Emma
Rawicz (saxophone); Gareth Lockrane (flutes); David Preston (guitar); Scottie
Thompson (piano, Rhodes and prophet); Kevin Glasgow (bass); Jamie Murray
(drums)
The Parabola Arts Centre
is the space, at Cheltenham, for new, experimental ideas, unusual projects and
Festival one-off commissions. It’s also the best opportunity to practice your contortionism
as you knot your limbs up so they will fit into the seat rows.
Our second gig in the same seats on Sunday afternoon was for Rawicz’s INKYRA project. Rawicz is on a roll at the moment with three highly regarded albums on the German ACT label and a steady stream of awards. She’s here tonight with her INKYRA project and has been able to keep together the band from the album.
Particles
of Change opens with ominous keys and pastoral flute before a
roll around the cymbals. Rawicz’s tenor flutters in, full voiced before the
drummer hits the groove and the bass adds impetus. Rawicz essays a mellow solo
full of lovely, solid, rounded note playing, working towards a climax, egged on
by Preston’s guitar, the grooving bass and forceful drumming. A synth solo
takes us back to the 70s, developing some fluidity from its lumpy beginnings,
ably supported by Preston’s chiming guitar and the fractured rhythm of the
drums. It all builds before the full band leap back in to a rousing, drum
driven climax. The drums crash us into All
My Yellow Afternoons. The music sways and meanders and breaks down and then
comes back as heavy prog, led by Preston’s guitar. It’s all very Floyd but with
the drums roaming widely and the bass holding it all together. Complex, knotty
lead melodies are overcome by driving grunge with Rawicz soloing ferociously
over the top; she’s punching with her full weight as she calls and wails.
A
Portrait of Today opens with a simple piano figure around
which the band drape layers of improvisation out of which Lockrane’s and
Rawicz’s lead lines emerge, stop, start and flow on. Rawicz uses the full range
of the tenor’s voice, flying around the upper register, forceful, full voiced,
blowing with real drive. She steps back for Lockrane’s solo of high pitched
whistles which somehow manage to retain the drama. Preston’s solo is all knotty
lines and tumbling flurries of notes, individually picked, and driving runs. A
drum solo follows, building fills on top of probes and bombs, heading one way,
then chasing his rhythms back round the kit before the band race each other to
a closing climax.
For Time and Other Thieves a simple bass figure and a guitar drone are
taken up by sax and flute over drums of rim shots and ride cymbals, with keys
and more expressive guitar filling out the sound. Then front line of sax, flute
and guitar solo boldly together, alternately rising to prominence. It’s the
multiple voices in unison that makes it all work. Flute and sax chiming out
gives a bedrock for an elaborate solo from Preston that is crushed beneath a
wave of power chords and pile driving drumming. Flute and sax come back in and
try to match energy levels before a breakdown to almost silence brings an
uncertain peace. Anima Rising opens
with urgent single note threads on the guitar and martial drums before the
front line come back in. The bass is bubbling at the back filling in the gaps
and providing impetus and shape. Seagull squalls of guitar rise out of the
melee and the solo of long bent notes and frantic runs pulls it all along;
drums roll and thunder behind. Rawicz builds on the energy and solos forcefully
wailing and screaming at the outer edges with Preston’s chiming guitar in
support through a series of tricksy time changes with the instruments running
ragged circles around each other.
Much of this music feels
like head rather than heart music, like an academic exercise and, having heard Preston
in other settings (his own albums and on Seb Rochford’s Finding Ways) I felt he was a little constrained in INKYRA.
Finally, it’s always disturbing to hear the times I lived through, (the 70s),
played back to me as historical influences. As the T-shirt says ‘It’s strange
being the same age as old people.’
If you’d like to hear
more of Emma Rawicz and the INKYRA band they are at The
Glasshouse in Gateshead on 10th September. Dave Sayer
No comments :
Post a Comment