(Review by Russell).
A Schmazz Christmas party double
bill of Mercury Prize nominees Roller Trio and local heroes Legohead guaranteed
a larger than usual turn-out down at the Ouseburn’s premier music venue. The local lads - Lloyd Wright (guitar), Jon Proud (electric
bass) and drummer David Francis -
brought along their own following to help boost numbers and they delivered a
typically energetic set. Wright’s big chord stretches, riffs and effortless
solos wrapped themselves around Jon Proud’s subtle, funking bass lines
underpinned by stickman David Francis’ assured performance. The set mixed
tunes old (Getaway Driver
- a favourite) and new. A debut CD is on the stocks. It will be available in
the early part of next year. Definitely one to add to the collection.
The
headline act returned to Tyneside on the crest of a to-die-for wave of
publicity. The Leeds jazz scene had done well
to get the word out about Roller Trio. A Bridge Hotel, Newcastle, debut some
months ago drew a hard core crowd (fewer than ten!). Word of mouth about that
gig and the small matter of being nominated for the 2012 Mercury Prize did the
rest. The expectant Cluny
crowd (encouragingly a number of younger punters and musicians made the effort
to get along) heard a cracking set.
The trio - James Mainwaring (tenor saxophone), Luke Wynter (guitar) and drummer
Luke Reddin-Williams - share certain characteristics with Leeds’ other
super star three-piece trio VD; similar instrumentation, the prodigious feat of
committing to memory complex music and an amazingly good drummer (trio VD have
Chris Bussey, Roller Trio Reddin-Williams). Loud, Mach 10 tempi (with
intermittent slower sections offering relief from the hang-on-to your- hats
performance) repeatedly drew massive applause. The diminutive Mainwaring
punched above his weight aided and abetted by a pedal board, the chilled Wynter
(an unintended pun!) twice lit the blue touch paper with stylish, killer solos
and at the end of the night it came as no surprise when the stamping of feet,
hollering and whistling won an encore. The band’s CD sold well and the boys
were only too willing to sign ‘product’ and have a natter with legion fans.
Russell
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