Oliver Weindling writes:
Whenever Tony Bianco played at the Vortex, you could always be guaranteed something extra would come from him. Never overpowering but always enhancing.
We particularly felt it on the special night in 2009 where Evan Parker duo’ed with the legendary Dave Liebman. There was an ongoing ripple of drums which allowed Parker and Liebman to soar, both together and solo. In Jazzwise, his playing at this gig was described as “being to the drums what circular-breathing and over-blowing is to the saxophone. At times it sounds more like a drum choir than just one guy at the traps. It’s hard to digest it all in one sitting but this is free jazz of the highest order.”
In fact, in recent years, many of Tony’s gigs at the Vortex were with Paul Dunmall, since both were resident in and around Birmingham. Tony also came with his partner, violinist Faith Brackenbury. Always something to look forward, as much because of the broad smile that he brought to the club, both before and after performing, but also when actually skittering on his kit. As John Sharpe described it on allaboutjazz.com when describing Bianco’s involvement in a gig at the Vortex with Paul Dunmall and Dave Kane: “The onslaught of drummer Tony Bianco’s percussive whirlwind.”