Just in from a fine gig (getting sprayed with hot water in the car notwithstanding)
When I saw Jason Yarde at Greenbelt, he mentioned that he was playing at the Progress Bar in Tufnell Park tonight, so I thought I’d head down.
For some reason I thought Jason did some heavy electronics with his sax (dunno what lead to that assumption, but still). In fact, tonight’s was an almost entirely unamplified gig – only a little bit of reinforcement from a GK amp for the bassist. Drums and sax were both unmiked.
I’ve always has an affinity for trios, especially chordal-instrument-less trios, so Jason’s sax/bass/drums line-up had me hooked from the start. Stylistically, it was pretty free – tending to hover around a particular root, but not modally. Jason’s armoury of techniques on Alto and Soprano sax is pretty incredible, exploring lots of skronks and squawks and percussive noises as well as more note-based improv stuff.
Just before I left, Denis Baptiste joined for a tune, and played just about the free-est stuff I’ve ever heard from him too – full-on New Thing At Newport squealing for part of it. Fab stuff indeed!
Then had to leave, as I had a bin bag full of damp washing in the back of a broken car and really needed to get home.
But if you get a chance to hear Jason play, jump at it, he’s amazing.