Jesse Davis and Billy Hart come out swinging with the Damon Brown International Quintet

Davis, a former student of Ellis Marsalis at the New Orleans Centre for Creative Arts, received the prestigious ‘Most Outstanding Musician’ Downbeat award in 1989 and since that time has recorded a steady flow of albums for Concord as leader. Hart’s back catalogue as a sideman is a veritable who’s who of jazz greats and so the venue held a warm sense of anticipation, which the International Quintet didn’t disappoint.

Brown (above) mixed up his own compositions with a selection of standard tunes, and as a composer writes interesting melodies. His arrangements make good use of the quintet line-up with well-conceived rhythm section vamp figures and trumpet-sax harmonised melodies (the quirky cross-rhythm vamp of jazz waltz ‘Kit Kat’ comes to mind). Although the weighty tradition of this combination of instruments evokes a sound-legacy that is challenging to escape from, Brown’s originals successfully provided interesting vehicles to launch his soloists.

On his way to the bandstand the ever-friendly Hart commented: “I hope you like loud drummers!” The opening bars of ‘Blues for Somebody Else’ (Steve Grossman) proved he wasn’t kidding as the drummer (now in his seventies) thunderously raised the temperature gauge sky-high before settling into a cymbal-time simmer. Bombastic drum interjections characterised the evening, creating energy overloads that only a drummer of Hart’s standing could pull off with impunity.

Brown led his group with confidence and as a soloist really knows how to move through the gears, shaping his lines with an increasing intensity while incorporating a pleasing motivic logic. The leader described sideman Davis as “lyrical and soulful” and the saxophonist performed with fluidity of ideas throughout. However, the sharp-suited reeds man hit top speed during the Duke Pearson number ‘Jeannine’, sweating through a monumental solo of focussed musical intent. Davis listened with obvious contentment throughout each of pianist Paul Kirkby’s solos whereas bassist Martin Zenker solidly led the band through each high-energy drum explosion, demonstrating a skilful use of double-stops throughout the night. Overall, although the gig was not without its blemishes, talent abounded and the leadership of Brown counterbalanced by the gravitas of Hart made for an interesting evening of jazz.

– Jamie Fyffe

– Photos by Roger Thomas