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February 2008
gig reviews

Phronesis
Barry Green
Dan Stern
Gwilym Simcock
Tangent

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February 2008 gig reviews by Chris Parker

Dan Stern

Monday 18 February

Retaining just one musician from his debut recording Traces (Kvetch Records), drummer Asaf Sirkis (reeds were played on this occasion by Julian Siegel, piano by Robert Mitchell and bass by Tom Mason), saxophonist/composer Dan Stern attracted a largeish crowd (especially for a Monday) to the club to hear his constantly shifting, multi-layered music.

Beginning with a two-tenor front line, but subsequently ringing the changes by pitting his own soprano against Siegel's bass clarinet, or pairing soprano and tenor, Stern successfully showcased not only his ability to produce intriguing, pleasantly restless themes that drew a series of adventurous solos from his sidemen (Mitchell in particular seemed to relish their switchback, nervy quality, producing a number of enjoyably clangorous, dynamically varied, often downright splashy contributions that drew spontaneous smiles of approval from Stern), but also his forthright but considered saxophone playing, which ranged as appropriate between stridently declamatory and broodingly tender.

With Sirkis masterfully controlling the (sometimes considerable) rhythmic subtleties of Stern's pieces, and a skilled band handling their wide-ranging sound palette with grace and aplomb, this was an impressive and absorbing performance from a considerable bandleading/composing talent.

 

 

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