Jonathan Edwards Quartet, Glasgow Art Club, Rob Adams THREE STARS
It's probably just a matter of time before the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland's jazz course provides a conveyor belt of guests for Bridge Music's Jazz Thursdays at Glasgow Art Club. And that will be no bad thing, judging from the healthy turn-out for this latest in the series.
Saxophonist Jonathan Edwards has, as his composition New Chapter reflects, graduated from the course and moved into the uncertain world of the professional musician. He brings much that he learned and acquired from his studies there to his performance, including compositional ideas and a just a hint of the influence of the course leader, Tommy Smith at his most lyrical in the upper register of his tenor playing.
Despite the impression he gives between tunes of a bumbling, absent-minded Ken Dodd sort of figure, Edwards is a thoughtful musician, programming his repertoire carefully to create a variety of pace and style and building his improvisations patiently with consideration for tone as well as structure. Most of the music here was his own, with the standards I'm Always Chasing Rainbows and The Best Things in Life are Free reminding us of his awareness of the jazz and saxophone traditions, and all of it boded well. His opening Barbican, with its strong melody and well-tempered groove, had shades of Keith Jarrett's Scandinavian Quartet and other location-specific pieces, including Prague, suggested a musician who can respond to his surroundings sensitively and imaginatively.
He was well served by his rhythm section, Peter Johnstone (piano), David Bowden (bass) and Stephen Henderson (drums), able players all who worked closely together as a unit as well as impressing with individual contributions.
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