Jazz breaking news: Michael Wollny trio [em] debut at Ronnie Scott’s
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Empirical and Michael Wollny’s [em] were the featured artists on day two of Jazzwise to the Power of 15 last night at Ronnie Scott’s, providing an insight into two of the sharpest improvising units to emerge over the last five years.
Empirical, the cerebral hard bop quartet of alto saxophonist Nathaniel Facey, vibes player Lewis Wright, bassist Tom Farmer, and drummer Shaney Forbes, who released their third album Elements of Truth last October for the UK-based Naim Jazz label played several tracks from the album including ‘Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say’, ‘Yin And Yang’, ‘In The Grill’, ‘Simple Things’, and title track ‘The Element of Truth’ during their impressively contemplative set characterised by a superb band empathy, feel and instinctive improvising. Forbes was at times reminiscent of Elvin Jones on loping delayed cymbal touches and rhythmic flourishes, while Facey with line-after-line of serious melodic and harmonic ideas coming thick and fast was underpinned by the Bobby Hutcherson-like attack of vibesman Wright, with Farmer an inspiring presence throughout. The band were adept at finishing each other’s musical sentences, an elusive knack that so few manage to achieve. It was a special occasion for Facey as well, as a smiling Shaney Forbes let the applauding Ronnie’s audience into the fact that Facey is engaged to be married.
It was the Berlin trio [em]’s first ever gig at Ronnie’s last night and the band, which has been together now for a decade, has just released the staggeringly accomplished Wasted & Wanted, a remarkable alchemy of improvising based around original songs and treatments of Mahler, Schubert and the joker in the pack Kraftwerk’s The Model’. Later in their set the autobahn from Düsseldorf led directly to the West End in an extended improvised interpretation of the electronic music pioneers’ floor filler that led to calls for two encores.
[Em], pianist Wollny whose wondrous technique and improvisational candour is simply to be heard to be believed, sonically distinctive bassist Eva Kruse, and risk taking drummer Eric Schaefer who enveloped his sound with microphone atmospherics, picking up the melodica at one stage, and using a kind of gossamer whip to add texture and velocity to his part, gave it his all, even losing a stick to the front row as he let rip. Schubert’s ‘Ihr Bild’ was imaginatively deconstructed and sounded completely unmannered. Less of a poignant swan song, more a subtle and tender statement of intent, while Mahler’s ‘Trauermarsch’ from the 5th Symphony helped build momentum early on. A quite superb performance. Hopefully their return to the UK will be rapid.
– Stephen Graham
Empirical (pictured, top) and Michael Wollny's [em]. Photos: Roger Thomas
Jazzwise to the Power of 15 continues tonight at Ronnie Scott’s with the first of two shows by the great Ron Carter, who brings his Foursight band featuring pianist Renee Rosnes to the club. Support is from the fine soul- and jazz-influenced singer Zara McFarlane and her band. This concert has now sold out.