Jonny Mansfield
(vibraphone); Will Barry (piano); Will Sach (bass); Luke McCarthy (drums).
Jonny Mansfield’s 2023 album, The Air In Front Of You was an enigmatic foray onto the edges of classical and jazz music; a third stream that could have been labelled dinner jazz. I expected more of the same from this album but, having replaced the violin and cello voices that featured on the studio album we have a more conventional jazz sound here. Similarly, although this is, I assume a date from the flog the album tour for The Air… only Flicker and The Air itself have made the cut here.
On first impressions
everything about this live album, as is usually the case in a live setting,
seems to hit a little harder than its studio forebear. There is extra heft
here; the piano challenges the vibes more than violin and cello did, so much so
that, for example the track Flicker becomes
a different animal, more feral. Barry’s solo on Flicker is forceful and assertive and is powerfully matched and
supported by bass and drums to the point that the vibes are almost a diversion
when they return. Mansfield is in danger of having his album stolen out from
under him.
Second track, Rival, opens with a tumble of vibes
notes. It’s a delicate wee thing built around Sach’s bass, the dominant voice
throughout. The drums roll along in the background with only occasional
interjections from vibes and piano before a solo from Mansfield that climbs in
waves with Barry pushing him from below. There’s some lovely interplay between
all four members of the band and some ‘stop on a dime’ moments that show how
tight the group is. Aggressive drumming, duelling with piano, and then vibes,
sees us into a subdued closing passage of delicate piano.
The subdued mood is
maintained as they flow seamlessly into (Organise)
The Air In Front Of You. It begins with a repeated line on the vibes that
holds as much threat as promise; minimal piano in the background with a
prowling bass to the fore. It builds and breaks into something more pastoral as
bass and piano dance around each other. This is spare music, with all the
instruments in conversation with each other. It feels like an intrusion on a
private moment but the conversation ebbs and flows,, voices are raised, even to
the level of argument before a release/resolution with the vibes singing out
joyfully over the others. It ends on such a bright positive note that it’s hard
not to smile. There is much applause.
Joy
Tears opens tentatively with delicate vibes, spare piano and
a simple bass line. The piano circles the others in a slow dance. Even as the
piece builds it always feels like something is being held back. The closer, REM Song, escapes from that constraint;
a lively, probing opening solo by Mansfield leads into a tumbling bass riff and
questioning piano. The drums are pushing, but are low in the mix; Barry fills
in all the gaps before grabbing the front spot in the race. It’s the liveliest
piece on the album with the bass and the drums really providing the drive and
the energy.
I don’t think this album
is going to grab front pages, but it is a good album and I’ve been happy to
come back to it several times. I expected it to be a bit of a chill out album
but there is enough intrigue and complexity to elevate it above that.
Quartet! Live at Pizza Express is released on April 12 and is available to pre-order HERE
through Bandcamp. Dave Sayer
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