March 2008 gig reviews by Chris Parker

Outhouse

Thursday 27 March

When John Chilton's Who's Who of British Jazz was first published a decade ago, an American jazz writer poured scorn on the whole idea: what next, he asked, a history of Swiss naval victories?

As far as musicians' activity and skill were concerned, such dismissive views were always offensive nonsense; the fact remains, though, that until quite recently most UK-based bands did not draw club-filling audiences.

I can remember, for instance, seeing John Taylor play at the old Vortex to a half-full room, and George Haslam playing to the proverbial man and a dog (actually, the old Vortex's cat, curled up in the bass drum until Mark Sanders or whoever struck up).

These days, things are very different: bands such as Acoustic Ladyland, Polar Bear, Fraud, Partisans, Gwilym Simock's trio etc. etc. can be relied on to fill the Vortex to capacity; on this gig's evidence, Outhouse must now be added to this growing list.

A genuine air of expectation greeted their arrival on stage, and their music ¨ an immediately appealing, vibrant mix of gutsy freeish improvisation, tricksy ensemble statements and the odd pounding, clattering riff ¨ was greeted with noisy approval at every available opportunity.

And the audience demographics are encouraging, too: these listeners are not the dwindling band of bearded, greying diehards so beloved of colour-supplement surveys of the music's popularity, but twenty- and thirtysomethings who appreciate jazz for its musical values ¨ witness the rapt silence that reigns during the music itself ¨ rather than because it sounds cool in the background while you're chatting to your friends or drinking a designer beer from a bottle with a lemon stuck in the top.

Those actually wanting a longer description of Outhouse's music, incidentally, rather than this portentous rant from a greying fiftysomething, should look under CDs, where their eponymous new album is reiewed; the band's live sound, it should be emphasised, though, is viscerally exciting, rumbustious and subtle by turns, and they've won their popularity the old-fashioned way: by dedication to their craft.

March 2008
gig reviews

Gig reviews archive

Outhouse

Thursday 27 March

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March 2008 gig reviews

Gig reviews archive

Outhouse

Thursday 27 March

Join the Vortex email list

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March 2008
gig reviews

Join the Vortex
email list