Busy night

I’ve been busy, but with few gigs, so I enjoyed getting out last night. This one cost me a chance to sit in on Joe Lloyd’s band at ArtSound, at least for the full session, but your dutiful reporter managed a few pics anyway.

First, the gig. This one was a quartet pulled together at the last minute to fill an offered spot. I’d named the outfit The Crispians expecting it to be made up of members of my commercial band, Crisp, but only pianist Peter was available in the end. Neveen from the Jazz School filled the tenor role and Robert Nesci of Kooky Fandango filled in on drums. We chose from the Real Book, had a great time, and even played with considerable liveliness. The gig was on the pavement at King O’Malley’s, with plenty of drinkers and passers-by, and later a big band in competition (Blamey Street BB started playing towards the end of our gig on the Garema Place stage). That just brought out the aggro, and we all turned up and played with that much more vigour. Much enjoyed and thanks to fellow Crispians.

Neveen Byrnes (tenor) played with Peter Kirkup (piano), Robert Nesci (drums) and Eric Pozza (bass) as the Crispians.

I caught Joe Lloyd’s Quintet on ArtSound’s Friday Night Live on radio, then another a few minutes in the studio for some pics. They play music of an era that I love immensely. I think Joe had written all the charts. I’ve heard this band once before and was hugely impressed both times. They play a modal style with pretty simple underlying harmonies, thoughtful heads, and intriguingly dissonant solos. To me, this is bliss. There were three saxes out front (Joe leading on alto, with John Mackey and Sebastian Macintosh on tenors) and a piano trio rhythm section (Luke Sweeting, Hannah James and Ed Rodrigues). Ed was sitting in for Matt Sykes for the night, and John was a featured extra. Listening on car radio is fraught, so I didn’t manage the subtleties. But all horns were playing an exploratory, open, harmonically inventive style. I noticed Joe and Seb drop into screaming outbursts, while John tended to hold more within (always mobile) harmonic statements with nice historical leanings. Luke was masterful with modern fourths sounds and jagged lines. Ed was pushing the band with incredible energy, and I felt the style suited Hannah, because it was a very comfortable and solid bass underlying the solos and melodies. JLQ is playing at Jazz Uncovered so catch them if you can.

Joe Lloyd (alto) led a quintet with John Mackey (tenor), Sebastian McIntosh (tenor), Luke Sweeting (piano), Hannah James (bass) and Ed Rodrigues (drums).

To end the academic year

It was the end of recitals for the year, and there was a good humour and a buzz in the studio when Fourth Degree Byrnes played for ArtSound on Friday night. There were nerves (to be expected at a live studio broadcast) and some seriousness, too, but the mood was pretty light otherwise. Neveen Byrnes led a team of fellow final year students for an end-of-week outing.

They played several originals by Neveen, Lost and found, Ignorance is bliss and one that was not named, one original by Andy Campbell, Milk (amusingly followed on the night by that well known Stanley Turrentine swinger, Sugar), as well as several standards: Jobim’s Triste, Invitation, Wayne Shorter’s Juju, and interestingly, a funky, bass-heavy Miles Davis/Marcus Miller tune from the Amandala album, Hannibal. This was home for Stu, the bassist, who I’ve mostly seen slapping and popping with the Commercials. He’s an excellent slapper, and perfectly capable in this more traditional environment, but I’d guess fingerstyle isn’t his first love.

This got me thinking of musical personalities. Our musical personalities are formed from what we hear, what we learn, as well as being an expression of our broader personalities. Musical and general personalities may seem to others to be in opposition or in harmony, although I expect they will always be related somehow. Excuse the amateur musical psychology, but I saw Neveen’s musical presence as more reticent and steely, somewhat introspective, and quite a contrast from the buoyant, perhaps jubilant and overflowing style of Andy’s guitar. These were different takes on the music (both valid but clearly different), and I could hear the changes as the solos passed from one to another. Stu was more restrained in this context than his slappy, funky self (I noticed real concentration on his face during Invitation) and Hugh displayed quite an quietly outspoken style when he broke into blatant tom rolls and fills that featured richly in some solos.

It was an entertaining and artful show and a fitting end to the musical year. You have a chance to catch the band again this coming Tues at 9pm in the Trinity Bar, Dickson. The Trinity Tuesday scene sounds great (I haven’t got there yet during this incarnation). Do yourself a favour and go down for the free night and discount drinks.

Fourth Degree Byrnes is led by Neveen Byrnes (tenor sax) with Andy Campbell (guitar), Stu McKnown (bass) and Hugh Deacon (drums).