STEVE FISHWICK/OSIAN ROBERTS QUINTET REVIEW
REVIEW – by Trudie Squires
THE blending of trumpet and tenor-sax has over the last 50 years produced one of the purest, organic and durable sounds in modern jazz, popularly known as the “Blue Note” style because of the record label that promoted it and still continues to do so. But it was enormously refreshing to an audience – which included a large number of Nottingham hard bop stalwarts who cut their teeth on this music – see and hear a band of youngsters not only emulate the Blue Note sound to perfection but write their own material as well. The result was classic hard bop with great interaction between the front-line men, the group’s French pianist Olivier Slama and the continually bubbling and effervescent rhythm team of Dave Chamberlain (bass) and Matt Home (drums). Steve Fishwick’s fresh, cool trumpet and Osian Roberts’ robust, beautifully controlled tenor-sax kept up a continual barrage of inspired creation, rounded off by Slama’s harmonically and rhythmically supple piano. Chamberlain’s bass sounded every bit as good as it looked; a beautiful instrument, impeccably played with a warm, bouncing tone; Dave also produced some amazing sounds with his bow. Matt Homes’ drumming underlined everything; with a basic seven-piece kit his steely top cymbal, chattering snare and Art Blakey-type press rolls, contributed to the quintet’s tight swinging rhythm section.
