Tim Garland and Jason Rebello's duology dazzle at Stapleford Granary

Two of the UK’s most celebrated jazz musicians came to together at Stapleford Granary to create mesmerising sounds in this resonant space. Tim Garland and Jason Rebello – friends and collaborators for decades – were there to preview their new album, Life to Life, that’s due out early next year and this performance encapsulated much of the harmonic, melodic and rhythmic language that has made them such special musicians.

The set opened with Rebello using some funky ‘prepared piano’ techniques (playing the inside strings of the instrument) with Garland on that velvety tenor sax sound for which he is so admired. This first tune, ‘Two To Go’, referred to the two of them sharing experiences of life on the road and the second piece ‘Soul Resonance’, reverberated through use of the inside of the piano once again, this time producing extra tone-colour rebounding off the sax. The mood was set for a huge breadth of jazz vocabulary and stretched techniques on tenor, bass clarinet and soprano saxophones.

It was tempting to think, given the range of musicianship on display, that the evening was going to be all about taste and class – and indeed it was – but that misses the high levels of energy pouring out of both players. There was rhythmic exuberance, punchy time signatures (10 in a bar in ‘Samaii For Peace’), and musical references stretching from Eastern Europe to these islands to the Americas. Four numbers in, the pair played their tribute to Henry Mancini - ‘Moon River’ and the penultimate piece was a gorgeous rendition of the folk tune ‘Black Is The Colour (Of My True Love’s Hair).’ There were nods to Lalo Schifrin, Stravinsky, virtuosic elements of classical technique from Rebello and witty interjections from Garland.

Their final piece was a lightly played but moving version of ‘Spain’, given Garland’s 17-year partnership with the late Chick Corea, this felt entirely appropriate. Difficult to believe that the pair had not played this tune live together before, they performed with an almost unbelievable synchronicity. But then again, this is what long term, musical brotherly love produces - a cosmic intangible energy that was a joy to witness.