Unlike many classical, rock and pop concerts, where the audience is there to hear old favourites, the jazz gig, with improvisation at its heart, is always about ‘the new’. On Wednesday night at the excellent Vortex club in Dalston, an excited full house gathered to hear Jakub Klimiuk‘s quintet play tracks from their just-released album (un)balanced and were rewarded with contemporary but accessible compositions and superb musicianship.
This young band kicked off with a chart from the new record called ‘Illusion’ which, given the title, began in suitably intriguing mode which was then skilfully developed into a pulsing 6/8 section where Jakub’s soaring guitar achieved lift-off. The band was impressive from the start, their acoustic control and subtlety, perfect for the Vortex’s club-sized space upstairs, and the positive response from the predominately youthful punters (most were early twenties to mid-thirties) was immediate. Original and of today, this was music which could engage and transcend genre boundaries.
The second and third offerings, ‘Distance’ and ‘Wait’, haunting and reminiscent of Jan Garbarek, firmly established the ensemble’s top-drawer credentials as a listening, deeply connected unit. Cody Moss on piano, was constantly inventive, Simeon May on sax (and later on bass clarinet) sensitively judged his melody lines and understated solos whilst bassist Huw V Williams showed high-level sophistication in his choice of notes and their carefully located landing points. Adam Merrell on drums was nuanced and always creative, releasing a boundless spectrum of sounds from the instruments in his care to help build the work in progress. The whole rhythm section ably fulfilled its job specification, both driving the band and providing the ties that bound the players together.
The penultimate track of the first set, ‘Casio’, had something of Chick Corea about it and its interwoven harmonic complexity contrasted nicely with the underpinning Latin rhythms. When Jakub really cut-loose on his solos, he was greeted with rapturous whoops of approval from the just-loving-it crowd and the acclaim was well-deserved. His sound reminded me of both Allan Holdsworth (when he was with Bill Bruford) and Larry Carlton: gorgeous, fluid and shot through with an almost epic quality. Like all genuine virtuosos, Jakub never allows his technical skill to overwhelm the musicality because it’s that which communicates to both the intellect and the emotions. Technique is only ever the messenger of meaning.
Mark Lockheart joined the band for the second set bringing his customary invention and gravitas to proceedings before the band welcomed special guest Aitzi Cofré Real on vocals for a track called ‘Dualism’. The evening ended with Sonny Rollins’ ‘Airgin’ and another original, ‘Deptford’.
The Vortex was the ideal setting for this special occasion. There was a lovely vibe generated by the committed team operating the place, all of whom were clearly signed-up to the shared ethos of an important and worthwhile community-based arts project. Wednesday was of course May Day, which traditionally marks the beginning of summer. Jakub’s original compositions, his own playing and that of this fabulous band were also appropriately full of optimism and the promise of good days to come. Nights like this reassure us that the future of jazz is in safe hands.
