February 2009 gig reviews by Chris Parker

LJO Vortex Sessions

Sunday 1 February 2009

This month's composer was Pete Hurt, a stalwart of the London Jazz Orchestra over the years, both in his capacity as tenor player and as writer of many of the band's most enduringly popular pieces (their 1994 recording Dance for Human Folk on Hot House Records contains two of his compositions, 'The Other Bridge' and 'W.S.', dedicated to Wayne Shorter).

Director Scott Stroman pointed out in his introduction to this gig that Hurt is 'undersung', so perhaps a few biographical details (taken from John Chilton's Who's Who of British Jazz) might be in order: born in Nottingham in 1950, he studied at the Northern School of Music in Manchester before working (on alto) with Graham Collier in the early 1970s.

He formed his own Lighthouse Quartet in 1975, writing for all sizes of jazz unit (including the BBC Radio Big Band) throughout the next couple of decades, during which he also played with George Russell, Carla Bley, Andy Sheppard and Loose Tubes, alongside his own projects, which include the quartet featured on the 1996 ASC album Umbrellas.

He currently plays with the likes of fellow Russell alumnus, saxophonist Chris Biscoe (whose name, as if to illustrate Stroman's point, is the first to come up when you tap 'Pete Hurt tenor' into Google) and with his own bands, as well as with the LJO. As for this particular gig, much of what was said last month applies: this is a world-class big band, serious without being po-faced about its music, packed with skilled and highly individual soloists of the calibre of trumpeter Henry Lowther, Hurt himself, altoists Martins Hathaway and Speake, guitarist Phil Lee, pianist Pete Saberton and trombonist Jeremy Price among others, and they dispense punchy, accessible but thoughtful jazz.

Hurt's pieces on this occasion included two elements of his suite, written during the band's previous informal residency at the old Vortex, 'Les Parapluies de Stoke Newington'.

This featured solos from many of the above, plus wittily apposite quotes from the celebrated Flanagan/Allen vehicle 'Umbrella Man' ('any umb-er-ellas, any umb-er-allas, too-ra-li-ay'), and culminated in an infectiously jaunty but subtle rhythm over which Hurt contributed a typically cogent, texturally varied tenor solo. Other Hurt pieces – 'The Balls Pond Road', featuring trombonist Simon Walker and baritone player Mick Foster; an untitled recent composition that centred on a catchy repeated phrase thrown round the band; the above-mentioned 'The Other Bridge' – were interspersed with compositions from John Parricelli ('Alfredo'), Scott Stroman (a bustling, suitably garrulous piece entitled 'It's Good to Talk') and Henry Lowther's 'Saippuakivikauppias', but whatever they play, the LJO address with such panache and musicianly conviction that these Sunday-afternoon sessions (which are being recorded for posterity by Dill Katz) are among the most enjoyable features of the Vortex's monthly programme.

February 2009
gig reviews

Gig reviews archive

LJO Vortex Sessions

Sunday 1 February 2009

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February 2009 gig reviews

Gig reviews archive

LJO Vortex Sessions

Sunday 1 February 2009

Join the Vortex email list

RSS feeds

February 2009
gig reviews

Join the Vortex
email list