's eponymous Our New Earth - concluded the
performance which went down well with the public and student audience
alike.
Russell.
Russell.
3 comments :
If there is no applause - the audience didn’t like it
Patrick, the absence of applause during a performance doesn't necessarily indicate audience dissatisfaction. On this occasion Asaf Sirkis' brilliant vocal feature didn't prompt applause, principally because everyone present was transfixed, listening intently to the group performance.
Russell, I think you're spot on. Furthermore, the audience didn't seem to be familiar with a jazz format ...there was no applause for any individual solo effort, even the more conventional keyboard and bass. There was, however, sustained applause at the end of each song!
This was justified as this was a remarkably gifted outfit playing some remarkable music!
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