THE BUTTON BAND & THE ANT LAW TRIO
At The Golden Hynde Clink Street, London SE1 9DG 31st March 2016
At The Golden Hynde Clink Street, London SE1 9DG 31st March 2016
The reproduction of St Francis Drake's Tudor ship "The Golden Hynde" has become one of the most eccentric and iconic jazz venues in the capital. From humble beginnings under a railway arch The Jazz Nursery, as it is called, opens it's decks on the last Thursday of each month to the very best in contemporary jazz and improvised music. As the vessel is an exact replica of the original from the circumnavigation of the globe (1577- 1580) access for the maximum 100 patrons is anything but easy, "mind your ahead and hold on to the ropes" is the clarion call. However once safely on the lower deck the atmosphere is all but electric (something Drake never experienced).
The opening set on my recent visit was led by the John Schofield/Bill Frisell influenced Andy Button on guitar, alongside tenorist Andy Woolfe (ex Bobby McFerrin and Kenny Wheeler) with the in demand Dave Mannington on bass and Marek Doric at the drums. Overcoming the disadvantages of a broken leg and troublesome amplifier, the leader led his tight and well rehearsed band through six of his own very original compositions. Their style can best be described as post modern chamber jazz utilising a conversational approach between guitar and tenor as the front line. Highlights of the set were the ballad "Nothing At All" featuring sultry tenor on a strong melody and a fine guitar solo augmented by a brief wordless vocal, alongside "What A Pity" with a lengthy reflective guitar in tribute to an ex German girlfriend.
The opening set on my recent visit was led by the John Schofield/Bill Frisell influenced Andy Button on guitar, alongside tenorist Andy Woolfe (ex Bobby McFerrin and Kenny Wheeler) with the in demand Dave Mannington on bass and Marek Doric at the drums. Overcoming the disadvantages of a broken leg and troublesome amplifier, the leader led his tight and well rehearsed band through six of his own very original compositions. Their style can best be described as post modern chamber jazz utilising a conversational approach between guitar and tenor as the front line. Highlights of the set were the ballad "Nothing At All" featuring sultry tenor on a strong melody and a fine guitar solo augmented by a brief wordless vocal, alongside "What A Pity" with a lengthy reflective guitar in tribute to an ex German girlfriend.
After the break it was time for The Ant Law Trio. The leader is a real innovator and original voice on guitar, his recent album "Zero Sum World" (Whirlwind 4683) is clear evidence of this, along with his time as a Grammy Award winning sideman with Chick Corea. The band was completed by leading bass player and composer Matt Ridley (see our review of his latest release "Metta") plus the impressive Dave Hamblett on drums. It was clear from the opening drum intro to "Satellite" that we were listening to three masters of their craft from the vanguard of the new wave of jazz in Britain. The interplay between all three musicians bordered on the telepathic, particularly illustrated on the high tempo "A Bar In Nigeria" from the leaders first album. As absorbing as this original music was , the standard gained even greater hights for an interpretation of the Wayne Shorter classic "Infant Eyes" where stunning bowed bass, subtle brush work from the drums and delicate subdued guitar silenced even the revelers who had gathered in the ship's bows. Thing's came to an all too premature close with high tempo exchanges on "Entanglement" where guitar notes were distorted in a way only even dreamed of by Jimmy Hendrix.
Change is inevitable in all world's and to that effect we were told that The Jazz Nursery is once again moving on, this time to a yet unspecified venue in the Waterloo area. You can catch up with all the news and watch clips from The Golden Hynde gigs at www.jazznursery.com
Reviewed by Jim Burlong
Change is inevitable in all world's and to that effect we were told that The Jazz Nursery is once again moving on, this time to a yet unspecified venue in the Waterloo area. You can catch up with all the news and watch clips from The Golden Hynde gigs at www.jazznursery.com
Reviewed by Jim Burlong
