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February 2010
gig reviews

World Service Project / EM
Trichotomy
Julien Lourau Quartet Saigon
Loop Festival – 17 February
Loop Festival – 19 February
Loop Festival – 21 February
Ian Carr: Celebration of a Life in Music
Dave Stapleton Quintet

 

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February 2010 gig reviews by Chris Parker

Dave Stapleton Quintet

Wednesday 24 February

From the samples heard on this launch gig, the Dave Stapleton Quintet's third album, Between the Lines, looks likely to emulate the considerable success of the previous two.

Over the past three or four years, DSQ have become adept at producing punchy, rousing jazz, usually containing a strong hook, but sufficient rhythmic and melodic complexity to engage the brain as well as the ear.

Such qualities were immediately apparent in the quintet's opener, a segue between 'October Sky' and 'Horn', the latter one of the album's dedications to individual group members, in this case tenor player Ben Waghorn, whose front-line partnership with the blazingly powerful trumpeter Jonny Bruce is one of the band's most immediately arresting features.

Over this tune's rolling rhythm (Stapleton operating on electric piano), and on the subsequent 'Dry White' (a nod to bassist Paula Gardiner's taste in wine on which Stapleton moved to the acoustic instrument), Waghorn and Bruce spearheaded the quintet's attack, the former all pleasing bluster, the latter adept both at spearing solos and (on flugelhorn during 'Dry White') more circumspect, atmospheric playing.

Whether delving back into their first two albums (the nervy, riff-based 'Zonk' a particular highlight, climaxing in a latin romp), or airing their new material, DSQ were both classy (Stapleton's solos brisk and invigorating, but consistently musicianly) and audience-friendly, drummer Elliott Bennett meshing skilfully with the eloquent, propulsive Gardiner to produce a powerful rhythmic base for the series of rattling solos to which Stapleton's attractive, accessible tunes gave rise.

Both for his writing and playing with DSQ, and for the consistent quality of the product of his label, Edition, over the past couple of years, Stapleton is to be heartily applauded.

 

 

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