Three recordings in 20 years for Inner Space, one of the two principal groups led by London-based trumpeter Loz Speyer, indicates a patient cultivation of their art. And the way that the group sound remains identifiable even though Speyer is the only player all the band’s incarnations have in common shows the value of a clear musical vision.
That vision, a pianoless ensemble exploring the improvisation freedom opened up by eschewing a chordal instrument, is currently realised by a truly remarkable quintet. Xhosa Cole on tenor sax and Dee Byrne on alto join Speyer on trumpet and flugelhorn, while long-time member Gary Willcox on drums and the marvellous Larry Bartley on bass are a Rolls Royce rhythm section.
All five contributed at the highest level to this opener for Birmingham Jazz’s new season at 1000 Trades – one of the UK’s more comfortable small clubs, with fine food and drink a floor below and a well-furnished room above suited to proper listening – as they do on the recent CD release Live in Leipzig.
The Speyer compositions on that recording featured this evening. Innate Ornette is a worthy homage to the freebop pioneer who looms largest among the band’s influences, while Changes prompted another splendid polyphonic spree. Chimes for [Henry] Grimes began with a deeply thoughtful bass solo from Bartley leading into a saxophone trio episode where Cole’s tumbling figures rivalled Sonny Rollins in his pomp. The cleverly titled Rhythm Changes Time harks a little further back but the playing was still full of invention.
There was time in two sets for other pieces from the band’s earlier CDs, as well as as yet unrecorded items: Inner Space now has a handsome repertoire of Speyer’s tunes to draw on, including tributes to other notables such as trumpeter Bill Dixon and Sun Ra.
The composing is reliably successful at offering engaging vehicles for extemporisation. But this dance between freedom and form needs more than that to succeed. Much of the time it relies on mainly motivic improvisation, with its particular demands. Speyer leads the way in meeting them. Rather like the great Bobby Bradford to my ear, just when you feel a solo excursion is beginning to fade he is able to apply the Ornette Coleman method of inflating another bubble of new melody, apparently at will.
That’s something only the best players in this school can bring off consistently and he establishes a level which Cole and Dee Byrne are delighted to match, alone or together. As the CD testifies, it makes their live performance a richly rewarding affair. Hearing them do it again in person shows a band going from strength to strength.
Jon Turney writes about jazz, and other things, from Bristol (and occasionally Birmingham) / jonturney.wordpress.com
