It was entirely fitting that Sunday’s show by Village of the Sun in the subterranean depths of Lafayette near Kings Cross was standing only: crossing genres, the audience was moved to dance from the start.
The three piece of Binker Golding, Moses Boyd and Simon Ratcliffe – the first two the inestimable Binker & Moses, the last one half of dance act Basement Jaxx – were augmented by Max Luthert on bass, pianist Deschanel Gordon and percussionist Oli Savill. This made the music less dependent on Ratcliffe’s electronic wizardry and maybe more jazzy – though no less danceable. The inclusion of Savill gave some numbers a more Latin feel.
The groove was definitely there. The band seemed unstoppable – and they barely paused during the ninety minutes. Golding stood centre stage, notes cascading from his tenor during his many solos of the evening. Boyd demonstrated that he deserves his reputation as one of the best drummers around: he was superb, propelling the band forward. Both his several solos and his duets with Savill kept the beats flowing.
Deschanel Gordon added some beautifully soulful solos, adding a balance to the more visceral aspects of Golding’s playing. The totality was a formidable chimera, an infectious mixture of tremendous danceable jazz.
