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	Art of the Trio: Re-Loaded Report from Euan Dixon The latest jazz subscription series at Manchester?s Royal Northern College of Music ended on the 19th of November with a concert in which the art of the jazz piano trio broke through the matrix of conventionality to emerge both re-defined and, most importantly, re-affirmed. Jason Moran?s `Bandwagon` and the three iconoclasts who call themselves `The Bad Plus` produce completely different sounding music yet both possess the ability to forge a unique synthesis of disparate elements drawn from existing sources and come up with something completely new, fresh, challenging and exciting. The double bill opened with Jason Moran, accompanied by Taurus Mateen on a guitar like instrument described as an acoustic electric bass and Eric McPherson on drums, deputising for regular sideman Nasheet Waits. An imposing athletic figure sporting a smart grey homburg Moran sat down at the piano to a stream of pre-recorded sound that was reminiscent of a movie soundtrack and from which the `live` music gradually emerged. These episodes were subsequently repeated as a sort of bridge between other pieces and presumably constituted part of Moran?s multi-media palette, however I can?t say that they were successfully realised and from the re-action around me I would have to say they caused more irritation than enlightenment. Not so the music though which was drawn largely from the group?s latest release (see review pages) and represents the latest take on the freebop piano tradition with healthy borrowings from today?s urban scene as exemplified by the inclusion of rap and hip-hop elements. It is demanding music and the opener; ?Another One? with its dense sound clusters must have stretched some people?s tolerance levels to the limit making the balm of his Brahms interpretation, which followed, seem even more sublime. Of the sidemen McPherson proved an interesting drummer with a driving, propulsive command of the rhythmic impetus but I felt that on occasions he overwhelmed his partners making it difficult to discern the nuances in the music. It is difficult to pass an opinion on Waits as an instrumentalist because, as on the recording, the hybrid instrument he played produced a flat, expressionless sound that added nothing to the eloquence of the music and at times sounded distinctly out of place. It must be more comfortable playing a guitar bodied bass and Nasheet certainly chose a relaxed pose but I wish we could have heard him on an old fashioned up-right. These reservations apart this proved to be a stimulating recital with Moran earning the biggest applause for his stride fantasia on Jaki Byard`s ?Out Front? and the pounding street sounds of ?Planet Rock? with which he brought his set to close. Apart from a brief segue into ?Infospace? he didn?t give his voice-over numbers any exposure possibly fearing they might be a little too esoteric for the occasion. Maybe he was holding one in reserve for an encore, which sadly didn?t materialise either because the final applause wasn?t sufficiently ecstatic, or, with the concert having started half an hour later than billed, there was pressure to push on. Whatever the reason there was sufficient evidence from what we did hear that Moran is an important new voice in piano jazz with a huge potential to extend the tradition. Perhaps he hasn?t quite realised that potential but following his progress is going to be a fascinating and rewarding experience. An experience of a rather different kind awaited the audience as they returned for the second half and it was one they immediately warmed to. The music of The Bad Plus is no less avant-garde than that of The Bandwagon but because they draw on disco and rock models and fuse them with a manic neo-classicism their sound world is more accessible to a wider audience who recognise the obvious satire and irony Their opening tune was entitled ?And Here We Test Our Powers Of Observation?, possibly serving as a word of advice to the audience on how the music should be approached for whilst it can be enjoyed at a superficial `fun` level it is not without its depths of profundity and there is a lot to listen to. Rightly the term `de-constructionism` has been bandied about in describing the way they mix up their chosen elements but nothing appears accidental and although there is an air of chaos it is in fact illusory; these pieces are built as solid as the proverbial brick out-house. Anyone buying the CD after the show will have found identikit versions of the pieces they heard in the concert albeit without the presence a `live` performance provides. In saying this I don?t mean to belittle The Bad `s creative skills its simply that I believe their improvisational technique is more architectural than extemporary. Pieces like the old Blondie hit ?Heart of Glass? were reconstructed on stage with unholy precision everything interlocking with a seemingly supernatural timing. As well as being a joy to listen to, watching these three long time friends perform was a riveting experience and Dave King on the drums was a revelation. A master colourist who even included walkie-talkie feedback in his armoury of sounds, never have I seen a more mobile percussionist and but for the fact he was sitting down I would describe his movement around the traps as having the grace of a prima ballerina confirming the old adage that good drummers are often excellent dancers. Add to this a facial expression of almost beatific ecstasy as he performed what amounted to drum solo throughout the entire length of every piece and you have the very antithesis of the cool detachment we have come to associate with modern jazz. How he played through the entire set without removing his trademark woolly hat I can?t imagine. Ethan Iverson, at the piano, cut a similarly visual figure. Working in telepathic harmony with his cohorts he shifted constantly in his seat as his hands spanned the keyboard in search of another crescendo. There is something in his playing that recalls Brubeck (not the elder statesman but the enfant terrible of the fifties college circuit) in the way he pumps out his orchestral chords and indulges in touches of faux Rachmaninov. As the group?s MC he did a nice job introducing each tune and although surreal titles such as the bizarre ? Do Your Sums; Die Like A Dog; Play For Home? were rarely enlarged upon his commentary was hugely entertaining Bassist Reid Anderson, who composed a fair number or the evening?s pieces including the climactic encore, ?Silence Is The Question?, was featured on the blues ?Guilty? and demonstrated a formidable technique and huge resonant sound. In fact the sound balance was superlative throughout and it was hard to believe that this was an all-acoustic group given the volume they generated. Most importantly every sinew in the music was clearly detectable which was so important for appreciation of the underlying contrapuntal and polyrhythmic complexity. The audience absolutely loved it proving that the hands of players of this ilk the art of the trio is far from being a spent force, indeed it could be described as the jazz equivalent of renewable energy! A great ending to the RNCM`s autumn season, can?t wait to see what they come up with next year. KING KONG IN PRESTON WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE : The Muffin Men Play Zappa With The Ensemble 10:10 Preston Guild Hall : 6th November 2003. Report from Paul Donnelly Zappa once said in an interview that he didn?t think he or his music would be remembered much in years to come. I thought then that he was being unnecessarily pessimistic or humble. I still do. Now, as we approach the tenth anniversary of his death, his music is still widely available and has been given fresh airings by such diverse entities as John Etheridge?s Zappatistas, Finnish Baroque meisters Ensemble Ambrosius and Psappha. But it is Liverpool?s Muffin Men who most satisfyingly keep the faith and spirit of Uncle Frank?s music alive. For the last 13 years they have gone through numerous personnel, all united in a love of these compositions, and they have kept on refreshing it. It is not their style to slavishly recreate each note faithfully, but like the man himself, to reshape and re-energise those wonderful quirky tunes. On several occasions they have teamed up with like-minded souls Ensemble 10:10, a breakaway contemporary music section of the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, who take equal delight in performing the work of a man whose own interests and influences embraced classical iconoclasts such as Varese, Stravinsky, Ives and Nancarrow. And some of these works were set side by side with Zappa?s own with no sense of incongruity. This collision of worlds produced one night?s joyful collaboration of music that may have touched on various genres but often seemed unclassifiable. Like Zappa himself they enjoyed mixing jazz, chamber, surf and extended guitar improvisations. No doo-wop though tonight. The Muffins opened proceedings with droll references to this evening being a classical music event and not ?that rock shit?. They then gave excellent renditions of ?Eat That Question? and the old fave ?Peaches En Regalia? with ?stunt guitarist? Carl Bowry wringing some unearthly sounds from his Ibanez, something he was to do at several points through the show. But it wasn?t just an opportunity to grandstand, all members contributed equally and the keyword was ?subtlety?, something bass and spokesman, Roddie Gilliard, was quick to point out to a hapless heckler who suggested more volume might be a good idea. As he said it doesn?t have to be all ?balls to the walls?. Ensemble 10:10 shifted the focus back to Zappa?s influences. Three clarinet pieces by Stravinsky were introduced and played with animation and obvious pleasure by Nicholas Cox. You could hear where these influences filtered into the work of The Mothers, for example. Other composers beloved by the man were equally idiosyncratic and the Ensemble tackled Charles Ives? brief pieces, which originally had textual accompaniment in the form of short poems, along with the apparently ?unplayable? ?Study 6? by the aforementioned Nancarrow. They also gave a spirited performance of the Varese composition, ?Octandre? which was much reviled on its initial revelation to the music loving public. The contemporary audience seemed to find no difficulty in enjoying it , though one or two bums shifted uneasily in the seats near me. To end this first half of the gig the Ensemble brought on ?six virtuous players? and duly kitted out in tails the Muffins added their inimitable clout to the medley of ?Igor?s Boogie?, ?Exercise 4? and ?Uncle Meat?. The latter in particular showed how easily the two bands could combine to re-invigorate these tunes. The second half saw the worlds colliding a little more as the Ensemble serenely took us through the ?Introduction To Little House I Used To Live In? before the whole band took off on the main tune with trumpet, guitar and sax solos that would have made Zappa happy and the less than capacity crowd responded vigorously. Much of the work came in the form of medley?s and ?Big Swifty and Associates? elegantly brought together that tune plus ?T?Mershi Duween? and ?Dupree?s Paradise?, all vehicles for tight ensemble passages, small group segments and one jaw-dropping solo from the aforementioned Mr Bowry. When I first saw him play on the premier of ?When Worlds Collide? I thought he was possibly the best new electric guitarist I?d heard in a decade. On this outing he has simply developed beyond belief, his solos fluent, concise, melodic and constantly avoiding repetition. But, as I said, this and other medleys were primarily features for the textures and diverse voices within the whole group. One of my favourites in the repertoire has to be the union of ?Sleeping In A Jar? and ?Holiday In Berlin? from two of Zappa?s most enduring early albums. Again the man?s melodic awareness, often underrated, is highlighted by the groupings of various horns, particularly on ?Holiday?? which I think even surpasses the original with Andy Frizell?s tenor solo out-sleazing Ian Underwood?s. Their arrangement brings the tune to an almost hymnal finale, restrained and breathtaking . No concert of Zappa?s oeuvre would be complete for me without a bit of ?King Kong?, one of his most memorable themes and a basis for jazzy improvisation. Once more Frizell shone, taking a light, breathy and vocal flute solo that had some of the other faces on stage beaming at him. Towards the end there were snippets of ?Sunshine Of Your Love? and ?21st Century Schizoid Man? slipped into the mix too, much to the delight of the audience. Events like this, sadly, are too rare and they have only played two dates this time around - and why not Liverpool guys - but mention must also be made of trumpeter Martin Smith, not only for joyous solos but for unaccompanied twirling and dancing. You can still catch him with The Muffin Men on their constant touring around the UK and Europe and I guarantee you wont be able to stop smiling. That?s how all of this music makes me feel. The spirit of joy pervades their playing and keeps the pioneering voice of Zappa alive for old and new Mother People. But if you didn?t get to see either of these dates they have very thoughtfully provided a cd of the same name which features most of the above, though none of Ensemble 10:10 playing their classical pieces. Until worlds collide again, as I?m sure they will, I?d recommend this recording. www.muffinmen.co.uk www.whenworldscollide.co.uk The Tina May Quartet with special guest Scott Hamilton at the Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield Report from Roy Booth It was clear from Scott Hamilton's solo on the first number"Nobody Else But Me" who the audience had come to see, that is not to under estimate the contribution of Tina May, but Scott is so popular with jazz fans in this country. The rhythm section were as good as you could get with the highly talented Nikki Iles on piano, the ever improving Matt Miles on bass and Tristan Mailliot on drums. Many of the numbers were from Tina May's recent CD "I'll Take Romance" which was produced by, and featured Scott Hamilton including "Come Fly With Me" which graces the Easy Jet Airline TV programme. The missing verse to Duke Ellington's "Tonight I Shall Sleep With A Smile On My Face" was sung by Tina with a beautiful solo by Hamilton, he really loves to play this song. The stage was given over to Scott and the rhythm section for a swinging version of "Have You Met Miss Jones" with a stunning solo from Nikki Iles on piano. The first half closed with "You Go To My Head" with a nice vocal from Tina and class contributions from the rest of the group. The second half opened with a Nikki Iles arrangement of "My Man's Gone Now" which had a marvellous piano solo by the arranger. One of the best vocals of the night came on Paul Simon's "I Did It For Your Love" with another beautiful solo from Iles. The stage was again given over to Scott Hamilton for a blistering performance of "Cherokee" quoting freely from "Tangerine". Next up was Johnny Mandel's "Quietly There" with another beatiful solo from Scott and a nice vocal from Tina. The final number "September In The Rain" was sung delightfully in French by Tina with good contributions from the rest of the ensemble. Thunderous applause from the audience brought them back for an encore "Take The A Train" with Tina scatting along with the rest of the group.
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