| Paula Gardiner Trio Brecon Jazz Review
Live: HSBC Brecon Jazz Festival 2008 – Sunday
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Various Artists / Friday, August 22, 2008
Reviewed by: Ian Mann
PAULA GARDINER TRIO
One look out of the front door of the Guildhall at the teeming rain convinced us to stay inside and watch whatever or whoever was on next. Common-sense stewarding meant that customers could stay in the hall even when bands were sound checking. Congratulations to the organisers for taking such an understanding approach and to the musicians for their tolerance. For the fans it was something of an education to see this process in action.
Fortunately the next act was well worth seeing. Bassist and composer Paula Gardiner is a leading figure on the Welsh jazz scene and a staple presence at Brecon. Indeed she is now a director of the Festival as well as being a respected tutor on the jazz course at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.
Gardiner is regular performer at Brecon and has released two acclaimed CDs in “Tales Of Inclination” (1995) and “Six”(1999). Lately she has come to national attention for her work with pianist Dave Stapleton’s quintet.
Today’s performance saw Gardiner launching her new trio album “Hot Lament”. Working with two of her long standing musical associates drummer Mark O’Connor and multi instrumentalist Lee Goodall (appearing here on saxes and flutes) she has produced a beautiful, if sometimes sombre album of original compositions and group improvisations.
Gardiner’s solo double bass intro led into a segue of tunes from the new album with “Interblue” leading into “Passage Unspoken” and finally the West African inspired “Riding On The Back Of the Salmon” featuring Goodall’s frothy flute.
Goodall switched to alto for “Beneath Rioja Skies”, one of Gardiner’s most beautiful compositions and a focal point of the new album.
“Hot Lament” also features Gardiner’s talents as an acoustic guitarist and occasional flautist. “Compassion” featured her on classical style guitar alongside Goodall’s lyrical soprano.
After a sombre interlude for bass flute and arco bass Goodall switched to alto for the Colemanesque “No Coincidence”, a thirteen bar tune scheduled as track thirteen on the accompanying album and featuring a full blooded solo from Gardiner.
“Comment”,inspired by the witticisms of Dorothy Parker, opened with Gardiner and Goodall playing flutes in tandem before the leader took up the bass. The light and airy melody again had a subtle West African feel and featured outstanding playing from all three musicians as Goodall’s flute continued to dance over Gardiner’s bass groove and O’Connor’s subtly accented drumming. Although rarely in the spotlight O’Connor was excellent throughout always listening and adding appropriate percussive punctuation throughout the performance.
The brief and delicate “In The Garden” reintroduced Gardiner’s folk leanings in an acoustic guitar/ soprano sax duet.
Finally came “Hot Lament” itself with Goodall on alto and Gardiner’s “flamenco” style bass.
This was subtle, occasionally demanding trio music that required careful listening. Nonetheless a knowledgeable Brecon audience gave this new music a highly favourable reception.
“Hot Lament” is a slow burner of an album that slowly absorbs the listener. It is wholly different in feel to Gardiner’s two previous releases and is undoubtedly her most ambitious recording thus far. It will be fully reviewed on this site in due course.
