RADIO BANSKA
LIVE AT ST IVES JAZZ CLUB 25th AUGUST 2015
St Ives Jazz Club has recently been given the Parliamentary Award as the Jazz Venue Of The Year. Naturally therefore I felt it only right to take a look during a recent holiday in Cornwall!
The club is situated in the Western Hotel on Gabriel Street, and it does not take long to appreciate why such an award has been bestowed upon the club. Known locally as "The Last Jazz Club Before New York" the room is on two levels set out in cabaret style with standing room as well as candle lit tables and low lighting. A deep red dominates the colour scheme making for an intimate ambience and atmosphere. Capacity looks to be well over one hundred patrons.
The performance space is large for this type of club, very well lit and boasts a superb high end sound system. The bar is on the upper floor and does not impinge on the performance. Sight lines are very good from all parts of the club. The venue opened in 1998 and looks to have made steady progress to it's present illustrious status. The organizers are friendly and enthusiastic, the compere greeting the crowd with the words " Welcome to Britian's and the World's Greatest Jazz Club" Somehow it seemed an almost plausible statement.
In recent times many "A" list performers have taken to the club's stage on a weekly basis including Mike Westbrook, Ian Shaw, Tommy Smith and Laura Jurd. Not being too much of a fan of so called"World Music" I was somewhat fearful of what I was about to witness. Most of my fears were unfounded.
The club is situated in the Western Hotel on Gabriel Street, and it does not take long to appreciate why such an award has been bestowed upon the club. Known locally as "The Last Jazz Club Before New York" the room is on two levels set out in cabaret style with standing room as well as candle lit tables and low lighting. A deep red dominates the colour scheme making for an intimate ambience and atmosphere. Capacity looks to be well over one hundred patrons.
The performance space is large for this type of club, very well lit and boasts a superb high end sound system. The bar is on the upper floor and does not impinge on the performance. Sight lines are very good from all parts of the club. The venue opened in 1998 and looks to have made steady progress to it's present illustrious status. The organizers are friendly and enthusiastic, the compere greeting the crowd with the words " Welcome to Britian's and the World's Greatest Jazz Club" Somehow it seemed an almost plausible statement.
In recent times many "A" list performers have taken to the club's stage on a weekly basis including Mike Westbrook, Ian Shaw, Tommy Smith and Laura Jurd. Not being too much of a fan of so called"World Music" I was somewhat fearful of what I was about to witness. Most of my fears were unfounded.
Radio Banska is a quintet who describe their style as a fusion of genre defying ethnic music and jazz utilising tight arrangements, Latin rythems, improvisation, Balkan passion and Lavantine mystery. ( Banska is a town in central Slovenia, on the Hron river.) The line up is normally violin, rythm guitar, electric lead guitar, bass and drums. On this occasion violinist Nina Trott was unable to appear and replaced by a saxophonist. The full band on stage was: Craig Crofton (tnr, & sop saxes) Dave Spencer (lead gtr) Tony Barber (ryt gtr) Sol Ahmed (bs) Justin Fellows (drs).
Hurtling into an un-named original to begin with it was apparent that the soprano sax was going to be well out front and take the violin part, and the lead guitar would supply most of the improvised solo's. Reminiscences of Bechet were brought to mind on the ballad "Get Over It" composed by Dave Spencer who's thoughtful guitar interludes throughout the evening were outstanding. As the first set progressed we were to hear music inspired by many of the eastern bloc countries with the rythem section providing the atmosphere behind the soprano and lead guitar.
The musical setting changed when Craig Crofton took to the tenor on "Zigan Tango", his style being brooding and magnificient above subtle brush work from the excellent Justin Fellows and a commanding bass solo from Sol Ahmed. It later emerged that the saxophonist had lead the bop inspired quartet "Freight" and had recently held a master class at The Umbria Jazz Festival. Closing the first set was the rollicking group sound of "Hound Of The Banskavilles" and the latin tinged "Emo Latino". We had been treated to no less than ten numbers in forty six minutes, fascinating stuff, but with little opportunity for any of the players to really stretch out.
Set two began with rythm guitarist Tony Barber introducing the Tirang, a ten stringed lute like instrument allegedly made from the hollowed out shell of an armadillo and with an ideal sound for the South American folk music that followed. We were soon back to the jazz with the surprising inclusion of "Revile" a number from the composer and saxophonist John Zorn that featured more snake charming from the soprano and use of a timbale alongside the drum kit. It was not long before the tenor was reintroduced on the ballad "Country Mile" plus the band's album title track "Balkan Courtesan", once again reed playing of the highest order.
Lead guitarist Dave Spencer showed us his Kenny Burrell styled single note runs on "What a Frozen Waste" before the bowed base highlighted another original "Were Not In Kansas City Now".The guitar stayed out front with the deep and searching, politically based "Mossad Blues" and after further soprano gymnastics on " Isfahan" (not the Ellington version) the concert closed with the rip roaring "Syllabub" as an encore.
Radio Banska have recently appeared at jazz festivals in Marlborough, Bude, Bath and Upton On Severn. You can keep up to date with forthcoming gigs and sample the music at www.radiobanska.wix.com.
Reviewed by Jim Burlong
Hurtling into an un-named original to begin with it was apparent that the soprano sax was going to be well out front and take the violin part, and the lead guitar would supply most of the improvised solo's. Reminiscences of Bechet were brought to mind on the ballad "Get Over It" composed by Dave Spencer who's thoughtful guitar interludes throughout the evening were outstanding. As the first set progressed we were to hear music inspired by many of the eastern bloc countries with the rythem section providing the atmosphere behind the soprano and lead guitar.
The musical setting changed when Craig Crofton took to the tenor on "Zigan Tango", his style being brooding and magnificient above subtle brush work from the excellent Justin Fellows and a commanding bass solo from Sol Ahmed. It later emerged that the saxophonist had lead the bop inspired quartet "Freight" and had recently held a master class at The Umbria Jazz Festival. Closing the first set was the rollicking group sound of "Hound Of The Banskavilles" and the latin tinged "Emo Latino". We had been treated to no less than ten numbers in forty six minutes, fascinating stuff, but with little opportunity for any of the players to really stretch out.
Set two began with rythm guitarist Tony Barber introducing the Tirang, a ten stringed lute like instrument allegedly made from the hollowed out shell of an armadillo and with an ideal sound for the South American folk music that followed. We were soon back to the jazz with the surprising inclusion of "Revile" a number from the composer and saxophonist John Zorn that featured more snake charming from the soprano and use of a timbale alongside the drum kit. It was not long before the tenor was reintroduced on the ballad "Country Mile" plus the band's album title track "Balkan Courtesan", once again reed playing of the highest order.
Lead guitarist Dave Spencer showed us his Kenny Burrell styled single note runs on "What a Frozen Waste" before the bowed base highlighted another original "Were Not In Kansas City Now".The guitar stayed out front with the deep and searching, politically based "Mossad Blues" and after further soprano gymnastics on " Isfahan" (not the Ellington version) the concert closed with the rip roaring "Syllabub" as an encore.
Radio Banska have recently appeared at jazz festivals in Marlborough, Bude, Bath and Upton On Severn. You can keep up to date with forthcoming gigs and sample the music at www.radiobanska.wix.com.
Reviewed by Jim Burlong
