SAM BRAYSHER / MICHAEL KANAN QUARTET
Live At The Verdict Jazz Club Brighton - 8th September 2017
Live At The Verdict Jazz Club Brighton - 8th September 2017
Alto saxophonist Sam Braysher came to the highly acclaimed Verdict Jazz Club in Brighton's Kemp Town district alongside American pianist Michael Kanan as part of an eight gig launch tour to promote his debut album "Golden Earings" (Fresh Sound New Talent FSNT 1007) which was reviewed by Eddie Myer in our Setember Reviews.
A graduate of The Guildhall School Of Music, the twenty eight year old has performed with UK A listers Barry Green, John Warren, Mark Nightingale and many others in a freelance career that has not only covered many jazz genres but taken him to performance spaces at The Royal Festival Hall, Barbican and Kings Place plus Ronnie Scotts and The Vortex. In 2016 Sam traveled to New York to meet the US pianist and record his debut album as a leader. Michael Kanan, now a resident of Brooklyn but originally from Boston Massachusetts has influences stretching back to the legendary Lennie Tristano and has performed with jazz greats Lee Konitz and Tal Farlow. These days he can be found in the company of leading contemporary musicians like saxophonist Mark Turner and bass man Jorge Rossi whist also travelling the world with top vocalist Jane Monheit and recording albums with his own trio. For the Verdict gig they were joined by the highly rated Italian bass player Dario Di Leece and first call UK drummer Steve Brown.
It was almost "House Full" signs as the entirely acoustic quartet took to the Verdict stage, that was totally devoid of wiring and electrical apparatus, for one of the very few times since it's inception. The band were able to make an immediate strong connection with the audience whose sustained applause at the end of the first number as Rogers and Hart's "There's A Small Hotel" set the scene for two superb sets of jazz interpretations of The Great American Song Book, lesser known gems and samples from the leader's duo album. The London based saxophonist processes a sweet tone, coupled with a strong and direct approach, which enables him to convincingly deliver and extend the lines of each theme before making them his own with cliche free improvisations. We were soon also to experience the true might of the American pianist on Jimmy Van Heusen's "Like Someone In Love", a piece which has often proved to be the ideal vehicle for experimentation. His opening unaccompanied solo was nothing less than exquisite and led to extended contributions from alto and bass over highly imaginative drumming from the superb Steve Brown and numerous tempo changes. From the almost post bop of the original "BSP", and the in depth investigation of "C Jam Blues", that Duke would surely have approved of, along with the jaw dropping solo piano performance on "Over The Rainbow", the standard never dropped once over two superb sets. In a style described by Verdict proprietor Andy Lavender as "Retro Progressive" this was one gig that satisfied all who were lucky enough to be there.
For further information visit: www.sambraysher.com / www.michaelkanan.com / www.freshsoundsrecords.com
Reviewed by Jim Burlong
A graduate of The Guildhall School Of Music, the twenty eight year old has performed with UK A listers Barry Green, John Warren, Mark Nightingale and many others in a freelance career that has not only covered many jazz genres but taken him to performance spaces at The Royal Festival Hall, Barbican and Kings Place plus Ronnie Scotts and The Vortex. In 2016 Sam traveled to New York to meet the US pianist and record his debut album as a leader. Michael Kanan, now a resident of Brooklyn but originally from Boston Massachusetts has influences stretching back to the legendary Lennie Tristano and has performed with jazz greats Lee Konitz and Tal Farlow. These days he can be found in the company of leading contemporary musicians like saxophonist Mark Turner and bass man Jorge Rossi whist also travelling the world with top vocalist Jane Monheit and recording albums with his own trio. For the Verdict gig they were joined by the highly rated Italian bass player Dario Di Leece and first call UK drummer Steve Brown.
It was almost "House Full" signs as the entirely acoustic quartet took to the Verdict stage, that was totally devoid of wiring and electrical apparatus, for one of the very few times since it's inception. The band were able to make an immediate strong connection with the audience whose sustained applause at the end of the first number as Rogers and Hart's "There's A Small Hotel" set the scene for two superb sets of jazz interpretations of The Great American Song Book, lesser known gems and samples from the leader's duo album. The London based saxophonist processes a sweet tone, coupled with a strong and direct approach, which enables him to convincingly deliver and extend the lines of each theme before making them his own with cliche free improvisations. We were soon also to experience the true might of the American pianist on Jimmy Van Heusen's "Like Someone In Love", a piece which has often proved to be the ideal vehicle for experimentation. His opening unaccompanied solo was nothing less than exquisite and led to extended contributions from alto and bass over highly imaginative drumming from the superb Steve Brown and numerous tempo changes. From the almost post bop of the original "BSP", and the in depth investigation of "C Jam Blues", that Duke would surely have approved of, along with the jaw dropping solo piano performance on "Over The Rainbow", the standard never dropped once over two superb sets. In a style described by Verdict proprietor Andy Lavender as "Retro Progressive" this was one gig that satisfied all who were lucky enough to be there.
For further information visit: www.sambraysher.com / www.michaelkanan.com / www.freshsoundsrecords.com
Reviewed by Jim Burlong
