Music

Scott Murphy Kwortet, Glasgow Art Club

Rob Adams

FOUR STARS

Fat-Suit saxophonist Scott Murphy's superbly talented, if idiosyncratically named, Kwortet brought the current series of Jazz Thursdays to a conclusion in line with the generally high standard of music presented by the organisers, Bridge Music. With no confirmation of Creative Scotland funding for Bridge Music's endeavours from April, it must be very difficult to plan an ongoing programme of what are, along with the associated programme in Edinburgh on Wednesdays, the only regular concerts by national and international jazz attractions in the central belt.

Kwortet certainly gave a strong case for continued support. Their repertoire, with the exception of bass guitarist Angus Tikka's arrangement of a piece by French electronic duo Daft Punk, is comprised of group originals and majors on tightly arranged, cleverly written ideas that often call for extended saxophone and guitar synchronisation and no little concentration from players and listeners alike.

The effort's rewarded, however, by great use of tension and release, with guitarist Davie Dunsmuir, as he's already proved with drummer Alyn Cosker's group, creating improvisations of tremendous excitement and articulation, and Murphy building hugely satisfying solos from sustained percussive motifs.

Much of the music sounds as if it would work - and work particularly well - in the expanded line-up of Fat-Suit and with Tikka and the immaculate drummer Mark Scobie also being part of that larger ensemble, there's a marvellous rhythmical understanding underneath Murphy and Dunsmuir's forthright melodies and collective harmonic impetus. Even in the art club's sometimes unforgiving acoustic, this was clearly a band that thinks in terms of tonal quality as much as note values, a consideration that adds significantly to the music's plentiful inherent appeal.