The Vortex was the place to be on the cold Thursday evening of EFG London Jazz Festival. Anticipation was high for the Laura Jurd Trio as regulars and newcomers alike packed themselves in, clambering over one another, filling every seat and spilling a few drinks by the time the band had begun. However from the first fragile note of the evening, the attention of everyone in the room was captured and dedicated to the band for the entire show.
Laura Jurd’s latest project is heavily inspired by folk music and it suits her as though it is her calling. Drawing from Celtic, European and American traditions, her compositions act as springboards for improvisation. Often based around ostinatos and generally fewer chords, the brave and clearly defined ideas give strong identities to each composition. She leads the band with masterful prowess, giving the freedom and space for each of the musicians to explore their sonic identities within her sound world. The trio featured Dave Smith (drums) and Ruth Goller (bass) plus special guest Cori Smith (viola).
Ruth Goller’s colourful baselines are the floor for the band, from relentlessly rock-solid and driving grooves in her brilliantly garish bass tone, to pedal supplemented, dark and brooding atmospheres which the band bubble and simmer over. Occasionally, her grounding playing makes way for an electric shock as she takes to the forefront of the music in stand-out moments that make for exciting juxtapositions to the otherwise entirely acoustic sound world.
Dave Smith plays so dynamically and imaginatively. He never says the same thing twice and somehow even his quietest contributions are executed at full intensity. He brought a plethora of sounds to the table with a variety of bells and shakers, but what struck me the most was how he dominated the drum kit. His playing reminded me that a drum kit consists of 5 different drums and 3 cymbals which is strangely easy to forget. Something inherently raw and tribal about his playing of the drums made the music extremely difficult to sit still to.
The combination of the two frontline instruments was glorious – the woody warmth of Cori Smith’s viola was the perfect match to Jurd’s pure, mellow trumpet sound. Cori Smith brought folk inflections which were showcased in a number of spellbinding introductions, notably to her own original composition ‘Another Rainy Day Polska’ on which the characterful dance clave made the band count carefully.
The tune “What are you running towards?”, with its motoring bassline from Goller, was a jamboree finale that had the audience on tenterhooks. It was like Eddie Harris’ ‘Freedom Jazz Dance’ on steroids. The melody, played unison on trumpet and viola, navigates patterns and shapes and unravels at top speed until at the end, a satisfying offbeat hit from the whole band is a reward for making it through in the right place unscathed… what a thrill.
This was an outstanding gig but the moment that blew my mind was Jurd on the tune ‘Upstream’ – the stripped back duo with drums was apparently only added to the set last minute. The astonishing way she plays with rhythm, while staying within a small range or even just one note is more like a rapper than anything – and if that can be true, then she was spitting bars. Her mostly diatonic flowing lines are heavily melodic, which goes hand in hand with the folk tones of her music. This is my favourite thing about her playing – it doesn’t have to be high and it doesn’t have to be loud (although it definitely can be both!). She simply produces cycles of excellent phrases in an effortless, relaxed manner.
The new music has recently been recorded and is expected to be released later in 2025 and, alongside Jurd and Goller, features Ultan O’Brien (violin/viola), Martin Green (accordion) and Corrie Dick (drums).
Future performances of this repertoire (with varying constellations of musicians) are scheduled:
- Bath (5th Bath Jazz Weekend), 3 January 2025
- Oxford, 25 April 2025 / Details TBC
