The Vortex Jazz Club, 11 Gillett Square, London N16 8JH | Bookings 020 7254 4097 | Enquiries 020 7993 3643 | Email Info at Vortex

October 2007
gig reviews

Outhouse
Christine Tobin
Francois Theberge/Hans Koller Quartet
Mark Feldman Group
Mike Chillingworth Quartet
Andrea Vicari
Georgia Mancio
Lucien Dubois Crossover Trio
Centre Line
Mike Gibbs 70th birthday concert

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October 2007 gig reviews by Chris Parker

Andrea Vicari

Wednesday 10 October

Andrea Vicari has probably played more frequently at the Vortex in recent years as part of the Foundation Big Band than as a leader, so it was gratifying to hear her leading a sparky, responsive band through two sets of the compositions that make up her new 33 Records album, Mango Tango.

She's been providing judiciously chosen aggregations of various sizes (previous bands have included the likes of Phil Robson, Mornington Lockett and her ever-present partner, Dorian Lockett) with cheerfully accessible yet skilfully written material since the early 1990s, but this set of originals is perhaps her most accomplished yet; on this occasion, with bassist Dorian Lockett and drummer James Maddren were a perfectly balanced and tellingly contrasting front-line pairing: trumpeter Quentin Collins and tenor player Ingrid Laubrock.

As a quintet, they were pleasingly informal but punchy and cohesive where required, whether they were playing latin-inflected pieces or relatively straightahead jazz, but it was the soloing of Laubrock – characteristically texturally adventurous, slow-building, imaginative – and Collins – all fire, pep and sassy confidence – that brought out the music's vigour.

With Vicari's piano holding the whole together and occasionally decorating her pieces with absorbing solos full of subtle cross-rhythms and enlivened by the odd sparkling run, this was a thoroughly enjoyable evening's music from a considerable compositional and bandleading talent.

 

 

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