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April 2007
gig reviews

Here Is The Blues! The Vortex Chess Sessions
Carlo Lopez Real's Mandorla
Led Bib
Soothsayers
Jim Mullen
Partisans
Ian Shaw
John Chilton
Quentin Collins

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April 2007 gig reviews by Chris Parker

Carlo Lopez Real's Mandorla
Led Bib
Soothsayers

 

 

A quick summary of three gigs that went much as expected.

Carlo Lopez Real's Mandorla

Wednesday 4 April

Carlo Lopez Real's Mandorla are, as advertised, a lightly swinging, multi-textured, electro-acoustic outfit producing unpretentious, easy-on-the-ear music spearheaded by the soulful, occasionally searing saxophones of their personable leader.

 

Led Bib

Tuesday 10 April

Led Bib played a scorching gig, one of the highlights of which was their Satie piece, 'Gnossienne No. 1', which (oddly, since the original is all space and delicacy) gave rise to a blast of full-on collective improvisation of the sort that has made the band such a sought-after attraction, their two horns wailing, bass pumping, keyboards constantly embellishing the band sound, the whole driven by the indefatigable, restless, supremely inventive drumming of leader Mark Holub.

Soothsayers

Friday 13 April

Soothsayers (or what I could hear of them through the constant babble of talk from the table for six immediately in front of me – why do people who clearly just want to talk, drink and smoke come to a non-smoking jazz club to do so, rather than just going to a pub?) never quite settled into a solid groove – but this was not from want of commitment on the part of saxophonist Idris Rahman or his cohorts, merely (I'd guess) the result of the band's giving up the struggle to be heard over the racket made by the likes of the inconsiderate six in front of me.

 

 

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