The concert opened with the empty stage filling up one by one with the pianist Robert Mitchell arriving first and at the Steinway (he also plays a lovely sounding Hammond organ) kicks out the first theme, followed by bassist Vidal Montgomery, drummer Robert Fordjour (whose effortless rhythmic innovation and subtle syncopated invention throughout the gig was a sheer delight and gave the whole team a rock solid structure from which Courtney is free to improvise). All the guys are black (am i allowed to say this) it looks good and while Montgomery is from Tottenham and Fordjour from Croydon and Mitchell from Ilford, Courtney reveals he shares a North West London upbringing with me! This comes up when he dedicates a piece which he performs on the bass flute (a unusual choice for a jazz musician but wow what a lovely bassy sort of vibe and Courtney brings his very percussive finger technique to this instrument too) call "Change has gotta come" not really referencing musically the great Sam Cooke's piece but an elegy in memory of those who are "caught up" in the Grenfell tower disaster - maybe trying to bring some sort of anthem for disadvantaged and marginalised communities in Britain . Very tuneful and reflective (rare in this concert )with a falling melody and a reminder of the London roots of these guys - what a quintet.
Robert Mitchell brings a smooth tight piano style to some understated jazz piano accompaniment and also that amazing Hammond organ sound - never overprominent but distinctive in the mix . We learn later that the sound engineer is Maxine Gilmour, who has a challenge to balance the acoustic Sax from a performer who wonders round the stage to riff with the piano, organ, bass and the highly amplified wiri and the bass flute. Its well done.
There was no printed programme so apologies for artist spelling mistakes. There is no photograph with this blog because we were asked not to take photographs (and I was ticked off for taking notes!) . So here's one fromFalmouth Princess Pavilions in 2011
When Courtney Pine enters ....he has a big build wears an African styled tie died poncho top, has flowing black long curled locks and he wears a pale head bandana, and slightly incongruous orange trainers and is looking trim and well n(better than his gig at the Princess Pavilions in Falmouth some years ago) - his virtuosic playing of tenor saxophone - an instrument which is simply an extension of his astonishing breathing mechanism - seems to bring no physical exhaustion throughout the evening despite the incredible finger dexterity . We are then immediately introduced to the co star "Omar" - a singer from a show and soul background but whose scat, lyrics and improvisation brings a contrasted popular song style to Pine's somewhat free jazz style music. In working with a singer like Omar (Lye Fook) Courtney Pine reveals himself not only as a generous musician ( welcoming the newcomer to Truro, deferring to him) but also conscious of a need for him to have a stage and musical foil to engage with the audience.
And Pine is immediately engaging with the audience with whom he immediately establishes a 6th performer - asking for rhythmic support for clapping and (at the end having a mini teaching competition with Omar splitting the audience in half for a call and response game) - it helps that this is a return visit to Truro - though he comments on the somewhat older age group in the audience. It is obviously a concern for him that there are few young audiences in the UK for jazz. This is very different from the situation in North America and in Europe - France, Germany and Holland where there are droves of young audiences for jazz. He has a good rapport with the audience frequently wondering round the fold-back speakers down stage to play and also engage with those audience members he can see ( a problem for musicians at the Hall for Cornwall which has a way of feeling remote from the audience)
Courtney's natural playing style is really free jazz after exponents like Miles Davis and Ornette Coleman to explore the extremes of the saxophone sound and technical limitations - while we begin with a vocally led piece displaying an attractive and vibe filled. We riff through the Magic Roundabout theme (a favourite I think) in the cross to the first stamp that Pine puts on the concert with a superb demonstration of his mastery of the sax. His astonishing finger speed and percussive use of the keys is all part of his charisma.
Later in the show he references jazz standards like Billy Taylor's theme tune to the Barry Norman TV film programme to please an audience who though willing to go with him and largely "on board" fans are necessarily bewildered by some of the stranger landscapes which are his musical language.
Omar by contrast sings some soul inspired standards but also include his 1991 hit single "There is nothing like this" a ballad I suppose which is gentle delights the audience, some of whom are familiar with this song (I was not). He too reveals himself as a very grounded performer...there is nothing spectacular (like Courtney) but its giving and the lyrics -if you could catch them - feel good.
And Courtney he rings the changes on all three instruments (saxophone, bass flute and wiri) throughout the evening, it is in the final demonstration of his skill on the tenor sax which shows how his whole frame is engaged with the instrument and the music - he loves Jazz. Crazily extended length notes are demonstrated using effortless circular breathing and his ability to bring broad tonal colour from the high register harmonics of the instrument (a feature of his earlier concert) showing amazing technique with hands free harmonic exploration ........ this is the virtuoso at work and he is really in a astonishing class of performer....but musically it will be interesting to see where these music collaborations go and how UK jazz can connect more with the zeitgeist will that be hip hop, grime or a more melodic and cool jazz
This concert was a rare music highlight in the Hall for Cornwall music programme which having just seen the Autumn 2017 season which is a near clone of several previous seasons as far as serious music in concerned John Lill, Tamsin Little, Academy of Ancient Music - good musicians but why the exact same line up AGAIN - its not as if classical music does not have a plethora of competing musical offers? Its as if we are stuck in Groundhog Day. Courtney Pine himself referred in the concert to just how many tribute bands are programmed in Cornwall's premier arts venue (?) and suggested maybe he should come as a tribute to himself next time. Its his second visit after touring with Zoe Rahman last year (a gig I missed). But I did see him in Falmouth in I think 2011 where his programme went on forever and was very loud and free jazz driven. Here we had two 45 minute sessions which maybe suited the audience but they clamoured for two encores and got them. The audience was not huge I should guess 300 but if the HfC is not established as a venue for great music then maybe its difficult to remind people that occasionally there can be a pearl.
Robert Mitchell brings a smooth tight piano style to some understated jazz piano accompaniment and also that amazing Hammond organ sound - never overprominent but distinctive in the mix . We learn later that the sound engineer is Maxine Gilmour, who has a challenge to balance the acoustic Sax from a performer who wonders round the stage to riff with the piano, organ, bass and the highly amplified wiri and the bass flute. Its well done.
There was no printed programme so apologies for artist spelling mistakes. There is no photograph with this blog because we were asked not to take photographs (and I was ticked off for taking notes!) . So here's one fromFalmouth Princess Pavilions in 2011
When Courtney Pine enters ....he has a big build wears an African styled tie died poncho top, has flowing black long curled locks and he wears a pale head bandana, and slightly incongruous orange trainers and is looking trim and well n(better than his gig at the Princess Pavilions in Falmouth some years ago) - his virtuosic playing of tenor saxophone - an instrument which is simply an extension of his astonishing breathing mechanism - seems to bring no physical exhaustion throughout the evening despite the incredible finger dexterity . We are then immediately introduced to the co star "Omar" - a singer from a show and soul background but whose scat, lyrics and improvisation brings a contrasted popular song style to Pine's somewhat free jazz style music. In working with a singer like Omar (Lye Fook) Courtney Pine reveals himself not only as a generous musician ( welcoming the newcomer to Truro, deferring to him) but also conscious of a need for him to have a stage and musical foil to engage with the audience.
And Pine is immediately engaging with the audience with whom he immediately establishes a 6th performer - asking for rhythmic support for clapping and (at the end having a mini teaching competition with Omar splitting the audience in half for a call and response game) - it helps that this is a return visit to Truro - though he comments on the somewhat older age group in the audience. It is obviously a concern for him that there are few young audiences in the UK for jazz. This is very different from the situation in North America and in Europe - France, Germany and Holland where there are droves of young audiences for jazz. He has a good rapport with the audience frequently wondering round the fold-back speakers down stage to play and also engage with those audience members he can see ( a problem for musicians at the Hall for Cornwall which has a way of feeling remote from the audience)
Courtney's natural playing style is really free jazz after exponents like Miles Davis and Ornette Coleman to explore the extremes of the saxophone sound and technical limitations - while we begin with a vocally led piece displaying an attractive and vibe filled. We riff through the Magic Roundabout theme (a favourite I think) in the cross to the first stamp that Pine puts on the concert with a superb demonstration of his mastery of the sax. His astonishing finger speed and percussive use of the keys is all part of his charisma.
Later in the show he references jazz standards like Billy Taylor's theme tune to the Barry Norman TV film programme to please an audience who though willing to go with him and largely "on board" fans are necessarily bewildered by some of the stranger landscapes which are his musical language.
Omar by contrast sings some soul inspired standards but also include his 1991 hit single "There is nothing like this" a ballad I suppose which is gentle delights the audience, some of whom are familiar with this song (I was not). He too reveals himself as a very grounded performer...there is nothing spectacular (like Courtney) but its giving and the lyrics -if you could catch them - feel good.
And Courtney he rings the changes on all three instruments (saxophone, bass flute and wiri) throughout the evening, it is in the final demonstration of his skill on the tenor sax which shows how his whole frame is engaged with the instrument and the music - he loves Jazz. Crazily extended length notes are demonstrated using effortless circular breathing and his ability to bring broad tonal colour from the high register harmonics of the instrument (a feature of his earlier concert) showing amazing technique with hands free harmonic exploration ........ this is the virtuoso at work and he is really in a astonishing class of performer....but musically it will be interesting to see where these music collaborations go and how UK jazz can connect more with the zeitgeist will that be hip hop, grime or a more melodic and cool jazz
This concert was a rare music highlight in the Hall for Cornwall music programme which having just seen the Autumn 2017 season which is a near clone of several previous seasons as far as serious music in concerned John Lill, Tamsin Little, Academy of Ancient Music - good musicians but why the exact same line up AGAIN - its not as if classical music does not have a plethora of competing musical offers? Its as if we are stuck in Groundhog Day. Courtney Pine himself referred in the concert to just how many tribute bands are programmed in Cornwall's premier arts venue (?) and suggested maybe he should come as a tribute to himself next time. Its his second visit after touring with Zoe Rahman last year (a gig I missed). But I did see him in Falmouth in I think 2011 where his programme went on forever and was very loud and free jazz driven. Here we had two 45 minute sessions which maybe suited the audience but they clamoured for two encores and got them. The audience was not huge I should guess 300 but if the HfC is not established as a venue for great music then maybe its difficult to remind people that occasionally there can be a pearl.
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