Joe Webb Trio @ the Green Note, Camden Town - October 8

Joe Webb (piano); Will Sach (double bass); Sam Jesson (drums)

The concert took place in the basement bar of the Green Note, the smaller of the two performance spaces in the multiple award-winning live music venue and vegetarian cafe-bar located in Camden Town. Established since 2005, Joe has been a regular at the Green Note over many of those years and I have seen him play in the basement bar multiple times. It’s a friendly, intimate space with a small capacity. Wherever you sit you are close to the musicians.

The Joe Webb Trio are quickly gaining national and international recognition. Their most recent album Hamstrings and Hurricanes is one of this years 12 nominations for the Mercury Music Prize and the trio are performing at the awards ceremony in Newcastle on October 16 which is being televised live from 9.30pm on BBC4 and BBC iPlayer. Save for one piece by Fats Waller, the tunes on the album are all composed by Joe. The album was accidentally named by Damian Lewis and I suggest you go to a gig by this trio and Joe will tell you the story behind the title.

This actual concert comprised of some music from the album, some old and new compositions by Joe (one of which was so new Sam Jesson had not heard it before), some jazz standards and some tunes by Joe’s favourite composers.

Set one kicked off with the title track from the album followed by Like Sach a tune Joe had written for Will Sach. Next up Mela Tony inspired by events on the trio’s recent trip to China. Joe let rip on the piano on Two Not One a tune by American composer and pianist Lennie Tristano. This was followed by Newcastle Full Feel inspired by a trip to, and eating in, Newcastle the culinary capital of the north east. The set concluded with James P,  a nod to James Price Johnson a pioneer of stride piano of which Joe is fond as well as being a most proficient exponent.

Set two opened with a lively rag written by Joe and Will late one night based on a Louis Armstrong number. This was followed by Lester Leaps In and Cocktails for Two. Dual Highway by Duke Ellington was given the full Joe Webb Trio treatment and this tune morphed into David and Goliath a tune written by Joe for his brother. Joe excelled on Pitter Panther Patter  a song by Duke Ellington and Jimmy Blanton. Joe then launched into a solo of a new as I believe yet untitled tune which the trio then joined in to play Curveball which, for me, is the most impressive tune on Hamstrings and Hurricanes. The concert concluded with a Cole Porter song You do Something to me and finally Carces named after a village on the Côte d'Azur.

Whilst Joe on the piano often grabs the headlines Will Sach and Sam Jesson are fabulous musicians, in high demand and provide a great rhythm section. Nothing replaces live music and please go and see this trio if you can. I already have tickets for their two concerts at Pizza Express Live on Dean Street, Soho on November 14. This intrepid trio, wish to spread their music world wide. Future dates include Paris (Oct. 22), then in November: Taipei, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Jersey!!! Richard Morris

Set list: Hamstrings and Hurricanes; Like Sach; Mela Tony; Two Not One; Newcastle Full Feel; James P; ? rag; Lester Leaps In; Cocktails for Two; Dual Highway; David and Goliath; Pitter Panther Patter ; Curveball; You do Something to me; Carces

Green Note 106 Parkway, London NW1 7AN   https://www.greennote.co.uk   Tel: 020 7485 9899   Music 7 nights a week in 2 perfomance spaces.