EFG LONDON JAZZ FESTIVAL 2024

SECOND SATURDAY, 23/11/2024

HARPER TRIO,  PIZZA EXPRESS JAZZ CLUB< SOHO

Maria-Christina Harper – electro-acoustic harp, effects, Josephine Davies – tenor & soprano saxophones, Evan Jenkins – drums

Based in the jazz colony that is Hastings Harper Trio is led by the Greek born harpist and composer Maria-Christina Harper and features saxophonist Josephine Davies, winner of the 2019 Parliamentary Jazz Award for Best Instrumentalist, and the great Evan Jenkins, drummer with the Neil Cowley Trio, blues guitarist / vocalist Matt Schofield and rock singer songwriter Nadine Shah.

Harper Trio released its debut album “Passing By” in October 2023, the disc attracting a considerable degree of critical acclaim. Previously Harper had recorded under the name MC & The 7 Pedals and she has also released the duo album “Draft”, a collaboration with the Cretan lute player Υiagos Hairetis.

I was drawn to this event partially by the presence of Davies and Jenkins, musicians whose playing I already knew well, but also by the harp itself, an instrument that I’ve developed quite a fondness for in a jazz context after hearing the music Ben Creighton-Griffiths, Alina Bzhezhinska and Julie Campiche. And then there’s also the historical perspective and the legacy of jazz harp pioneers Alice Coltrane and Dorothy Ashby.

Harper writes all the material for Harper Trio and her compositions on “Passing By” draw inspiration both from personal experiences and from her Greek and Egyptian heritage. She describes her music as “it’s where East meets West”. Another vital component in her music making is the use of electronics, with the sound of her harp often being manipulated via a range of effects pedals and other devices. It’s an approach that also distinguishes Campiche’s music, while Creighton-Griffiths also makes extensive use of electronics with his ‘electro-fusion’ trio Chube.

The fact that Harper’s music is so personal helps to distinguish it from that of Creighton-Griffiths, Bzhezhinska and Campiche, all of whom in turn bring their own approaches to jazz harp playing. It’s different to Coltrane and Ashby too, although I’m sure Harper would acknowledge both of these as sources of inspiration. It has to be said that Harper and her trio have developed a sound that is very much their own.

The majority of the material in today’s hugely enjoyable seventy five minute set was sourced from the “Passing By” album, but the trio chose to start with “A Quiet Mind”, a newer piece that is due to be recorded for the group’s forthcoming second album. As its title might suggest this was a reflective and atmospheric piece that featured the leader’s use of an array of FX pedals to create a meditative wash of sound that underscored Davies’ airy soprano sax melodies and Jenkins’ subtle drum colourations. This was deeply spiritual sounding music, contemplative, but possessing its own sense of drama.

The “East meets West” description found expression via the album track “In Cairo / Grandma’s Coat”, which included further use of FX pedals and live looping from Harper,  who skilfully deployed her electronic resources to create a veritable ‘wall of sound’. Davies switched to tenor saxophone, her playing bringing an authentic North African flavour to the proceedings. She also delivered a powerful sax solo, urged on by Jenkins’ increasingly dynamic drumming.

Also sourced from the album “Safe Place” quietened things down again with an atmospheric harp and electronics intro, to which were added the sounds of feathery tenor sax melodies plus mallet rumbles and cymbal scrapes. This was another example of Harper Trio’s brand of meditative ‘spiritual jazz’.

Named for a thoroughfare in Hastings where the band used to have its rehearsal space album track “Castle Hill Road” livened things up once more and included an expansive tenor sax solo from Davies.  Harper again deployed electronic effects, in addition to her use of a bow on the harp strings to create an eerie,  but compelling sound.

The title track from “Passing By” featured a further example of live looping and the deployment of other electronic effects. Davies switched to soprano sax and shared the solos with Harper. Interestingly Harper featured herself as a soloist comparatively rarely and we heard rather more from Davies in this regard. Harper’s role appeared to be more that of orchestrator, her harp and its associated effects always at the heart of the trio’s sound, but less frequently front and centre. It was an approach that worked well and I was sometimes reminded of the Swiss harpist, composer and bandleader Julie Campiche in this regard.

Still sticking with the album material and “A Greek in Spain”, which commenced with a delicate solo harp intro, this evolving into a harp / drum dialogue, including some flamenco style flourishes as Harper made musical allusions to the title. Eventually Jenkins set up a groove that formed the basis for some of the most assertive playing of this lunchtime session with Davies delivering a powerful and increasingly impassioned tenor sax solo, this fuelled by Jenkins’ volcanic drumming.

“East Hill Meditation”, the opening track on the album, and another composition named after a Hastings location, restored an appropriate sense of calm. This opened in a similar fashion to “A Greek in Spain”, with the sound of the leader’s harp, with Harper making use of wah wah and echo effects, again in conversation with Jenkins’ drums. But this time the contemplative mood remained, with Davies delivering a series of John Coltrane-like meditations on tenor sax.

“Madness”, another new tune scheduled for the forthcoming album picked the energy levels up once more with another powerful Davies tenor solo. The piece also represented another excellent example of just how effectively the leader’s harp functioned at the very core of the music.

The performance closed with “Standing Alone” the concluding track from the “Passing By” album. This featured an unadorned unaccompanied harp intro with no electronic effects. This was harp playing at its purest as Harper shared the solos with Davies’ melodic tenor sax and Jenkins deployed brushes throughout. The mood was hushed, contemplative, spiritual, the playing almost unbearably beautiful.

Harper is another huge talent in the world of jazz harp. I treated myself to a copy of “Passing By”, which I have been listening to as I write. It’s a recording that sounds equally convincingly in the home listening environment and one that is likely to become something of a personal favourite. My thanks too to Maria-Christina and Josephine for speaking with me after the show.

What a great way to spend a Saturday lunchtime and to kick start a great day of jazz.

AFRICAN MANIFEST : SOUNDS OF SOUTH AFRICA, CLORE BALLROOM

Following the conclusion of the Harper Trio show we walked down to the Southbank Centre for this free afternoon showcase of South African music at the Clore Ballroom in the foyer of the Royal Festival Hall.

We arrived too late to see the Imbube UK Singers who had taken to the stage at 2.00 pm to deliver a set of South African choral music and an accompanying dance workshop.

We did catch some of the first of two DJ sets by Chanty 74, who played some suitably banging South African tunes that brought a number of audience members to their feet, no doubt executing some of the moves they’d learned earlier with Imbube.

The first live music that I managed to catch was a highly energetic performance from Otto and the Mutapa Calling, a London based marimba band led by marimba player and vocalist Otto Gumaelius.

The group played music from the wider area of Southern Africa, including music from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Mozambique and Gumaelius’ native Botswana.

The band line up included three marimba players, their instruments tuned in different keys – soprano, tenor and baritone, plus a kit drummer. As far as I can ascertain the line up was Otto Gumaelius, soprano marimba, vocals Karabo Sankoloba, tenor marimba and Graham Knight, baritone marimba, plus an unidentified kit drummer.

The performance was vibrant, colourful and highly rhythmic. The three marimba players are all genuine virtuosos and Gumaelius himself is also an excellent singer and a charismatic front man. Every piece appeared to be a celebration and one couldn’t help but admire the stamina of the players, there was no let up in terms of energy throughout a frantic one hour set.

None of the titles was in English, so I can’t give you the names of any tunes, although several of them were announced as “wedding songs”. But in any case this was a performance where it was best to immerse oneself in the furious, interlocking rhythms and surrender oneself to the African grooves. This was music that was infectiously joyous and all around the venue people were dancing to the pulsating rhythms. There were a lot of young children at this event and they absolutely loved it – as did their parents of course.

Along the way Gaemelius taught us a little about the marimba, the different keys etc., and of how it was the Southern African equivalent of the West African balafon.

All in all this was an exhilarating hour of music that both educated and entertained and the band went down a storm with the crowd. OK, it could all get a bit relentless at times but Otto and The Mutapa Calling are great at what they do and are a consummate party band. It was hard not to get caught up in the sheer joyousness of it all and to marvel at the instrumental virtuosity and the sheer energy and enthusiasm of the performances. Gumaelius himself is a particularly compelling stage presence, a real force of nature, but calculating enough to know how to handle an audience. Great fun.

Following a second DJ set from Chanty 74, also a talented fashion designer apparently, the second live music set came from a quintet co-led by trumpeter Claude Deppa and saxophonist Clare Hirst.

Also featuring bassist Miles Danso, drummer Sam Kelly and a keyboard player whose name I didn’t catch the quintet has recently released its debut album “Beyond Bahula”, dedicated to the memory of the South African drummer, composer and bandleader Julian Sebotane Bahula (1938-2023), with whom Deppa, his fellow South African, once worked. The album features a mix of compositions from Deppa and Hirst and explores a range of global musical styles, including, of course, the music of South Africa.

I wasn’t able to stay for the whole performance as I had to leave to cover a ticketed event at Kings Place but I did enjoy what I heard. 

Appropriately the first item was a sturdy slice of South African Township jazz featuring solos for tenor sax, keyboards, trumpet and tenor sax.

Next Deppa announced a homage to the American jazz drummer Clifford Jarvis, who lived in London in his later years and had the nickname “The Paradiddle Kid”. I suspect that Deppa must have worked with him too. This piece had more of an orthodox jazz / hard bop feel and incorporated solos for keyboards, trumpet and tenor before drummer Kelly traded fours with Deppa and Hirst.

The next couple of tunes were sourced from the album, the first being Deppa’s composition “Middle Eye”, introduced by Danso at the bass and with its languid Township grooves facilitating solos from trumpet, tenor, keyboards and double bass.

Also written by Deppa “Where’s One” was again ushered in by Danso and was a faster moving, celebratory piece featuring the horn interplay of the co-leaders followed by solos for trumpet, keyboards, tenor sax and drums.

I’ve been admirer of Deppa’s playing since his days with Andy Sheppard and Carla Bley and I was somewhat reluctant to tear myself away. Before I left I treated myself to a copy of “Beyond Bahula”, which also makes for enjoyable home listening.

Like Otto and The Mutapa Calling before them the Deppa / Hirst quintet had attracted a considerable number of dancers onto the floor. I’m sure they all continued to enjoy what was shaping up to be a very satisfying set.

I’d like to close this section on another positive. Since my last EFG LJF visit in 2019 the Royal Festival Hall has undergone a refurbishment and to these ears the sound in the Clore Ballroom was much improved on that of years gone by. I found it much clearer, less muddy and echoey, and it allowed the musicians to be heard to their best advantage in such a public space. Well done to the sound engineers on the day too.

ALICE ZAWADZKI / FRED THOMAS / MISHA MULLOV-ABBADO, HALL ONE, KINGS PLACE

Alice Zawadzki – vocals, violin, shruti box, Fred Thomas – piano, drum kit, vielle, Misha Mullov-Abbado – double bass
with guest Saied Silbak – oud, vocals

On then to a near capacity event at Kings Place’s Hall One for this performance by the UK based trio of Alice Zawadzki, Fred Thomas and Misha Mullov-Abbado, the three musicians given equal billing in the publicity for this concert, as they are on “Za Gorami”,  their debut recording for the prestigious ECM record label.

It’s difficult not to think of the trio as Zawadzki’s band. The title of the album comes from a Polish phrase meaning “beyond the mountains”, but which can also be translated as “once upon a time”, that references Manchester born Zawadzki’s Polish heritage.

I first discovered Zawadzki’s music at the 2012 EFG LJF when she led her band at a gig at the tiny Green Note venue in Camden. I’ve been a fan ever since and have favourably reviewed both her previous album releases, “China Lane” (2014) and “Within You Is A World Of Spring” (2020). She’s come a long way since 2012 at the Green Note to selling out Kings Place and I’d like to think that The Jazzmann’s support has helped in some small way during the course of that journey.

Zawadzki’s first two albums, both released by Whirlwind Recordings, feature her own songwriting fairly prominently, but they also include arrangements of folk songs from various cultures and it’s this aspect of her work that forms the nucleus of the “Za Gorami” project.

“Within You Is A World Of Spring” featured a pool of musicians that included multi-instrumentalist Fred Thomas and bassist Misha Mullov-Abbado , who have continued their musical relationship with Zawadzki, working as this trio.

The ten pieces that comprise “Za Gorami”, released by ECM in September 2024 (tonight’s event represented the official album launch) are mainly traditional folk songs, the majority sourced from the Sephardic or Ladino tradition. The trio says of their song choices;

“Collected on our travels and taught to us by our friends, these are songs we have learnt and loved together. Though our musical and cultural backgrounds encompass Europe, Russia and South America, we were all three born in England. This happenstance was the product of love, war, exile, the arbitrariness of borders and the yearning for a new life - all themes which are themselves woven through the narratives you’ll hear within. Gathered from Argentina, France, Venezuela, Poland and the deep well of Sephardic culture, these folk tales speak to the moon, the mountains, the rain, the madness of humans and the prophecies of birds.”

They continue;
“Our trio relies on the intimacy of deep listening and a trust in our long-standing friendship. The discovery of what each song wanted to be was a patient process of contemplation, omission and distillation of ideas, animated by the flexibility of our instrumentation: voice, piano, double bass, violin, vielle and percussion”

Zawadzki says of the several Sephardic songs in the trio’s repertoire;
“There’s a sort of abstraction to the lyrics, a lot of metaphor and imagery that allows you to be swept into the world that these words create. They become an amazing vehicle for one’s emotions, because in a way – even though codified with symbols like water, bred, the sunrise – the songs’ meaning feels inherent as soon as the music and lyrics are fused together. We become aware that words are not our only language and these ladino songs are able to connect with you in way that one can’t verbalize otherwise.”

Despite the presence of drums on some songs the trio essentially approach their material with a ‘chamber jazz’ aesthetic, something that is perfect for ECM and also for Hall One at Kings Place, where every word and musical nuance could be heard perfectly this evening as the trio’s performance mesmerised a hushed and reverential, but highly supportive crowd. The bulk of the material was sourced from the new album but there were also some unrecorded pieces, which will hopefully be documented on the inevitable follow up.

Tonight’s performance began with the album opener “Dezile A Mi Amor” (translating as “Tell My Love), a traditional Ladino song featuring the sounds of double bass both bowed and plucked and the varied use of mallets, bare hands and brushes on the drums. Zawadzki’s emotive vocals exhibited an almost shamanistic quality. A stunning start.

Translating as “Untie The Ribbons” “Sueltate Las Cintas” is a song by the Argentinian songwriter and composer Gustavo Santaolalla with a sensuous lyric and an instrumental arrangement that included a lyrical piano solo from Thomas.

Each item was introduced by Zawadzki, her announcements telling us something about the song, her anecdotes informative but refreshingly down to earth and often downright funny. These episodes formed an effective contrast with the fragile intensity of the actual performances.

“Nani Nani” was a lullaby with a barbed twist, sourced from the Sephardic (or Judo-Spanish) tradition and featuring Thomas at the piano and Mullov-Abbado soloing on double bass. As the song developed from quiet beginnings Zawadzki’s increasingly impassioned vocals almost verged on the operatic at times.

Thomas continued at the piano for “Tonada De Luna Llena” (“Song Of The Full Moon”) by the Venezuelan songwriter Simon Diaz. This song was delivered in Spanish, but the charismatic Zawadzki has the ability to totally inhabit a song regardless of the language that she is singing it in. Her spellbinding performance here was augmented by a Thomas piano solo and by some appropriately atmospheric and dramatic lighting.

A love of poetry and language unites the trio and the Thomas original “Gentle Lady” proved to be a setting of a poem by none other than James Joyce. Introduced by a passage of unaccompanied piano this was the first song to have an English lyric, with Thomas again the featured instrumental soloist.

The trio now welcomed a guest musician to the stage, the Palestinian oud player Saied Silbak. Together with Silbak they played the first item of the evening not to be sourced from the new album. “Pizzica Di San Vito” was a song from the Italian tarantella tradition and again featured Mullov-Abbado playing both with and without the bow as Thomas moved back to the drum kit. Eventually Thomas established a pattering hand drum groove that provided the bedrock for Zawadzki’s singing and the dazzling instrumental soloing of both Mullov-Abbado and Silbak as Zawadzki danced joyously, revelling in the moment.

The most straight forwardly energetic piece thus far this was an excellent way to conclude a brilliant first half.

Set two commenced with the core trio performing another non-album track, the traditional Irish folk song “The Leaving of Limerick”. As Zawadzki gave an emotional reading of the English language lyric the instrumental arrangement concentrated on drone sounds with Zawadzki manipulating a shruti box as Mullov-Abbado and Thomas deployed bows on double bass and vielle respectively. The combination of voice and drones was haunting and captivating.

Silbak returned to join the trio on “Los Bilbilikos” (“The Nightingales”, a traditional Ladino song that forms part of the album repertoire. This saw Zawadzki playing violin for the first time this evening, combining with Mullov-Abbado on bass and Thomas on vielle to create the drone that provided the backdrop for Silbak’s oud solo. Zawadzki’s vocals were accompanied by vielle and oud only, and at one point all the members of the quartet were plucking their respective instruments rather than bowing. This was very unusual all string ensemble, an incredible string band for the 21st century.

Next Silbak sang “A Rosana”, a traditional folk song from his native Palestine, accompanying himself on the oud and with Zawadzki on violin and Thomas at the piano. Eventually Zawadzki began to add vocal harmonies before taking over the lead vocal herself. Silbak’s skilled and passionate performance saw him exit the stage to rapturous applause.

“Za Goramy” began with the sound of Zawadzki’s emotive unaccompanied vocals, subsequently joined by piano and plucked double bass in an arrangement that combined traditional Polish folk music with elements of avant garde jazz.

Delivered in French “Je Suis Trop Jeunette” (“I’m Too Young”) was written by the Franco-Flemish composer Nicolas Gombert (approx. 1495 – 1560). Introducing the song Zawadzki explained that the trio liked to cover an eclectic range of material, looking for commonality in the music of different eras, cultures and geographical areas. The arrangement included Thomas’ use of prepared piano techniques, another example of the trio’s “time bending” approach.

The as yet unrecorded “Tancas” was a Sicilian song with a lyric raging against the actions of tyrannical barons with a refrain translating as “we’re going to unhorse you”. This featured Zawadzki on pizzicato violin and vocals together with double bass and drums. Zawadzki then picked up the bow to solo on violin, followed by Mullov-Abbado on double bass.

The performance concluded with the final track from the album, “Arvoles Lloran Por Lluvias” or “The Trees Weep For Rain”, a final Ladino traditional song that featured Thomas use of the piano’s innards, Mullov-Abbado’s bowed bass and Zawadzki’s passionate vocalising.

The deserved encore was a final non album track, “Cucuruca Paloma”, a song from Mexico written by Thomas Mendez that included a Spanish language lyric,  and which again featured Thomas on piano.

I have to say that this show was an absolute Festival highlight. Zawadzki’s performance was totally compelling. What a singer! I’d always considered her to be fifty per cent singer, fifty per cent instrumentalist, but tonight the focus was firmly on her as a vocalist and she delivered in the proverbial spades. But for all the intensity of the performances her presentation style was warm, witty, informative, refreshingly down to earth and sometimes outright humorous. It made for a pleasing combination. She takes her music seriously , but not herself.

The performance was further enhanced by the quality of the sound and the lighting, so thanks to the engineers and technicians involved.

In Mullov-Abbado and the multi-talented Thomas she had the perfect musical foils and the highly developed rapport between the members of the trio was always subtle but obvious. Thomas displayed a remarkable proficiency on all three of his chosen instruments while Mullov-Abbado is the consummate double bass player.

This album launch event was a triumph for the trio who were all happy to mingle with fans at the merch desk after the event and to sign copies of the new recording. My thanks to all three of them for speaking with me and to the trio’s manager, Kate Sawbridge, for forwarding me details of the set list.

It was also notable that Zawadzki’s fellow musicians were also out in force to support the launch of the new album and I was able to enjoy conversations with drummer Jon Scott, who had played with her at the Green Note and appears on “China Lane”, and with saxophonist Adam Waldmann of Kairos Quartet. Thanks guys, it was good to meet up with you both again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

blog comments powered by Disqus