The Jazz Defenders launch their new album Memory In Motion at Pizza Express Jazz Club

The Jazz Defenders are a spectacle to experience live. Led by pianist George Cooper, their sound is grounded in the slick and sophisticated hard bop style which was perfected by the Blue Note label from the late 1950s until the mid 1960s. With the release of their latest album Memory in Motion, this quintet have once again displayed themselves as the foremost ‘defenders’ of this classic sound.

From the first moments of this gig at Pizza Express Soho, the electricity was palpable. Nick Malcolm on trumpet and Jake McMurchie on tenor sax fronted the quintet in style: Malcolm played with the exuberant energy and crisp articulation of Lee Morgan and Freddie Hubbard, whilst McMurchie’s solos strongly echoed Hank Mobley’s heavy swing and Wayne Shorter’s intelligent phrasing. In unison they were tight, in harmony they sang, and as individual soloists they dazzled. Drummer Ian Matthews played the role of Art Blakey, the rhythmic powerhouse of the quintet, and double bassist Will Harris impressed as both a soloist and composer. Cooper tied the whole band together, his own playing strongly inspired by the styles and rhythms of Horace Silver.

For a number of the compositions, it is hard to believe that they were written in 2024 – not 1964. ‘Fuffle Kershuffle’ and ‘Snakebite Playfight’ are high-proof distilled hard bop tunes, built around catchy walking basslines, bouncy piano vamps, and punchy horn lines. The performance of the newly released ’Meanderthal’ was the highlight of the evening; starting out with a syncopated piano vamp, it then exploded into a catchy horn melody beginning as classic blues and ending in a cascading whole tone riff. Absolutely brilliant.

There were also tasteful moments of stylistic contrast. There was an early 1970s jazz funk vibe for much of the second set, with Harris switching to electric bass and Cooper experimenting with electric piano and jazz organ. ‘Enigma’ took the form of a stripped back duet between acoustic piano and double bass – undoubtably the most lyrical and introspective moment of the evening. There was even a guest appearance from rapper, comedian, and actor Doc Brown, who brought a modern hip-hop energy to the tune ‘Rolling On a High’. In a gig dominated by nostalgic, old-school sounds, this wrapped things up on a surprisingly contemporary note.