This Friday a new contemporary jazz trio I’m in, Equilibrium, will give its debut performance. The half-hour gig in the University of York Music Department is the final undergraduate recital of drummer Kier Hall. Pianist Jonathan Brigg is a final year PhD composer and conductor who I’ve worked with on a number of occasions (the first time was with Tryst).
Kier’s direction of the trio has been to treat each instrument equally – hence the name – so that each instrument can take another’s traditional role: a bass part, a rhythm/pulse, harmony, soloist, accompanist. The process of devising the tunes with me and Jon has also been openly collaborative, which has been a great experience for me; to combine my devising practice and use of free and structured improvisation, with playing a less familiar idiom and within a less familiar line-up.
We will be playing four compositions written especially for the recital: Bembe, Ratchet, Cuban and Jigsaw. The music will feature some heavy grooves, intricate rhythms, Cuban influences, and a certain swaggering sense of humour…
But we don’t want to give away what we sound like just yet, so there are no clips online. If you can’t make it to the gig, stay tuned for recordings soon…