REVIEW: 25 November 2004

Centripede

Jazz can be a formulaic kind of music. A carpet of rhythm and harmony are laid down, the melody is stated then the soloists strut up and down the carpet to regale us with their virtuosity. And this has produced some of the greatest jazz and the finest jazz performances. But there are limitations.

The soloist cannot stray from the carpet and the listener knows how the piece will unfold.

From the first moment at the Spin last Thursday the music of Centripede was obviously something well outside the normal. Introduced by soprano sax and flugelhorn playing unaccompanied phrases of a jagged chromatic nature that interweaved and repeated in a manner reminiscent of Steve Reich the piece developed with the entrance of guitar, bass and drums into a complex and energising solo by band leader and composer Tom Arthurs on flugelhorn only to end with a second set of interweaving lines. The second number, Sick Mind based on awful telemarketing, started with dense harmonies between tenor and flugelhorn only to move into a tenor solo from Ingrid Laubrock that developed from single notes into a storm of runs and harmonics which captured the anger of the title and the spirit of Coltrane. Then just as we were ready to applaud, bass and drums opened a new rhythm and guitarist.

Jez Franks, launched into a solo of wonderful edgy broken runs. And so the evening unfolded with a set of pieces by Arthurs in which we never knew what to expect, rarely had the chance to applaud a solo for fear of missing something and were treated to rhythms and harmonies not to be found in any of the old standards. For this the energy and imaginative playing of drummer, Simon Pearson and the spare innovative bass lines from Max de Warpener were an indispensible part of the whole turbulent mix.

This is a band to watch. Composer and leader Tom Arthurs has been voted Rising Star of 2004 and saxophonist Ingrid Laubrok was Rising Star in 1999 and in her present form, still rising. Congratulations to The Spin for again bringing us great new music.

© Paul Medley