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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

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January 2008 gig reviews by Chris Parker

Kit Downes Trio

Tuesday 22 January

Although still a student at the Royal Academy of Music (most of whose course-mates seemed to have turned out to hear him), pianist Kit Downes is well established on the UK jazz scene courtesy of his membership of Empirical, as well as work with the likes of course leader Gerard Presencer and drummer Seb Rochford.

With his trio (completed by bassist Calum Gourlay and drummer James Maddren), he occupies musical territory most obviously associated with the rapturous lyricism of Keith Jarrett, but there are also ’ particularly in the fleeter numbers ’ hints of the more muscular dexterity of post-bop pianists such as McCoy Tyner.

Typically, his pieces begin with musing, even slightly meandering themes, but slowly gather pace and momentum, solo duties being passed round the band in the conventional manner; at their best, though, the trio are a fiercely interactive unit, their music flashing across the tunes' changes at breathtaking tempos.

At slower tempos, admittedly, the odd tuning problem was discernible, but overall Downes's trio are a classy but powerful act with great potential, providing yet more evidence of the strength of the extraordinary current renaissance ’ especially noticeable in piano trios ’ of the UK jazz scene.

 

 

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