Photograph of Geoff Eales by Bob Meyrick

FRIDAY AT BRECON JAZZ WEEKEND, 12/08/2016.

In December 2015 the decision of franchise operators Orchard Media to withdraw their support from Brecon Jazz Festival appeared to signal the end of a great musical institution that hosted some of the biggest names in jazz, drew visitors from all over the world and provided an incalculable boost to the local economy.

Understandably the town of Brecon was reluctant to see the Festival die after more than thirty years as one of the biggest and most important jazz gatherings in Britain, a much loved annual event that had helped to put Brecon on the global musical map.

In January 2016 plans began to be made for a jazz happening in Brecon on the traditional mid August weekend that had been a fixture in the diary of so many jazz lovers for so many years. The first group of jazz enthusiasts to take action were Brecon Jazz Club who have been keeping the jazz flag flying in Brecon for the other eleven months of the year for so long.

Under the guidance of Lynne ‘The Indefatigable” Gornall and her team Brecon Jazz Club were quick to organise a series of concert events at popular former Festival venues such as the Guildhall and the Castle Hotel.

Left high and dry by Orchard’s withdrawal and suddenly faced with a blank weekend Theatr Brycheiniog presented a series of concerts by young performers under the generic title “Brecon Jazz Futures”. The programme was curated by musical educator Marc Edwards and proved to be a great success and I’ll be taking a closer look at some of the individual events in the series in due course.

The third strand of the newly christened Brecon Jazz Weekend was a further series of concerts at Brecon Cathedral, another venue that had become closely associated with the Festival. The Dean & Chapter were keen to continue the Cathedral’s association with jazz in the town and were able to secure Arts Council of Wales funding for some of their events, among them a celebration of the music of Duke Ellington and a concert by vocalist Jacqui Dankworth and her quintet. 

With the three different strands in operation there was a commendably wide choice of music to be enjoyed in the town over the course of the first ‘Brecon Jazz Weekend’. True to the Brecon spirit this was music that impressed with its sheer variety as the performers explored a broad array of jazz styles. For me it’s the wide range of jazz and related music that’s been one of the great strengths of Brecon Jazz over the years with every Festival throwing up at least one important new discovery. This year, under new management and a new name, was to be no different.

While the jazz festival was being re-invented the accompanying Brecon Fringe was celebrating its tenth anniversary. One suspects that even without the main festival to hang its hat on the Fringe would have happened anyway with virtually all the pubs in town presenting bands over the weekend. The sounds of rock, blues and covers bands was blasting out all over town and some of them sounded pretty damn good. I’ve attended a few Fringe events in the past and enjoyed them and I’d like to congratulate the organisers on reaching this milestone.

This inaugural Brecon Jazz Weekend centred around the theme of “Women In Jazz” and also placed an emphasis on the virtues of collaboration and well being that are encouraged by the playing of jazz and other musics. The programme included a series of workshops including a number of events conducted by trained music therapist (and talented double bass player ) Erika Lyons.

The Guildhall venue also hosted an exhibition emphasising the role that women have played in the development of jazz in Wales, among them bassist and educator Paula Gardiner and drummer and big band leader Crissy Lea. At the opening reception music was performed by a number of local, predominately female musicians including pianist Jen Wilson, saxophonist Deborah Glenister and vocalists Elissa Evans and Margot Morgan.

Having set the background to the Brecon Jazz weekend I’ll now move on to the main concert programme which commenced with;

GEOFF EALES TRIO, CASTLE HOTEL

This event was part of the programme curated by Brecon Jazz Club and Lynne Gornall and her team were rewarded with a capacity audience, seated cabaret style at the refurbished Castle Hotel.

Pianist and composer Geoff Eales was born in Wales but is now based in London. One of the UK’s most respected jazz musicians he has been a regular presence on the Jazzmann web pages playing music in a variety of styles ranging from chamber jazz to fusion via mainstream and even free jazz. For me his best album remains 2009’s Edition Records release “Master Of The Game”, an aptly titled set of original contemporary piano jazz featuring an exceptional trio including double bassist Chris Laurence and drummer Martin France.

For tonight’s homecoming concert , and in keeping with the theme of the Weekend, Eales was joined by an all female rhythm section featuring the experienced double bassist Erika Lyons and the young Birmingham based drummer Romarna Campbell. 

There were echoes of a 2007 Festival performance in the same room when Eales, plus a different rhythm section, paid homage to the greats of jazz piano by playing in a myriad of styles ranging from Art Tatum through Bill Evans to Keith Jarrett. Tonight Eales, Lyons and Campbell concentrated on the music of four contemporary piano giants in the shapes of Jarrett, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock and McCoy Tyner - “four great living pianists”, as Eales described them. 

Following its recent refurbishment the Castle Hotel ballroom no longer has a grand piano and Eales was forced to play an electric keyboard but he still sounded good as he soloed in flowingly expansive fashion as the trio opened with Hancock’s much loved composition “Dolphin Dance”. The piece also included a solo from the consistently excellent Lyons, a hugely popular performer on the jazz circuit in Wales and the Borders and once a fully professional musician on the London jazz scene.

Also by Hancock the perennially popular “Watermelon Man” saw the music taking a funkier turn with solos by Eales and Lyons plus Campbell, who had previously exhibited a mature sense of detachment, cutting loose at the drums. “Herbie was only twenty two when he wrote it” explained Eales, “it’s been making him money ever since!”

Introducing Chick Corea’s “Friends” Eales couldn’t resist a dig at the odious Donald Trump. The music was rather more palatable as the trio lowered the temperature with Campbell starting out on brushes and with solos coming from Eales and Lyons. After Campbell finally picked up her sticks Eales second piano excursion found him adopting a more quirky approach and peppering his solo with quotes.

From the album “The Real McCoy” came Tyner’s sumptuous ballad “Search For Peace” which was introduced by a passage of solo piano before Eales was joined by Lyons’ languorous bass purr and the gentle swish of Campbell’s brushes. Lyrical solos came from Eales and Lyons with the latter picking up her bow as the tune drew to a close.

Tyner’s much played “Passion Dance” saw the trio upping the energy levels once more with Campbell introducing the tune with a solo drum passage before helping to power Eales’ solo in conjunction with Lyons’ propulsive bass. A second drum feature helped to ‘top and tail’ the piece and earned Campbell a great reception from the capacity audience.

Keith Jarrett’s “My Song” was one of the tunes played by Eales at that concert back in 2007. It’s one of the composer’s most beautiful melodies and the piece featured suitably lyrical solos from Eales and Lyons, sympathetically supported by Campbell’s brushed drums. I must admit to missing the distinctive sound of Jan Garbarek’s sax though.

The second Jarrett piece was Eales’ trio arrangement of “Memories Of Tomorrow”, better known as part IV of Jarrett’s million selling solo piano album “The Koln Concert”. The trio’s surprisingly robust treatment included solos from Eales and Lyons with the latter again taking up the bow in the closing stages.

Eales decided to include a couple of his own compositions in the set including “Watermill 22”, a piece written to celebrate the 22nd anniversary of the Watermill Jazz Club in Dorking. Described by the composer as “a twelve bar blues with altered chords” and as a “a bit Monkish” it was another lively offering with a quote laden solo from Eales plus features for both Lyons and Campbell, the latter trading fours with the composer.

Eales’ “Song For My Mother” originally appeared on the “Master Of The Game” album and has subsequently acquired an additional poignancy following the recent death of the composers mother.
With its gospel tinged lyricism it’s one of Eales’ most beautiful tunes and was introduced here by a passage of solo piano with Lyons then combining to form a duo before the eventual introduction of Campbell. Eales and Lyons both soloed in appropriately sensitive fashion with the bassist again utilising her bow at the close.

Despite probably being unfamiliar to most members of the audience both of Eales’ original tunes were very well received but it was to be Corea’s “Armando’s Rumba” which closed the set. “It’s actually a samba”, explained Eales, “but who am I to argue with Chick Corea?” The piece proved to be something of a feature for Campbell who demonstrated her impressive musicality on an extended drum feature, winning herself a lot of new friends in the process.

The well deserved encore saw the trio again departing from the script with a performance of Horace Silver’s “Song For My Father” which Eales dedicated to his own father, also Horace, who was present in the audience. A talented pianist himself it was Horace who first encouraged Geoff to play and he was rewarded by this good natured rendition that was ushered in by Lyons at the bass and included solos by herself and Geoff Eales.

This combination of classic jazz compositions and excellent musicianship performed in front of a full house ensured that Brecon Jazz Weekend got off to a terrific start and helped to set the scene for the events to come. It represented a triumph for organisers Brecon Jazz Club who were to be rewarded with capacity audiences all weekend.

ANDY NOWAK TRIO, BRECON CATHEDRAL

Andy Nowak is a pianist and composer based in Bristol. In early 2016 he released his début album “Sorrow And The Phoenix” which featured his regular trio with fellow Bristolian Andy Tween (drums) and London based bassist Spencer Brown.

The trio played a number of dates in support of the album earlier in the year, including one at Black Mountain Jazz in Abergvenny which I was forced to miss. I was therefore determined to catch them this time round and made my way across to this first concert on the Cathedral programme.

Unfortunately in contrast to the sell out events at the Castle Hotel featuring Geoff Eales followed by the Teddy Smith Big Band this concert was very sparsely attended with fewer than twenty people seated in the nave at the Cathedral. It appeared that the Cathedral’s flagship concerts, a Duke Ellington tribute plus a performance by Jacqui Dankworth, had been well publicised but the performances by Nowak’s trio and by fellow pianist Simon Deeley’s trio less so. As a result both Nowak and Deeley suffered from poor attendances.

In Nowak’s case ( I didn’t see Deeley’s performance) this was a pity as the music and playing were both excellent and the sound balance exquisite with Nowak clearly relishing the opportunity to play the Cathedral’s beautiful Bluther grand piano.

Virtually all the music was sourced from the group’s début album and the performance began with set opener “First Light” which featured the trio’s expressive instrumental interplay plus a flowing Nowak solo.  Initially classically trained Nowak exhibited an admirable lightness of touch at the keyboard and he has cited both Bach and Brad Mehldau as significant influences. Less obviously apparent sources of inspiration include Radiohead, Smashing Pumpkins and Captain Beefheart!

Brown has appeared on the Jazzmann web pages on albums by guitarist Kristian Borring and saxophonist Josh Kemp plus the band Porpoise Corpus. I was reminded of his work with the latter as he switched to electric bass for “We’ve Got To Bring It Down”, an ode to creativity that combined Nowak’s flowing lyricism with a subliminal funkiness and included solos for both Nowak and Brown.

The bassist moved back to the acoustic upright for a version of the standard “But Not For Me” which began with a solo piano introduction prior to Brown picking out the melody on the bass. His resonant but sensitive playing was hugely influential in the success of the music. Nowak’s solo climaxed with him trading fours with Tween, the drummer’s playing occasionally showing flickers of the latent power that once earned him a gig with folk / rock superstar Seth Lakeman. Since quitting the Lakeman band Tween has focussed on jazz and his sensitive and neatly detailed playing is also a key component in the music of this supremely balanced trio.

The album track “In The Leaving” was described by Tween as “a break up song” and featured the composer’s thoughtful, precise and undemonstrative playing on a solo piano introduction and subsequent feature that included the admirably sensitive support of brushed drums and double bass.

Like many contemporary piano trios the Nowak group have been subject to the inevitable E.S.T. comparisons and there was something of this on the busy “Stop” with its alternating fast/loud passages. Introduced by Tween at the drums and featuring Brown on electric bass the piece saw Nowak skilfully building up the tension during his solo before handing over to Brown.

One of Nowak’s primary influences was Oscar Peterson and the trio performed their arrangement of the Peterson hit “Night Train” in his honour with solos from Nowak on piano and Brown on acoustic bass, both propelled by the gentle surge of Tween’s brushes.

Nowak also spoke of his admiration for the Japanese pianist Hiromi after having seen her at a previous Brecon Jazz Festival. That said Nowak’s own more considered approach seemed far removed from Hiromi’s blend of showmanship and phenomenal technique, something emphasised by the delicate probing and brooding of “So Far Away” with the pianist combining right hand lyricism with powerful left hand motifs.

George Gershwin’s “I Loves You Porgy” was compellingly reworked by the trio with Nowak’s lyrical solo piano intro followed by an achingly lovely and melodic solo by Brown on acoustic bass. Nowak’s subsequent solo found him stretching out expansively in a manner that was sometimes reminiscent of Keith Jarrett.

Returning to the album “Falling” was inspired by the fall to earth of a sycamore leaf, something that was reflected in the gently spiralling quality of Nowak’s solo. The piece also included a drum feature from the impressive Tween who had manfully been battling the effects of a summer cold (or maybe hay fever) all evening.

I spoke earlier of Nowak’s admiration for the pianist Brad Mehldau. The American has a fondness for de-constructing the work of contemporary songwriters and his version of Nick Drake’s “Riverman” in turn inspired Nowak’s arrangement of a lesser known Drake song, “These Things First”. Beginning with a passage of solo piano the trio’s expressive interpretation found the leader stretching out impressively with Brown also soloing on double bass. I was impressed by the subtle detail of Nowak’s arrangement, like Mehldau he clearly has a great affinity for Drake’s work.

The performance ended with “Raining In Bristol” with Nowak’s piano arpeggios cleverly simulating the patters of raindrops as the vigorous rhythmic interplay again hinted strongly at that E.S.T. influence.

Overall I was very impressed with this performance by the Andy Nowak Trio and also by the album “Sorrow And The Phoenix” which is both intelligent and highly melodic and features an unfailingly high standard of musicianship throughout. It’s an album that deserves to be widely heard.

As did this performance.

 

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