Helluva weekend in Bath, from Acoustic Ladyland to Booker T and Martial Solal. The whole Festival is a marvel, spanning ten days or more and a fantastic range of music. The jazz weekend is at least as interesting as Cheltenham, and far better value for money (though oddly not quite as well attended, I’d guess). I have to compress it into a few hundred words for Jazzwise, so will hold comment here on most of it. Meanwhile, Mike Collins gives his usual insightful impressions of a good selection of the sets – link brings up one of several posts - and the metropolitain critic made one of the three days.
And, as there’s a bit of room here, and I heard 11 bands/sets over the weekend, I’ll try and find a few words to add about John Taylor’s performance on Sunday afternoon. He played solo, in the absence of Kenny Wheeler (who has hurt his hand), and opened and closed with Wheeler tunes (Consolation, and the often heard Everybody’s Song but My Own). I hadn’t heard Taylor solo for ages, though his gig at St George’s a while back was pretty good. But the basic confrontation – just him and a Steinway – suits him. A few standards, a few of his own pieces, and one Steve Swallow tune, but somehow all of a piece.
So the set began with the emphasis on floating chords, rhythm barely stated, then gradually gained momentum, and ended up, not exactly funky but a good deal more urgent and with some Jarrett-like touches at the end. Nothing showy, just lovely tunes worked into a satisfying sequence. You need to make it to 80-odd to be designated a national treasure in this music, apparently, but Taylor is an undersung hero, at the very least.
Tags: jazz, John Taylor
