British saxophonist Derek Nash leads two outfits that incorporate an element of funk into their work. Sax Appeal have been reviewed live and on album (The Flatiron Suite) elsewhere on this site and Protect The Beat are included in our 2009 Brecon Jazz Festival coverage (Sunday). 

The latest Protect The Beat album “Intrepid” was recorded in 2007. My thanks to the group’s manager Brett Todd for supplying me with a review copy at the group’s recent Brecon appearance.

PTB show the more extrovert side of Nash’s musical personality. Their live shows are an explosion of energy with the ebullient Nash leading his team of crack session players through a series of full on, unashamedly funky tunes inspired by the likes of the Crusaders and the Yellowjackets. It’s all done with good humour and enormous technical skill.

PTB don’t get to play together that often due to the members’ other commitments with the likes of Jools Holland, Annie Lennox, Massive Attack, the Bee Gees etc. Explosive drummer Darby Todd is also an accomplished rock player (with his hirsute locks he looks the part too) and is currently working with vocalist Justin Hawkins, formerly of The Darkness.

The PTB set I saw at Brecon is still largely centred around “Intrepid” and many of these tunes were performed there. Joining Nash and Todd are Arden Hart (keyboards and trumpet), Tim Cansfield (guitar) and Winston Blissett ( bass). Writing duties are largely shared between Nash and Hart but the album also contains a cover version of “Cold” by Cansfield’s sometime employer Annie Lennox. 

The album opens with Hart’s title track, an impressive statement of intent with Nash’s punchy sax, Blissett’s funky bass and Todd’s crisp, forceful polyrhythmic drumming. Powerful solos come from

Hart on keyboards ( he also doubles on trumpet) and Nash. It’s an arresting start, fun and energetic.
The pace doesn’t relent with the walloping grooves of Nash’s “Snake In The Grass” but there’s sweetness in the mix too courtesy of Nash’s sax and Hart’s keyboards. PTB’s music has a definite urban patina, to hear them you’d swear they were American, they’ve got this funk thing down so well.
Annie Lennox’s “Cold”  shows a slightly softer side to the band. Their version of the song features slow burning saxophone from Nash and soaring rock influenced guitar from Cansfield. The overall effect is powerful and dramatic, underpinned by Todd’s sturdy drumming. 

Nash’s “Rockin’ Rabbit”  fairly bounces along with a catchy hook and an insistent funk groove that provides the springboard for fiery solos from Nash, Hart on electric piano and Cansfield on guitar. This irresistible tune combines gospel,soul and rock ingredients in a single tasty, funky stew. 
Also by Nash “Riff 29” is a slice of convincing urban sounding funk with the composer’s sax to the fore. Blissett and the dynamic Todd lay down an awesome groove with Hart’s rollicking acoustic piano solo providing contrast and colour. Cansfield also gets the chance to rock out and Todd engages in some volcanic drum breaks. Great stuff. 

Hart’s “Arden’s Garden”  lowers the temperature with some soft focus soul funk featuring his own Miles Davis influenced muted trumpet. Hart also solos on keyboards, alongside Nash on sax. 

Hart’s trumpet also features on Nash’s lazily funky “Draggin’ On The Ground”, another of the album’s more laid back pieces. Todd’s inventive percussion gives the tune a Latin feel and there’s a soaring sax solo from Nash.
“Just Say Goodbye” is credited to the band as a whole and returns the band to soul ballad territory with smoochy sax and trumpet and shimmering percussion.
If the last three tracks have seen the band easing up on the pace this is only because they’ve been saving themselves for the final strait. “JBH” is a blistering funk workout that takes the grooves of James Brown as it’s starting point. Cansfield’s choppy rhythm guitar is the bedrock of the piece allied to some monster grooves from Blissett and Todd. Hart’s keyboards are funky and Nash’s sax earthy and biting. An even more dynamic coda takes the album storming out on a high note. Marvellous stuff. 
Funk on record can often be underwhelming; music that sounds exciting live can become tepid and over produced in the studio. Although PTB are best experienced in a live context where their enthusiasm, energy, showmanship and sheer technical skill is frequently breathtaking, they also buck the trend when it comes to records. The quality of the writing here, allied to the brilliant playing not only of the featured soloists but the ensemble as a whole makes for a wholly satisfying album that rewards repeated listening. The crisp,clean production by Nash and Hart is also a big plus, everybody sounds good and this is an important factor in the album’s success. There are a lot of mediocre funk albums around but “Intrepid” stands out from the pack. Even those who don’t normally like the genre should find something to enjoy here.

Nash’s recent solo recording “Snapshot” has also been reviewed on this site (http://www.thejazzmann.com/reviews/review/derek-nash-snapshot). This is a straight ahead jazz session that shows another side to his musical personality. What unites them both is a lack of pretension, an obvious love of the music and considerable technical skill. The tireless Nash is undoubtedly a force for good in British music. Long may he continue to be so.

blog comments powered by Disqus