Matt Wates Sextet swing-hard in Shepperton

Altoist Matt Wates has been leading his sextet for something over 25 years now. What’s more, he has been producing a steady stream of original compositions for the group throughout that time. And recording them. In other words, Wates and his group are a kind of benign throw-back to the days when modern jazz combos endured year on year, touring regularly and maintaining momentum. The worlds of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, Cannonball Adderley’s Quintet and Horace Silver’s bands, in fact. It’s no surprise, then, that his pieces tend to follow their hard bop template, mostly opening with a clarion phrase, nicely voiced, usually jubilant, often repeated with neat turnarounds before the soloists come in, their extended improvisations invariably backed with neatly crafted figures, each number topped and tailed carefully. There’s nothing untidy or straggly in a Wates composition.

Of course, for all this enterprise to come off as it should, you need durability of personnel, a common commitment to the cause and a level of creativity that matches the leaders’ intentions. Well, it’s pleasing to report that Wates and his team were fully up that task. I hadn’t seen the group for a year or three and it was a delight to find them in such vigorous form, each man straining at the leash. Still with Wates himself as set on a stirring outcome as ever, those time-worn jokes aside, trumpeter Steve Fishwick and tenorist Steve Main as a compelling front line and the one-man keyboard tsunami that is Leon Greening, the solo firepower was everything that might be desired. Add in the mighty swing generated by bassist Alec Dankworth and drummer Matt Home and you might have imagined yourself in hard-bop heaven.

Wates’ ‘Heatwave’ set the pace, the saxophone duo kicking off, Main offering his Coltrane-with-guts tenor before veteran bassist Dankworth’s sturdy solo and Greening’s impassioned outing. ‘Gin and Bitters’ gave Fishwick his turn to strut, his linear style with its harmonic cut and thrust as striking as ever, the riffs piling in behind him. He took to the flugelhorn on the ¾ time ‘Hill Street’ before a ballad feature for Wates himself, still channeling something of Adderley and Pepper in a case of brotherly love as ‘What Good is Spring’ was by his twin brother Rupert and very nice it was, sensitive and concise. ‘After Hours’ was said by Wates to be a tribute to Ray Charles and Greening gave it a bluesy push, heavily chorded thrusts balanced by Powell-like effusions. So, strong music throughout. No let up, variation and creativity just right, the only mystery being the lack of audience numbers.

Nigel Price has set himself a challenge in booking top names for his newly stream-lined version of this established club. Prices are right, the sound is great and the setting is friendly. His roster of bookings is tops, too. All he needs now is more punters through the door. So get to it!

For all further bookings at Shepperton Jazz Club visit www.sheppertonjazzclub.co.uk – see a video from the gig below