Lauren Kinsella Trio sparkle at The Yard, Manchester

Tucked away behind Cheetham Hill’s builders’ merchants and clothing wholesalers is The Yard, a newly refurbished hub for Manchester’s creative types. At its heart is a midsized concert space, decked out with patterned rugs, pot plant ‘feature walls’ and floor-to-ceiling textile drapes. On a summer’s evening, audiences are bathed in natural light for an entire set. It’s a thoroughly pleasant place to be.

The Yard is one of NQ Jazz’s new homes, hosting Ant Law, Norma Winstone and Soweto Kinch to date. Here, Irish vocalist Lauren Kinsella and her trio (saxophonist Tom Challenger and drummer Dave Smith) took to the stage for a single hour-and-a-half set in front of a select, socially distanced crowd.

This is jazz for those who prefer their Monks of the Meredith variety. Kinsella’s vocal delivery ranges from crystal-clear clarity through to almost total concealment, and there are nods to a whole history of experimental vocal music in her improvisations, from Cathy Berberian and Laurie Anderson to the additive textures of Georges Aperghis. Smith’s drumming was strikingly melodic; there was even enough hush to make out the individual drum pitches in ‘Radicle (a plant’s first root)’.

‘Mac Tíre’ (Irish for wolf) began in delicate parallel, Challenger contributing quivering multiphonics before unleashing a streaming solo, egged on by Smith. Overall though, it’s music of subtle touches – a music box creeps in from nowhere, gentle almost-words fly overhead, grooves build slowly and depart even more nonchalantly. There’s also a heavy introspective element to the trio’s sound, inviting reflection on the seam of conservational commentary that runs through the set. That pensive state eventually caved, and Smith’s trap-ish grooves summoned some of the urgency with which the ensuing crisis should be tackled. Kinsella’s ability to unlock some of those thoughts enhances the power of an already sparkling trio.