" They seemed to have done it all in the first number, but
this wide-ranging virtuosity was maintained throughout the gig
. . . . chamber jazz stands or falls by its writing. Theirs is
top notch. Strong structures and a grasp of tradition give the
ensembles an identifiably and richly harmonised sound."
Financial Times
"Meticulously rehearsed yet free-spirited, this was brass
with class."
Evening Standard
"Above all, they communicate a feeling of enjoyment
alongside the passion,
a good time that travels freely from stage to audience."
The Herald
"..their attractive arrangements and sharp-edged interplay
bring the music vividly alive."
The Scotsman
". .played a programme full of intrigue and surprise, brought
about by their skilful application of dynamics, steadfast discipline,
attention to detail and superb musicianship."
Nottingham Evening Post
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Category: Music"Brass Jaw,
Pizza Express Jazz Club, London"
By Mike Hobart
Published by The Financial Times October 16th 2007
"Sober-suited Brass Jaw are a quartet of Scottish saxophonists
willing to take the risk of performing unaccompanied. There is
no drummer's thump to hide the occasional glitch, and no piano
or guitar to remind soloists where they are in the scheme of things.
Yet without resort to barnstorming histrionics or instrument-swapping
theatrics, they delivered full-blooded, on-the-edge arrangements
that, for two sets, riveted this somewhat sparse jazz-club audience.
Their opening number had so many twists and turns that it fully
lived up to its title "The Nasty". A brief unaccompanied
alto sax melody was tossed around the ensemble and then distended
into a controlled anarchic rumble. Enter a bluesy riff, lush harmonies
punctuated by sudden stabs and slurs, and then an angular, wickedly
fast alto saxophone melody emerged from the melange. They seemed
to have done it all in the first number, but this wide-ranging
virtuosity was maintained throughout the gig. Lilting township
rhythms yielded to abstract washes, funky grooves came to an abrupt
stop and quick-fire ensemble passages were densely harmonised,
and played with the confidence that comes from continuous collaboration
– they are midway through a UK tour, and also core members
of the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra's brass section.
With baritone sax taking on the arduous duty of replacing the
bass – Allon Beauvoisin has a nice line in funky riffs and
walking bass, and the stamina to keep going without a break –
the two altos and tenor were free to roam round the saxophone's
lush sonorities. And properly anchored they could project their
solo strength – tenor saxophonist Konrad Wiszniewski all
tumbling cadenzas and breathy balladry, Paul Towndrow and Martin
Kershaw equally fleet-fingered but neatly contrasting rhythmic
awareness and harmonic intellect on altos.
But chamber jazz stands or falls by its writing. Theirs is top
notch. Strong structures and a grasp of tradition give the ensembles
an identifiably and richly harmonised sound, tea-shop sweet on
Gershwin's "Our Love is Here to Stay", spiritually moving
on their transcription of a guitarist's rendition of Coltrane's
"Afro Blue". And with sudden silences, ululating altos
and swoops and slurs sprinkled around, there were loads of details
to keep you focused."
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"Free-spirited
brass with class"
By Jack Massarik
Published by The Evening Standard, October 12th 2007
"Saxophone quartets are unusual but not unknown. A group
called Itchy Fingers once pipped Andy Sheppard to a British youth-jazz
prize back in the days when the Daily Telegraph sponsored such
contests, and the World Saxophone Quartet, a US outfit boasting
London's Tony Kofi, is popular on the summer-festival circuit.
Brass Jaw, on a UK tour to support their latest album, Burn, are
four fresh-faced Glaswegians. Altoists Martin Kershaw and Paul
Towndrow took care of last night's whizziest solos but the others
were no less valuable.
Konrad Wiszniewski's tenorsax-ballad feature, Chelsea Bridge,
was the most lyrical performance of the set, while Allon Beauvoisin's
chunky baritone-sax beats and "walking" bass-lines served
to create a firm rhythmic foundation.
Imaginative ensemble writing was their strongest suit. Walking
on the Moon, scored by Towndrow, included a rubato section of
held notes
that worked very well.
Chelsea Bridge had slowly trilling chords under the tenor solo,
and Afro Blue, adapted from a guitar solo by the late great Emily
Remler,
was a close-harmony feast.
So too was Kershaw's feature, All the Things You Are, while the
set-closer, Damn Fine-O, was packed with staccato blues figures,
nailed in perfect unison. Meticulously rehearsed yet free-spirited,
this was brass with class."
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"Alan steps up after Kofi breaks down"
By Sophie Barley Published by Scarborough Evening News
October 1st 2007
"A SPOT of car trouble meant a bit of re-jigging for organisers
at
Scarborough Jazz Festival. Alan Barnes' Saturday set was moved
forward to 7pm after Tony Kofi, who was scheduled to play at that
time,
had car trouble 90 miles away from Scarborough.
A taxi was sent to pick him up and he made it to Scarborough for
9pm.Organiser Mike Gordon, said: "We were very worried when
we heard his car broke down. But he made it for 9pm and he just
put his bags down and went straight onto the stage. It was fantastic.
The crowd loved him – it was worth the wait."
On the opening night, which was sponsored by the Evening News,
700 people watched the Laura Fowles Quintet, Cubana Bop and Stan
Tracey Octet.On Saturday 750 attended and saw Voice of the North
Jazz Orchestra, Richie Barshay's Roundtable, Osian Robers/ Steve
Fishwick Quintet, Tony Kofi Trio, Alan Barnes and Martin Taylor.
On Sunday first on stage in front of 600 people was saxophone
quartet,
Brass Jaw. Baritone, Allon Beauvoison,
said: "This is the first time we have performed in Scarborough
and we think the town is great. The seafront is beautiful and
it is a lovely place to perform. It is nice to see so many people
here and the atmosphere has been incredible."
Also performing on Sunday was Dave Newton, Steve Waterman Sextet,
Anita Wardell Quintet, and Dennis Rollins' Badbone and Co.People
travelled from all over the country to attend the festival.
. . .
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CD
REVIEWS
"And work it does. Their imaginative arrangements
make clever use of the tonal and timbral
possibilities across the range of the instruments,
while allowing plenty of freedom for the distinctive musical personalities
of the individual players to emerge."
The List
"Saxophone
quartets are still thin on the ground in jazz
and present considerable challenges to the players
in maintaining full melodic, harmonic and rhythmic interest
on four essentially similar single-line instruments.
The quartet cope with those challenges in fine style, "
Jazzwise
"
. . their attractive arrangements and sharp-edged interplay bring
the music vividly alive."
The Scotsman
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Homegrown
Showcase,
Glasgow International Jazz Festival
Kenny Maithieson, The Scotsman
LAST
year's inaugural Homegrown presentation at the Glasgow International
Jazz Festival has expanded to two concerts this year. It provides
a showcase for Scottish jazz talent, with five groups playing
short sets to an audience of promoters and the general public.
Saxophone
quartet Brass Jaw, featuring the
altoists Paul Towndrow and Martin Kershaw, Brian Molley on tenor
and Allon Beauvoisin on baritone, opened proceedings with a set
that made highly imaginative use of the timbres, textures and
interacting lines of the four instruments.
Teenage
singer Jonathan Carr was the newest name on the bill, and worked
his way through a set of standards with remarkable assurance.
Trianglehead,
featuring Kershaw with the pianist Paul Harrison and the drummer
Stu Ritchie, entered into a radical three-way conversation in
their uncompromising free-jazz approach to improvisation.
Drummer
Alyn Cosker opened the second half with a trio featuring his regular
collaborator, bassist Ross Hamilton, and an excellent guitarist
I had not heard before, David Dunsmuir. Cosker's compositions
revealed an additional facet to his established talents behind
the drum kit.
Guitarist
Graeme Scott closed the concert with a fine set of his own compositions
rooted in classic bop, but with a distinct contemporary shimmer.
All
very impressive, with five more to come in the second concert.
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Homegrown
Showcase, Ramshorn Theatre
The Herald
There
really is something going on in the Scottish jazz scene. As the
first instalment of this mini festival within a festival, a kind
of Scottish Jazz Expo, confirmed, there's a wealth and diversity
of young bands and musicians in our small country, all working
at their own creative ideas.
And it's not just that there's a lot of them, they're good, too.
Don't take my word for this; the deans at Berklee, one of America's
pre-eminent music colleges, recognise it and at least two of the
bands here have enthusiastic references from an extensive list
of promoters on England's jazz circuit. College degrees and paper
recommendations only go so far. It's the bandstand that really
matters and, from the opening set by saxophone quartet Brass
Jaw, there was quality, imagination and invention in the
air. Brass Jaw's is a tricky metier but they carry it off with
style and spark, their well thought-out harmonies and rhythmical
riffing producing a sound as complete
as more conventional line-ups.
Berklee-bound
teenage vocalist Jonathan Carr has the tone, timing and a maturity
of phrasing that all point, surely, to a bright future and the
same might be said of guitarist Graeme Scott, whose quartet provides
a well-tempered vehicle for his compositions and considered soloing.
For "where next?" pointers, look to trios. Trianglehead
combine creativity, wit and an intoxicating energy in balancing
intriguing composition with inspired improvisation, and Alyn Cosker's
group revealed a compositional talent to equal his drumming dynamism
and produced a real find in David Dunsmuir's resourceful, beguiling
guitar playing.
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Tron Theatre, Glasgow
Rob
Adams, The Herald
The
saxophone quartet is no longer a new concept in jazz
and its trailblazers pretty much defined what can be done with
the format. So once you've added a touch of formation choreography,
you really have to make it on musical interest – and Brass
Jaw does just that.
Paul
Towndrow and Martin Kershaw (altos), Brian Molley (tenor) and
Allon Beauvoisin (baritone and announcements) pay homage to their
forebears, including an opening, funky-fervent walk-on courtesy
of New York's 29th Street Saxophone Quartet and a rather more
involved tangle of bebop and beyondfrom London's Itchy Fingers.
But they have plenty of ideas of their own.
These
materialise both in original compositions and inspired transcriptions
and/or arrangements of tunes from the jazz and pop canons. Introduced
as something that takes four men
with saxophones to do what one woman did with a guitar,
the late Emily Remler's setting of Afro Blue was indeed a
tribute to singular fretboard vision, all rich chords and
intricately executed lines.
It's
the quality of sound as much as the well-plotted strategies, the
sense of mischief and variety as well as cleverness – cleverness,
that is, without being too cute – that make Brass Jaw work
so well.
They riff and hustle with the groovy pep of James Brown's horn
section or lay out lush voicings that sound more like an orchestra
than a quartet. They mix solo features of considerable virtuosity
with keen ensemble understanding and they slip into The Police's
Walking on the Moon and Spanish-Cuban fantasies with the same
ease and aplomb as they do jazz standards.
Above all, they communicate a feeling of enjoyment
alongside the passion, a good time that travels
freely from stage to audience.
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Jazz House, Bonnington Theatre,
Nottingham,
Alan
Joyce, Nottingham Evening Post
"This
quartet of highly accomplished Scottish saxophonists played a
programme full of intrigue and surprise, brought about by their
skilful application of dynamics, steadfast discipline,
attention to detail and superb musicianship.
Brass Jaw featured Martin Kershaw and Paul Towndrow on Alto Saxes,
Brian Molley, Tenor, and Allon Beauvoisin Baritone.
They played intricate arrangements of jazz standards, mixed with
original compositions. These were melodic, if at times ambitious,
and many had an infectious rhythm, powered by
Beauvoisin's sonorous baritone.
The Altos were well matched in terms of tone, agility and ability,
while Molley's Tenor sound ranged from rich and creamy to
plaintive and passionate.
Towndrow penned many of the originals. Among the high spots were
his gorgeous arrangement of Premiere and Beauvoisin's bop-inspired
Close Call, involving a fanscinating three way conversation between
the two Alto's and tenor with Baritone."
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Wakefield Jazz Club
James
Griffiths, The Guardian
While
there are many examples of the saxophone quartet in jazz history,
it's relatively rare on the contemporary British scene. Watching
the Brass Jaw Saxophone Quartet - it isn't difficult to see why.
Without a rhythm section the task of making everything swing is
shared by everyone, and solos must be extremely focused. The Brass
Jaw boys generally do a brilliant job, packing their performance
with an impressive amount of detail while achieving an extremely
classy sound.
They
began by trooping through the audience, spinning delicate contrapuntal
melodies. Taking it in turns to produce drone notes and fluttering
harmonies, they reached the stage and launched into a hard swinging
number anchored by Allon Beauvoisin's honking baritone. The group
quickly set out their individual wares, Brian Molley's tenor providing
bluesy grit, Martin Kershaw's alto quirky humour. Also on alto,
Paul Towndrow was the biggest show-off, launching immediately
into Wayne Shorter territory with a mercurial torrent of notes.
Drenched
in sweat after only one tune, Beauvoisin introduced a piece by
one of the group's chief influences, the New York 29th-Street
Saxophone Quartet. The Nasty is apparently a Mount Everest for
any sax ensemble, full of Mingus-like pandemonium. There were
head-frying passages of contrary motion and car-horn parps arranged
into barrages of funky riffs. The momentum was sustained through
a Charlie Parker-ish reading of Walking On the Moon, and a shrieking
Beauvoisin original dedicated to the horrors of painkiller withdrawal.
Altogether,
an accomplished and ambitious ensemble who aren't afraid to enjoy
themselves.
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