Sunday night @ the Globe: ORIGIN - Jan. 29

         (© S. Herrick)

Francis 'Frank' Tulip (guitar); Will Markham (piano); Trevor Boxall (bass guitar); Glenn Charles (drums)

It's difficult to credit that this was only the quartet's second gig and their first with the current line-up.

The musicianship was high which was only to be expected given their Birmingham Conservatoire pedigree. Tulip, because of his local roots, we have seen develop from his emergence as a promising product of Sage Gateshead's once ambitious music programme to the monster player he now is and he's not finished yet as I'm sure there's more to come. 

I was less familiar with the other three although they were, without doubt, also of the highest calibre both as players and as composers.

The majority of the pieces were originals by each of the four although the titles of most escaped me and here's the rub. With no mic for announcements it was difficult to accurately note the actual names. Still, what's in a name to a song without words?

Genre-wise I suppose you could say jazz rock with the pendulum swinging back and forth between the two.

At times it was loud whilst at other times it  was very loud and yet there were also times, particularly when the ball was passed to Markham, when it verged on the pastoral giving it an almost Wagnerian (the composer not the mercenary group) effect. The calm before the storm.

However, in case you're thinking this was way way out you'd be way way out! In fact a couple were so inspired by what was happening on stage that they added their own interpretation of the music on the improvised dance floor (they moved a table) synchronising their movements (more or less) to the sounds.

ORIGIN, remember the name, is a band to watch out  for (dancing shoes  are optional). Lance