Kairos 4tet - Get Up, Stand Up

But for the group’s leader Adam Waldmann music is only one part of what the group is all about. Interview: Selwyn Harris

Civil unrest is right back on the agenda at the start of the second decade of the 21st century. Whether any of these seeds of political dissent will spread to an ‘alternative’ music culture in this country that has effectively been asleep in terms of political confrontation for what seems like generations, is another thing. Up until now there’s been practically nothing also to suggest that the current crop of young jazz musicians will be adding their voice to a new wave of people protest. But things might be about to change. Leading the way is Adam Waldmann, a young ex-Trinity College tenor/ soprano saxophonist-composer and leader of last year’s highly tipped acoustic ensemble Kairos 4tet. Speaking to me on a Skype connection from Holland where he’s temporarily living with his Dutch girlfriend, Waldmann tells me exactly why he is ready to stand up and be counted.

“In the political climate we are in I feel as an artist a responsibility to try and reflect my beliefs,” he says. “A lot of the music on the new CD has been influenced by the political climate in the UK at the moment. It’s so fraught politically at the moment that for me personally, unless I’m expressing beliefs that I believe to be fair and democratic it makes you feel slightly negligent. I think in a time where it’s been what’s tantamount to a swindle from the banks, and big business are let off their tax bills to a massive degree, for me personally if I’m going to put out something in the public domain then there has to be some kind of social and political consciousness behind it. It’s about finding a way to hopefully express those beliefs in a positive way that doesn’t distract from the music too much.”

This is an extract from Jazzwise Issue #151 – to read the full article click here to subscribe and receive a FREE CD...