Live review: Chamber jazz octet Superlocrian entertain the Crazy Coqs crowd in London

Superlocrian – a West Country-based ‘chamber jazz’ octet led by trumpeter and flugelhornist Sam Massey, chose the venue for the launch of their album Hills and Valleys (see review in the August issue of Jazzwise) well: the Art Deco glories of Crazy Coqs, a cabaret venue located just by London’s Piccadilly Circus, seemed weirdly suited to the group’s music. But more of that in a moment.

Massey was assisted this evening by Hugh Davies and Gavin Mallett on trumpet/flugel; Ed Leaker on soprano and alto saxes; Jade Gall on tenor and baritone sax and flute; Tom Green on trombone; and the twin tubas of Mike Poyser and Barnaby Slade.

The opener, Massey’s ‘Whitchurch Down’, set the scene: inspired by time spent in the Devon countryside during the dark days of lockdown, its folk and jazz influences were obvious; but so too was an under-appreciated form of English pastoralism, powerful and assertive. Covers of ‘A Nightingale Sang In Berkley Square’, the Carpenters’ ‘Saturday’, ‘Rain Days and Mondays’ and 'Close To You' (the latter in a Callum Au arrangement) and Glenn Miller's 'In the Mood' are great fun but what really impresses is the original material: Massey's 'Hills & Valleys' is texturally dense, richly evocative and reminiscent of the likes of Ralph Vaughan Williams and Eric Coates; Mallett's 'Ballad For Kenny' is a touching, yet powerful tribute to the late great Kenny Wheeler; '2020' features incisive tuba interventions; Green's 'Snakes' Meadow' is a joyous trombone-led romp through the grass; and 'Blues For Sid' swings mightily. 

A James Bond medley ('Nobody Does It Better', From Russia With Love', the 'James Bond Theme' and 'Skyfall') was very clever and a trumpet-led Au-arranged 'Sway' was simply superb. Another highlight was a gorgeously melancholy, flugelhorn-led cover of Benny Golson's classic Clifford Brown elegy, 'I Remember Clifford'. 

Which brings us to the venue matching the music. We’ve already mentioned Superlocrian’s jollity, wit and musical chops, which means that they’d fit in anywhere; but the lack of a bass-drums-piano rhythm section (the various brass instruments do most of the rhythmic heavy lifting, as the aforementioned 'Sway' demonstrated) gives them a slight but appealingly odd whiff of decadence, as well as a self-confident, burlesque swagger.   

Affable, witty and entertaining, Superlocrian make for a splendid night out – catch ‘em when you can.