Lucked out

Fridays are fine at the National Press Club, with free jazz at the highest local level, but we lucked out this evening. Mike Price was leading a quartet with visiting bassist Brendan Clarke and local stalwarts Wayne Kelly and Col Hoorweg. Brendan has a soft, gut tone, but pushes with an unrelenting swing and solos with real panache. I arrived during a bass solo and was taken from the first notes. But I also noticed Mike’s guitar, with satisfying melodic invention in the crisp style of George Benson when he played jazz, sweetly uncomplicated tone, clear melodic statements, moving through the beat with easy lyricism. Very nice. I also noticed some lovely and unexpected single note counterpoint against Wayne’s solos, which firstly had me wondering if this was bass until I realised this was higher and clearer and Brendan was otherwise engaged. Wayne’s accompaniment was syncopated chords of moving pitch that didn’t impose on the solos but enriched their movements, and frequent solo lines that moved in parallel through chordal degrees. Brendan was a rock, and Col embellished with fills that felt comfortable and settled in the groove. I recognised several tunes but can only name Have you met Miss Jones. Mike told me the second set would get into originals, so I guess I’m also commenting on those. If so, they were nicely written, unforced tunes that presented well. This is the band that will play on the opening night of the Capital Jazz Project, so to catch them warming up at the NPC was an unexpected delight. Lovely, straightahead jazz in the mainstream tradition with restrained energy and comfortable invention. Much enjoyed.

Mike Price (guitar) led a quartet with Wayne Kelly (piano), Brendan Clarke (bass) and Col Hoorweg (drums) at the National Press Club.