The Cookers turn up the heat at Church of Sound

Gearbox Records have spared no cost in the production of The Cookers current album, Look Out!, and if David Weiss’s (trumpet, arranger, announcer) emphatic “Look OUT!” is a manifesto, it was proven by the music’s bold flamboyancy, its extrovert drive, its demanding honesty and humane essence. This was music of intense now-ness, created by legends, five of them not far either side of eighty years old, and who have carried the flame at the forefront of jazz movements since the 1960s.

Donald Harrison was not to be with us that night, and his shoes were ably filled by the always curious and inventive Craig Handy on alto. His solos were beguiling and engaging ‘in spite’, and thankfully eschewing saxophonic stylistic clichés.

Billy Harper [79] occupied a leadership stance throughout, and as several of his tunes (‘Destiny Is Yours’, ‘Croquet Ballet’, ‘Call of The Wild And Peaceful Heart’ etc.) caught fire – his figure cutting a demi-god-like stature, even without the famed black leather cape.

His viscous, chocolaty tone and depth-charge bursts from the bottom of his range were a stark contrast to the current trend for a post-bop homogeneity of tone in the newer generation of saxophone sounds. Harper’s improvisations were matured to the point of essence: distillations of a poetic or devotional text.

Cecil McBee [86], on bass and again a contributor of materials ‘Cat’s Out Of The Bag’ and ‘Mutima’, whose presence on legendary recordings is inestimable, was a picture of grace. His tone and timing were simply brilliant – and thank you, Gearbox and Church of Sound, for getting the bass sound right... – as that USA penchant for ostinati, developing across rich harmonic episodes, he enunciated with such authority and care in tandem with his wingman, the great George Cables. Who doesn’t like a piano-bass unison structure running through their late 1960s hard-bop anthems?

Cables [77], couldn’t have been more eloquent and focused on his dual duties of left-hand support, topped with McCoy Tyner-like pulsations and florid colourings of bell-like down-pourings. His bop lines were fully intact on more densely harmonised passages. He contributed several compositions including ‘The Mystery of Monifa Brown’.

David Weiss is no slouch on flugel horn and trumpet, and his individualistic style of cascades and torrents of well-informed lyricism once again made a nonsense of this tribute-esque ‘sound-mining’ of current trends in both the US and the UK, but our utter glee was reserved for the trumpet sound of Eddie Henderson [81], his fire and accuracy undiminished.

The odd pin did drop during his ballad feature, but they effected no break in the intensely listening, diverse and youthful crowd’s appreciation of a masterclass in balance and melodic poise, purity of tone and articulate intention.

Billy Hart [81] I mention last. It cannot be overstated how much Hart bore up the cohesion of intention, spirit of fire and grace, musical structure, and expressive verve of this band. He was constantly inventive within arrangements, creating intensely sustained transitions between and under soloists. His 15-minute solo in the second set was nothing short of transcendent. Its construction, dynamic and unworldly intensity was such that it officially stands alone in its category as a drum solo that had me and many of my peers around me in tears.