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| Edinburgh : A&E : Festivals : Edinburgh Festivals |
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| The Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival 2002 Review: Brian Kellock Trio Venue The Hub Reviewer Kay Smith Low key melodies on piano developed by improvisations and with harmonies from the backing team was the hallmark of the Edinburgh based Brian Kellock Trio’s performance at the Jazz Festival. In a programme full of ballads and contemporary interpretations of fifties be- bop the first set opened with Body and Soul – a laid back and laconic number whistled along with brush work on percussion by drummer John Rae and the subtle bass of Kenny Ellis. Just when sounds were getting too soporific a welcome change of tempo introduced the audience to a more robust blues style in the love song How Deep is the Ocean which was performed by the trio with feeling coupled with complexity. Almost as a teaser the piece ended with a soft spoken coda only to run straight into another piece full fast keyboarding. This showcased the true dexterity of Brian Kellock’s piano playing. The second set opened with a love song from guest American jazz singer Sheila Jordan. A sometime powerful jazz singer this was not however Jordan at her best giving a shaky rendition of a song in which the elements reflected the state of a love affair. All in all perhaps this was not Brian Kellock at his best either. Introductions were done perfunctorily by Rae – who offered the excuse Kellock was suffering from an abscess in his mouth. Another time we may enjoy the full stretch of his virtuosity. Review: Carol Kidd Venue Queens Hall Reviewer Kay Smith Carol Kidds concert one of the final night offerings of the Jazz Festival took the form, in the first half at least, of previously submitted requests from the audience. Many more were received than could be performed some measure of Kidds established popularity. What her audiences largely the over 50s and 60s if the Queens Hall gathering was anything to judge by wanted, she could deliver. They would not have been disappointed by her mellifluously clear tones in her renditions of classic ballads such as Rainy Day, On the Sunny Side of the Street, Where or When and Somewhere Over the Rainbow - although if there was a long way to sing a note thats how Kidd did it, albeit with faultlessly sustained control. The second half kicked off on a raunchier, more upbeat note. Night and Day left no doubt that Kidd was as comfortable with snappy swing as she was with laconic balladeering. She made contemporary folk her own too, performing Send in the Clowns with some fine subtle intonations. While When I Dream, I Dream of You was sung with such sensitivity eyes all around were moistened. The concert saw pianist Brian Kellock in fine form well able to play it straight and to provide fine backing. And In Kansas City he was heard in robust full solo flight. © Kay Smith Aug 2002 Review: Julien Lourau Quartet Reviewer Kay Smith Julien Lourau on saxophone with his all french line up of piano, bass and drums delivered a blend of contemporary, middle eastern, African – and neoclassical references and influences. There was nothing gratutitous about this mix. Rhythms were judiciously balanced, instrumentation working in a superb partnership marked with a seamless handover of lead roles between musicians. The one hour and three quarters hour long set began with Gingerbread –which along with other pieces performed, is from Lourau’s latest album “The Rise.” Tension built up by a fast moving and sustained run on the sax backed by steady, almost heavy rythms, from the line up. But just when the tension seemed almost too much to bear sounds lightened up leading to a heightened sense of relaxation and satisfaction. Shades of pink pantherish sleath also lightened the mood and gave a taste of the virtuosity of pianist Bojan Zulfirkarpasic. Bojan could delight with easy to listen contemporary as well as a classic like romanticism -but just when you might be lulled into thinking he was playing safe he would delight with a risqué run of the keys before introducing a middle eastern sensuality which. in turn, was picked up by Lourau’s sax. Bass Frederic Chiffoleau and drummer and percussionist Franck Vaillant provided effective and unobstrusive back up as well as, at times, shining through with their own virtuosity. All in all superb artistic team work. Review: Mardi Gras Venue The Grassmarket Reviewer Neil Ingram The Jazz Festival has always attracted a loyal audience, but this has usually been extended by a substantial number of free performances. In the early days there was a procession along Princes Street and free lunchtime sessions in pubs; now there is an afternoon in the Grassmarket, followed by a longer one in Princes Street Gardens. I caught part of the Grassmarket Mardi Gras last Saturday, and was surprised to find eight bands playing simultaneously on floats. Great entertainment, but a bit tough for a New Orleans band trying to make itself heard next to an electric blues band! I got round most of the acts, including two marching bands who has processed down from the City Chambers at the start of the afternoon. I particularly liked the Blommans Dixieland Band from Stockholm, who play a very traditional kind of New Orleans music with great style and precision, and Cell Block 7 from California, but it's all a matter of taste, and each of the bands had its fans. And the sun came out, and it was summer again, and the Festival's back once more! Only happens the once! © Neil Ingram 27 July 2002 Review: Phil Bancroft Quartet Venue La Belle Angele Reviewer Kay Smith Edinburgh based saxophonist Phil Bancroft, english guitarist Mike Walker, american bass player Reid Anderson and norwegian drummer Thomas Stronen presented with an international line up for the Jazz Festival premiering music commissioned by the Performing Rights Society. The results were an innovative and challenging evening of jazz.The build up was slow, very slow, Bancroft initially setting the pace with atonally stretched tones laying the base which then allowed his line up to shine through, each musician, as the evening progressed, giving dazzling performances in their own right. Walker was particularly impressive whatever the tempo. Melodically dexterous in fast sections and eerily evocative of echoes in the desert during the free improvisation sections of the tune Groove.Later as sounds built up in intensity the timbre was more rock orientated. As is to be expected, coming from the Scandanavian jazz scene, Stronen’s percussion was vibrantly adventurous. At first he whispered along with delicate brushwork; sticks were used too, to merely stroke the edges ofsymbols. Later Stronen conjured up shades of American avant garde composer John Cage with, at times, sounds prosacically reminiscent of the crashing and clattering of dropped kitchen ware. Stronen literally got down on his hands and knees to extort every nuance of sound possibility from his kit. The over riding impression of the line up was not one of individual instrumentation however but of team work. This is a Quartet which clearly has a lot of creative possibilities in any future collaborations. © Kay Smith Aug 2002 |
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