Radio 3's Jazz on 3:
Hugh Hopper & Seb Rochford, John Surman & Dave Okumu, John Taylor & Tom Arthurs
Wednesday 25 October 2006
FREEDM Studio, Roundhouse, London
Photos
See live shots from the night
This special concert paired three of Britain's most exciting young jazz musicians with three musicians from a slightly older generation; the Young Lions meet The Elder Statesmen.
First up was the pairing of veteran saxophonist John Surman with guitarist David Okumu. Opening with Okumu's folky 'Pentecost' the duo proved to be ideal foils for each other. Delicate one minute and gutsy the next, the combination of Surman's baritone riffing with Okumu's nimble soloing proved that you don't need a drummer to swing. The lengthy ambient excursion at the end of 'Jubilee' sent an already delighted audience into raptures.
Next up was electric bassist Hugh Hopper, whose psychedelic jazz outfit Soft Machine supported Jimi Hendrix at the Roundhouse in 1967. With him was Seb Rochford of the Mercury Nominated Polar Bear; one of the brightest and busiest drummers on the contemporary jazz scene. Their totally improvised set touched on electric jazz, free improvisation and even heavy metal; challenging stuff, but the audience lapped it up.
Trumpeter Tom Arthurs was understandably slightly nervous at his pairing with pianist John Taylor (whose last gig at the Roundhouse was with Gil Evans), who's often described as one of the greatest players on the planet. But he really needn't have been; his agile, breathy horn was a match for Taylor's unsentimental but beautiful playing.
The evening finished with all six musicians playing together in what proved to be a groundbreaking and exciting collaboration, much to the approval of an attentive audience.
Your thoughts on Jazz on 3:
Craig Robinson
I am not a regular listener to the show, but tuned in after seeing the adverts for the Electric Proms. I was very glad I did! It was great to hear such interesting live music on the radio. All the performances were excellent, but my personal favourites were Tick Tock by John Surman and Dave Okumu, Hugh Hopper's efforts with the delay pedal at the end of his set, and the final jam at the end. I must have listened to the show ten times since it was broadcast, and it gets better every time. I hope that eventually, this show will be televised. Tremendous!
Craig Robinson
I am not a regular listener to the show, but tuned in after seeing the adverts for the Electric Proms. I was very glad I did! It was great to hear such interesting live music on the radio. All the performances were excellent, but my personal favourites were Tick Tock by John Surman and Dave Okumu, Hugh Hopper's efforts with the delay pedal at the end of his set, and the final jam at the end. I must have listened to the show ten times since it was broadcast, and it gets better every time. I hope that eventually, this show will be televised. Tremendous!