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Nick Morgan and crew
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Concert
Review by Nick Morgan |
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DENNIS ROLLINS' BADBONE
Jazz Café, London, February
28th 2009 |
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I
wouldn’t say the Jazz Café is full
– but it’s far from empty and upstairs
is largely occupied by happy diners, including (it
turns out) the mum of saxophonist James
Gardiner-Bateman and her pals. Gardiner-Bateman
is one of the young British jazz musicians who form,
along with band-leader Dennis
Rollins, Badbone, perhaps best characterised
as a 21st century funk-friendly incarnation of the
early Crusaders.
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| Rollins
himself was a Jazz Warrior, and earlier in his career
was closely identified with Courtney
Pine – founder of the Warriors - with
whom he toured widely. Like Pine (who now has an
honorary doctorate and OBE for his troubles), Rollins
is deeply committed to musical education in the
UK. In addition to his own band he works extensively
with other musicians and will shortly be touring
the UK with the legendary saxophone player Maceo
Parker, a regular performance partner. |
| Did
I mention that Rollins plays the trombone, that
most unfashionable of brass instruments - "I
got the last instrument in the cupboard" –
he told an interviewer, “and just got on with
it”. In fact he’s an evangelist for
his instrument, and rightly so, because in the hands
of someone as talented as Rollins it is transformed
from a support into a solo instrument that can easily
match anything else in a brass section. Now obviously
there has to be a physical skill in mastering such
a difficult instrument, but added to this, Rollins
brings a huge sense of gusto, or joie de vivre,
and not a little technical savvy. He’s actually
got more effects and loop pedals in front of him
than most self-respecting rock guitarists, and he
makes use of them throughout the set. |
| The
content is nicely balanced between funk –
‘Full fat funk’, ‘Where it’s
at’ and ‘Funky funk’ – and
more melodic songs such as Steven Stills’
‘Love the one you’re with’ and
Tracy Chapman’s ‘Fast car’. Rollins
leads with his fluid and almost silky playing but
was ably abetted by Gardiner-Bateman who contributed
some ferocious solos on his alto sax, and by guitarist
Johnny
Heyes. Supporting are Alex
Bonfanti on bass, Mitch Jones on keyboards and
Jack Pollitt on drums. It’s a real ensemble
show, and Rollins goes out of his way to give his
musicians all the space they need to perform, and
I’ve no doubt, develop. |
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| But
it’s no training session – it’s
as accomplished a night of well-structured and well-performed
jazz funk as you could wish for. And as I observed
to the Photographer, if you walked into a club in
New Orleans by chance and found these guys playing
you’d probably think you’d struck gold.
Tribute enough to the irrepressible Rollins and
his fellow musicians.
- Nick Morgan (photographs by Kate) |
Check
the index of all reviews:
Nick's Concert Reviews
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There's nothing more down there... |
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