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January 2008
gig reviews

Jim Mullen's Organ Trio with Stan Sulzmann
Renato D'Aiello International Quintet
Trevor Watkis Quartet
Andy Sheppard and the New Quintet
David Torn's Prezens
Bourne, Davis, Kane
Matana Roberts
Eddie Parker's Mister Vertigo
John Taylor Trio
Kit Downes Trio
Phil Robson Quartet featuring Dave Liebman
Will Butterworth Trio
Richard Fairhurst Trio
Julie Sassoon/Lothar Ohlmeier

Gig reviews archive

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January 2008 gig reviews by Chris Parker

Andy Sheppard - The New Quintet

Saturday 12 January

Whether operating in big-band, small-group or even duo contexts, saxophonist Andy Sheppard is always utterly recognisable, his compositions characterised by the immediate accessibility of their persuasively wafting yet surprisingly durable themes, his playing a beguiling melange of pleasant fogginess, plangent purity (especially on soprano) and subtly rhythmic swagger occasionally shading into an almost Breckerish bluster.

This last characteristic has been, for the most part, tastefully suppressed in his latest project, the New Quintet, which nevertheless highlights all the others by setting Sheppard's sashaying, lyrical saxophone sound against a string-based backdrop, comprising two guitars (longtime associate John Parricelli and new collaborator Elvind Aarset) and the celebrated bassist Arild Andersen, delicately but briskly driven by the subtly virtuosic tabla player Kuljit Bhamra.

This gig had been sold out almost since its announcement, so it was in front of a packed, not to say heaving, club that Sheppard and his band played, but although suitably enthusiastic at solos' and tunes' ends, the SRO audience was completely silent during the music, maintaining a rapt hush that was almost palpable during Andersen's eloquent bass solos, in particular.

Sheppard's dancing, intensely melodic themes provided perfect springboards not only for his own poised but powerful soloing on both horns, but also for the tellingly contrasted guitars of Parricelli (all neat lines and tasteful urgency) and Aarset (multi-textured, swooning chords and spikily insinuating soloing), flawlessly propelled by the singing bass of Andersen and Bhamra's intelligently chattering percussion. Something of a triumph, then, for a band that is shortly to record for ECM, a company whose celebrated production values should suit it perfectly.

 

 

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