Liverpool International Jazz Fest — Our Highlights
With jazz infiltrating and influencing contemporary genres — everything from psychedelia to electronica — what better moment to celebrate its diversity, says Christopher Brown…
There was an almost depressing number of shrugged shoulders when the Mercury Music Prize nominations were announced last year. Two jazz albums were put on the list, breaking the usual one-LP ghetto, which normally marks it out.
Rock journalists desperately scrambled to find an opinion on the two bands on offer, Polar Bear and Gogo Penguin, and little thought went into the fact that maybe, just maybe, they were both on this list because they both deserved to be.
There’s definitely a change in the air, though; after all you could easily argue that Kate Tempest’s brand of beat-led socially-minded poetry has a touch of Gil Scott Heron about it, in spirit if not structure. Then there is the recent Aphex Twin EP, Computer Controlled Acoustic Instruments pt2, which has a distinctive avant-garde feel, even by Richard James’ standards.
All this simply shows the huge variety of jazz that is on offer and the way it threads through strands of music today; from the dreamy improvisations of psychedelia through to complex beats and loops of dubstep and electronica.
With all this happening, it’s not surprising that this year’s Liverpool International Jazz Festival has branched out to The Kazimier for its opening and closing parties. Established by Liverpool Hope University in 2013, the focus is on cutting-edge jazz, creativity and innovative music-making; no wonder then that Mercury nominees GoGo Penguin have been invited to launch the festival this Thursday.
The Manchester trio’s second album V2.0 was a mix of more classical forms of jazz and straight up electronica, producing a record that is a self-assured effort and perfect for the dancefloor.
Amongst some of the highlights, with a far more experimental feel, this Friday sees the organ-led trio Troyka at the university’s Capstone Theatre. The band’s third album Ornithophobia shows a mix of complicated rhythms and frantic pace, which makes the comparisons to the aforementioned Aphex Twin understandable.
Now in its third year, the Liverpool International Jazz Festival has always had a focus on offering a platform for free events, accessibility and a place for local acts to shine. This year Marley Chingus will play at The Caledonia — a pub well-known for fortnightly shows featuring a revolving line-up of some of the best up-and-coming talent in the North West.
Also on my radar are Jazz North and Liverpooljazz, offering a taster of what is happening in the region at The Capstone on Sunday with performances from local band Blind Monk Trio and White Canvas.
Saturday sees a free afternoon gig from Svara Kanti at The Capstone. The band truly is an example of the wide variety of styles currently around. Their debut album Rakshasa won plaudits and ventured onto “album of the year” lists in 2014. Simon Thacker’s band manages to mix Indian Classical music with Gaelic charm and western folk vibes, offering a unique mix of influences and tones.
The entire festival comes to a climax on Sunday March 1 at The Kazimier with James Taylor Quartet. Taylor has enjoyed 25-years as one of the best Hammond players in the country. His band’s high-energy take on ’60s funk and boundless skill has meant this highly-important jazz-pop crossover outfits is a suitable party closer for the festival.
Christopher Brown
All performances and workshops of Liverpool International Jazz Festival (full programme here): Thursday 26 February to Sunday 1 March 2015 at The Capstone Theatre, The Kazimier and The Caledonia. Tickets from £11.50
Catch Gogo Penguin (Thursday 26 February, 8pm), Troyka (Friday 27 February, 7.30pm), Marley Chingus Jazz Collective (Friday 27 February, 10pm), Milapfest presents Svara Kanti (Saturday 28th February, 1pm), Dennis Rollins Velocity Trio (Saturday 28th February, 7.30pm), James Taylor Quartet (Sunday 1st March, 8pm) and more
