Michael Janisch, Paradigm Shift, Leam Jazz, Leamington Rugby Club, 23/09/2015.

I’ve long considered “Purpose Built”, the 2009 leadership début by bassist and composer Michael Janisch to be one of the most significant jazz albums to be released in the UK in the 21st century. As well as being a fine artistic statement in its own right it is also the album that launched Janisch’s Whirlwind Recordings record label, now arguably the country’s leading jazz independent with a catalogue of around sixty titles and an increasingly identifiable label sound. It’s probably fair to say that any album released on Whirlwind is going to have something interesting to say to the discerning jazz listener.

The perpetually busy Janisch’s role as an entrepreneur has forced him to put his own musical career on hold to a degree, although of course he has never stopped performing and his bass playing has graced many ensembles in recent years, particularly those led by musicians associated with the Whirlwind label.

Janisch, an American who has lived in London since 2005, has always encouraged collaborations between British, American and European musicians and is also the guy with the ambition, drive and energy to make these things happen. “Purpose Built”, with its Anglo-American line up was a perfect illustration of this and this spirit of international co-operation is something that has manifested itself on numerous other Whirlwind recordings.

Tonight’s performance at Leamington was part of an extensive national tour in support of Janisch’s forthcoming double CD release “Paradigm Shift” (Whirlwind Recordings, release date 02/10/2015).
The music for the Paradigm Shift project was originally written four or five years ago as a follow up to “Purpose Built” and an international group toured the music in the UK in 2011. The material to be heard on the new double album was originally captured at a live performance at London’s Pizza Express Jazz Club in May 2011 given by Janisch, British saxophonist Paul Booth, Argentinian keyboard player Leo Genovese and the American duo of trumpeter Jason Palmer and drummer Colin Stranahan.

It was due to Janisch’s commitments as a label boss and family man (he has two young daughters)  that the “Paradigm Shift” material remained on the back burner for so long. However when Janisch finally revisited the Pizza Express live recordings in 2014/15 it was with a renewed enthusiasm as he and electronics artist Alex Bonney re-shaped the music with a range of post production effects and a judicious degree of new material, this mainly being in the form of linking ‘interludes’. Janisch has described Bonney as a ‘sonic manipulator’ and his soundscaping helps to give the music a very welcome contemporary edge. 

Disc one of the new album is comprised of the four movement “Paradigm Shift Suite” with the main body of the material bookended by an intro and outro and bisected by an interlude, these the products of Janisch and Bonney’s post production work and which help to give the music even more of a finished, conceptual feel.
The longer second disc, subtitled “Mike’s Mosey” features individual pieces sourced from the members of the group with Genovese, Palmer and Booth all supplementing Janisch’s compositional input.

Tonight’s performance at Leamington saw a six piece group playing virtually all the material from both discs. The band included album personnel Janisch, Booth and Stranahan supplemented by Bonney on cornet and electronics, Jason Yarde specialising on soprano sax and the French musician Cedric Hanriot on keyboards.

Arriving at the club fairly early I was delighted to find that the soundcheck had developed into a kind of Q&A with Janisch, Booth, Stranahan and Hanriot fielding questions and giving musical demonstrations to the committee members of Leam Jazz plus a few other early arrivals. This opportunity to learn something about the working methods of Janisch and his colleagues plus their ideas about time and harmony was extremely interesting and a very welcome bonus. Janisch is a great communicator and I’m sure that all those who were there gained a lot from this section of the evening. Particularly relevant to the later performance was Janisch telling us how many of the tunes were constructed around bass lines that he had developed during a period of intense ‘woodshedding’, improvising on solo double bass.

The material to be heard on both of the “Paradigm Shift” discs is busy and intense, characteristics that reflect Janisch’s restless but infectiously enthusiastic personality. These qualities were apparent throughout tonight’s performance which began with a first set comprised entirely of material drawn from the second disc.

Genovese’s epic “Chacaraca” opened the proceedings with the already eerie sound of Booth’s didgeridoo being further manipulated by Bonney’s electronics as Janisch, on electric bass, added some distinctive effects of his own via an array of foot pedals. A melodic hook featuring the full on sound of the three horns (tenor, soprano, cornet) paved the way for a powerful tenor solo from Booth before the saxophonist eventually moved back to didgeridoo to combine with Yarde on soprano and Bonney on electronics for an atmospheric coda. Tonight’s version was substantially different to the one to be heard on disc, different personnel of course, but still indicative of the fact that improvisation is very much at the heart of this group’s music.

Palmer’s “Crash”, inspired by the David Cronenberg film, featured an extended solo soprano sax intro from Yarde, that eventually gave way to a tricky, bop inspired theme that provided the jumping off point for solos from Yarde, Hanriot, Bonney on cornet and Booth on tenor. The piece was brought full circle by Yarde’s unaccompanied outro.

The title of “Mike’s Mosey” was inspired by a long night time walk in London in the company of guitarist Phil Robson. This was very much a showcase for Janisch’s skills on the electric bass, his virtuoso playing enhanced by the electronic sounds generated by Bonney’s various devices and Hanriot’s Nord Electro 3 keyboard. Elsewhere Janisch’s bass weaved its way around the melodic patterns generated by the twin saxophonists in a highly effective depiction of a drunken midnight ramble.

The first set concluded with a second epic, this time from the pen of Paul Booth. As on the album his “Awakening” was presaged by “One-Eyed Calf”, the name given to the extended introductory passage of solo keyboards, Genovese on record, Hanriot here. The Frenchman generated some astonishingly eerie synth sounds from his Nord as he deployed the instrument to its full capacity, creating dense layers of sound and brooding rhythmic pulses, these later picked up on by Janisch as the music developed into the main body of Booth’s tune with the three horns eventually stating the theme. Hanriot switched to piano mode for a brilliant solo that grew to a peak of intensity, all spurred on by Stranahan’s dynamic drumming as Booth roared his approval. The tenor man then delivered a towering solo of his own as Hanriot switched over into organ mode. There was a prog rock like grandeur about this piece that helped to fuel some of the most intense playing of the set, with Stranahan in particularly impressive form. After this tour de force both band and audience were ready for a well earned break.

The second set saw no let up in the intensity as the band began by playing “The Paradigm Shift” suite in its entirety. The recorded performance, enhanced by Bonney’s post-production, is a tour de force, just over half an hour of concentrated energy which combines tightly focussed ensemble work with some blistering solos. These same qualities were brought to the Leamington performance which began with the sound of unaccompanied double bass before adding layers of keyboards and electronics prior to the introduction of tenor and soprano sax to the front line.

“The Paradigm Shift Suite” is sub-divided into numerous smaller components but the first main movement, “Paradigm House Party”  included an incisive soprano solo from Yarde artfully complemented by Janisch’s bass and Bonney’s array of electronic devices.

Although the album delineates the suite into separate tracks tonight was a continuous performance but it was still possible to determine the general progression of the movements. The second of these, “Celestial Dictator”, was inspired by the writings of the late Anglo-American academic Christopher Hitchens and included a powerful tenor solo from Booth plus some impassioned but impressive interplay between the three horns with Bonney also sometimes playing the role of electronic soundscaper. 

The third movement, “Bailout” was inspired by Janisch’s reaction to the 2008 financial crisis and included some appropriately angry squalling from the horns allied to the leader’s propulsive bass, Hanriot’s frankly filthy keyboard sounds and Stranahan’s volcanic drumming. This was followed by a quieter, more impressionistic interlude featuring Booth on flute and a Hanriot solo that deployed a more conventional piano sound. Stranahan’s ghostly cymbal shimmers later combined with Janisch’s haunting arco bass, his bowing rendered even more ethereal and compelling by Bonney’s electronic manipulation of his sound.

The final main movement “Liza-Flo” is named in celebration of Janisch’s two young daughters Eliza and Florence and the music was suitably lively and vivacious with some spirited triple horn interplay which featured Booth, Yarde and Bonney mingling with the audience as they paraded around the venue. The suite then peaked with an incendiary drum feature from the excellent Stranahan, a musician who has worked with such high profile performers as saxophonist Joe Lovano and guitarist John Scofield.

The performance of the suite was dazzling in terms of its power, precision and intensity, music that was visceral and uncompromising yet ultimately energising, enjoyable and invigorating for band members and audience alike. It must have left the members of the sextet felling drained but they still had one more piece for us. This was “The JJ I Knew”, Michael’s dedication to the memory of his late elder brother Joseph. The recorded version features solo electric bass and live electronics only but Janisch has subsequently reworked and expanded the composition for performance by the sextet. In his introduction to the performance Janisch explained that Bonney’s set up included a live feed to each of the other instruments in the band allowing him to ‘treat’ the sound of the group overall. Nevertheless the opening of the piece featured Bonney solo, in Leafcutter John mode if you will, as he coaxed an exotic array of electronic sounds from his laptop and sundry other gizmos. Subsequently he also featured on muted trumpet. The featured soloists here were Hanriot on electric piano and Janisch on electric bass, his sound almost guitar like at times. On a composition that was both a lament and a celebration it was appropriate that the sound of Janisch’s bass was at its heart almost throughout.

The “Paradigm Shift” album is officially released on Whirlwind Recordings on October 2nd 2015 but is already available at gigs. The tour still has many more dates to go and the remaining performances are listed below. This really is a stellar band with its “tour chops” fully attuned.  Catch the Paradigm Shift tour if you can. 

I’d like to thank Michael Janisch and Whirlwind Recordings publicist Emma Perry for giving me the opportunity to cover this performance. Also Paul Booth for providing me with a copy of his forthcoming new album “Patchwork Project” which I will be taking a look at shortly. Finally thanks to John, Stewart and Rob of Leam Jazz for their warm welcome. Keep up the good work guys. http://www.leam-jazz.com   

FORTHCOMING ‘PARADIGM SHIFT’ TOUR DATES:
   

28/09/15 - 29/09/15
Time: 7:00pm. Age restrictions: All Ages. Address: 22-28 Renfield Ln. Venue phone: 0141 2222254.
Part of Whirlwind Mini-Fest
Michael Janisch’s Paradigm Shift Launch Tour feat: Michael Janisch, Paul Booth, Alex Bonney, Jason Yarde, Cedric Hanriot, Colin Stranahan

30/09/15
Edinburgh
Jazz Bar
Time: 8:00pm. Age restrictions: All Ages. Address: 1A Chambers Street. Venue phone: 0131 220 4298.
Michael Janisch’s Paradigm Shift Launch Tour feat: Michael Janisch, Paul Booth, Alex Bonney, Jason Yarde, Cedric Hanriot, Colin Stranahan

01/10/15
Aberdeen
Blue Lamp
Time: 8:00pm. Age restrictions: All Ages. Address: 121 Gallowgate. Venue phone: 01224 647472.
Michael Janisch’s Paradigm Shift Launch Tour feat: Michael Janisch, Paul Booth, Alex Bonney, Jason Yarde, Cedric Hanriot, Colin Stranahan

02/10/15
Shetland
Shetland Jazz
Time: 8:00pm. Age restrictions: All Ages. Address: Da Cutts, Sandwick.
Michael Janisch’s Paradigm Shift Launch Tour feat: Michael Janisch, Paul Booth, Alex Bonney, Jason Yarde, Cedric Hanriot, Colin Stranahan

04/10/15
Shetland
Mareel
Time: 8:00pm. Age restrictions: All Ages. Address: Lerwick. Venue phone: 01595 745500.
Michael Janisch’s Paradigm Shift Launch Tour feat: Michael Janisch, Paul Booth, Alex Bonney, Jason Yarde, Cedric Hanriot, Colin Stranahan

05/10/15
Glasgow
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (The)
Time: 8:00pm. Age restrictions: All Ages. Address: 100 Renfrew Street. Venue phone: 0141 332 4101.
Daytime masterclass/ performance
Michael Janisch’s Paradigm Shift Launch Tour feat: Michael Janisch, Paul Booth, Alex Bonney, Jason Yarde, Cedric Hanriot, Colin Stranahan

06/10/15
London
Pizza Express Jazz Club
Time: 8:00pm. Age restrictions: All Ages. Address: Dean Street, London W1V 5RL. Venue phone: 0845 6027017.
Michael Janisch’s Paradigm Shift Launch Tour feat: Michael Janisch, Paul Booth, Alex Bonney, Jason Yarde, Cedric Hanriot, Colin Stranahan

08/10/15
Birmingham
Birmingham Conservatoire
Time: 8:00pm. Age restrictions: All Ages. Address: Paradise Place.
Michael Janisch’s Paradigm Shift Launch Tour daytime workshop feat: Michael Janisch, Paul Booth, Alex Bonney, Jason Yarde, Cedric Hanriot, Colin Stranahan

09/10/15
Brighton
The Verdict
Time: 8:00pm. Age restrictions: All Ages. Address: 159 Edward Street. Venue phone: 01273 674847.
Michael Janisch’s Paradigm Shift Launch Tour feat: Michael Janisch, Paul Booth, Alex Bonney, Jason Yarde, Cedric Hanriot, Colin Stranahan

11/10/15
Bristol
Hen and Chicken
Time: 8:00pm. Age restrictions: All Ages. Address: 210 North Street, Southville. Venue phone: 0117 966 3143.
Jazz @the Albert
Michael Janisch’s Paradigm Shift Launch Tour feat: Michael Janisch, Paul Booth, Alex Bonney, Jason Yarde, Cedric Hanriot, Colin Stranahan

04/11/15
Broadstairs, Kent
Dwell Bar
Time: 8:00pm. Age restrictions: All Ages. Address: Northwood Road. Venue phone: 01843 609120.
Michael Janisch’s Paradigm Shift Launch Tour feat: Michael Janisch, Paul Booth, Andrew Bain, Percy Pursglove, Cedric Hanriot, Alex Bonney

06/11/15
Leeds
Leeds College of Music
Time: 2:00pm. Age restrictions: All Ages. Address: 3 Quarry Hill, Leeds, LS2 7PD. Venue phone: 0113 2223416.
Daytime Masterclass
Michael Janisch, Paul Booth, Andrew Bain, Percy Pursglove, Cedric Hanriot, Alex Bonney

07/11/15
Fishguard, Wales
Theatr Gwaun
Time: 8:00pm. Age restrictions: All Ages. Address: West Street. Venue phone: 01348 873421.
Michael Janisch’s Paradigm Shift Launch Tour feat: Michael Janisch, Paul Booth, Andrew Bain, Percy Pursglove, Cedric Hanriot, Alex Bonney

08/11/15
Fishguard, Wales
Theatr Gwaun
Time: 2:00pm. Address: West Street. Venue phone: 01348 873421.
Daytime workshop

10/12/15
Manchester
Band on the Wall
Time: 8:00pm. Address: 25 Swan Street, The Northern Quarter,. Venue phone: 0161 834 1786.
Michael Janisch’s Paradigm Shift Launch Tour feat: Michael Janisch, Paul Booth, Jason Yarde, Cedric Hanriot, Colin Stranahan

More information at;

http://www.whirlwindrecordings.com

http://www.michaeljanisch.com

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