(Review by Chris K)
Another unexpected by-product of lockdown, a
live release from last year’s tour by this fabulous quartet, who should be
touring currently. This
is essentially the same set they played to
an enthusiastic Sage 2 audience last May, reviewed here.
Three of the six tracks appear on
their second album, the 2019 Ninety Degrees Gravity, but the live
version makes up for anything it lacks in sound detail with energy
and immediacy, spurred on by an appreciative Irish
audience.
My Iris is a truly virtuoso band, with chameleon variety of
tenor voice, but technique is secondary to
the freshly inventive but authentic composition, and the
sheer joy evident in the band’s ensemble playing. While the subtlety, detail
and intelligence of the music are up there with the
best of cerebral “chamber jazz”, the intensity of all four individual
players places them in far more exciting, accessible and visceral
space.
The injection of clever, powerful grooves
from Maddren is taken to
climactic levels by all three other players who can each “veer from
velvet to violence” - although not quite as far as
Montague’s previous guitar forays with the likes
of Shobaleader One!
Dubbing them the new “British Weather Report” is
a simplification and may be an understatement. Highly recommended and a joy to listen to
throughout, recalling a great gig last year.
Chris
Trish Clowes (tenor sax/voice/composer)
Chris Montague (guitar)
Ross Stanley (piano/keys)
James Maddren (drums).
Free limited
streaming, buy for high
quality download and unlimited streaming here.
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