Lettin' love blaze like fiya wata

I've written before about how powerful I think music is.

It can rouse so many emotions, a huge great raft of feelings and even act like a commanding call to action. Make you want to cry, to dance, to tell someone you love them, to board a plane to the other side of the world and defiantly cast off your fears like a too-hot jacket (I'm talking to you, Jump by Madonna).

For me, it provides a great source of comfort when times are tough.

This live performance of Fiya Wata by the magnificent Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros completely and utterly enriches my soul. I adore it.

I challenge you to listen and not get goosebumps.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOmRc80-drM]

Years & Years (and Years)

It took some rough sailing on a choppy sea of ticket websites before I bagged two tickets to see Years & Years at Heaven in London this  March (five times the face value you say? Get lost!).

As my confessional tweet below from a few weeks ago testifies, I'm horribly late to the Years & Years party - the band have been gaining traction for a while now with music moguls predicting they will hit the big time any day soon.

I didn't know a lot about Years & Years at the time of said tweet. I hadn't intended to leap onto the cool bandwagon and join the hip kids for the sake of it. I was just naturally curious because (a) I love checking out new music and (b) I've rinsed my current running playlist (there is only so many times you can listen to Beyonce's Drunk in Love no matter how amazing it is and yes, the playlist also contains Dirrty by Christina Aguilera  - and what?).

I was interested because their music was described as being rooted in 'R&B and 90s house elements' and, well, they had me at 'R&B' and then '90s'. Nothing has ever come close to beating my Pure Swing cassette compilations back in the day, when cassettes were not ironic but a widely available music format. In my burgundy pink Fiat Uno in 1995, blaring Jodeci out of the only window that would open all the way down I honestly thought I was the shit. The shit, I was not.

Anyway, I digress, On first listen of Years & Years' Take Shelter my ears perked up and I gorged all of the available online stuff in one huge feast. It was really bloody good, like nothing I'd heard for a long time. Their sound is all infectious beats and synth sounds, soulful harmonies and a kind of easy nonchalance that appears seamless, not try-hard. They pull off energetic 90s dance in Desire, which reminds me of Good Life by Inner City, just as well as they do haunting and beautiful with Memo.

Years & Years are Olly Alexander, Mikey Goldsworthy and Emre Turkmen. They were crowned The Sound of 2015 in the respected BBC Music poll and upcoming shows at the Shepherd's Bush Empire and Heaven in London have sold out. No doubt festival appearances will be ahead, which is exciting. I'm gutted I missed them at 2014's Latitude which I attended. What on earth was I doing? Piddling about getting beers and having glitter painted onto my drunk face no doubt.

I have redeemed myself. The Heaven gig's only a few weeks away and I have the standard frenetic excitement I associate with live gigs, but with an added anticipation that comes with hearing the real thing live after umpteen listens on SoundCloud. I'm slightly nervous about how horribly uncool I'll look compared to other giggers, who I assume will be an army of fabulous hipsters resplendent in 90s gear. I'm considering busting out some original Naf Naf;  surely that's come around again?

If after reading this you're curious, check out Years & Years on SoundCloud and sign up for updates and free downloads via their website. For the true 90s freaks, their cover of Blu Cantrell's Breathe is fun and better than the original in my opinion. Take Shelter, Real (with Ben Whishaw dancing in the video) and Memo are my current standout tracks.

Time will tell if the band have longevity in a crowded and sometimes fickle music market but with a Critic's Choice Award nomination at the 2015 BRIT awards, new single King out on 1 March 2015 and a debut album out in June 2015, my money's on Years & Years.

 

VICTOR & The Rain Dog - Carnival Rock and Urban Storytelling

One of the best things about writing this here blog is the opportunity to dash out the door after a nuts day at work and put my other hat on.

(Metaphorically of course, I look like a bit of a plonker in a hat). 

That hat is my blogging hat, the one that says Material Whirl on it and affords me the chance to do some really exciting things - like experience new music in cool little venues I've not visited before. Music makes my world go around; I'm no more content than when listening to live music and when it's new and played by a talented band and I'm nestled somewhere in London Town, well that's even more awesome.

So when I left work last Friday night and pegged it over The Millennium Bridge to head out East (I say pegged it; I mean weaved in and out of a ton of eager tourists taking selfies against a backdrop of St Paul's Cathedral as I said 'excuse me, please' 88 times) it wasn't long before I felt exuberant - I was on my way to accept an invitation to catch VICTOR & The Rain Dog live and I was up for it. I'd been listening to their EP VICTOR & The Rain Dog (released in July 2014 to a sold out gig at the Servant Jazz Quarters in Dalston) the past few weeks and was hooked.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6waOk84oDIc]

So, just who are VICTOR & The Rain Dog? They are comprised of Victor Marichal, a 25-year old Parisian who moved to London 3 years ago and David Payne (bass) and Adam Hayes (drums) who have been performing together for about 7 months. The lead vocalist, guitar and ukulele player, Victor, is a gifted autodidact who taught himself flamenco guitar and percussion - and what a skilled self-teacher he must be as reflected in the accomplished sounds he makes. Victor is hugely influenced by traditional Latin, Spanish and African music as well as legends such as Tom Waits, David Bowie and Jack White and this is apparent in the band's unique blend of musical styles.

What makes VICTOR & The Rain dog even more beguiling to me is the stories they tell through their music - each song tells a tale and conjures up some beautiful imagery. Victor is a skilled allegorist and perhaps it's this that appeals to the writer in me, and my love of words and written adventures. The band's lyrics weave a rich and enticing tapestry and with a style described on Sound Cloud as 'Carnival Rock and Urban Storytelling' this is quite unlike anything I've heard in a long time - yet it immediately resounded with me.

The essence of the band is an otherworldly fable -  Victor, the son of a French escapologist with a passion for Spanish guitars, develops an early passion for music and story-telling. Suffering from monochromacy, a rare type of colour-blindness where one sees the world in black-and-white, he decides to countervail for a lack of colour by creating wonderful stories and singing beautiful songs. Starting off with performing in the streets of Paris, he soon falls in love with a prodigal Italian acrobat whom he and his heart follows to London. There, one stormy night, Victor meets and befriends a wild dog with a passion for hurricanes. He calls him the Rain Dog.

How marvellous is that?

Back to the gig. The band was playing at The Sebright Arms, a proper lovely East-end boozer tucked down a lively passageway in Bethnal Green, where the staff are trendy but affable, the food mirrors the clientele - hipster but with substance thanks to burgers and wicked sides from Lucky Chip in residency and where from behind the coloured-glass framed bar, the welcome sight of real ales and cider with Brooklyn, Hackney Hopster and Wild Card Queen of Hearts beer (hi, Walthamstow local stuff) makes an appearance on tap. Beneath my feet was the loud rumble of the sound check coming from the 150-capacity venue in the basement below the pub and as I sipped my pint and took it all in, I felt like I was in an episode of Peaky Blinders, but in a really good way as the atmosphere was raucous but charming. Not about to kick off. That would be weird. Not to mention dangerous.

Anyway, you know some gigs you go to and every song sounds the same? You get a bit distracted, start looking around, checking out the venue, nosing at other people and what they're doing, considering another trip to the bar. Not with this band. The opening was strong and rousing and I was immediately on board. To prelude each song, Victor provided a narrative, giving a theatrical mood to the subterranean basement venue and the first track from the EP Rosalyn was rousing, melodic and darkly romantic with a catchy-hook chorus that attached itself to my brain and happily stayed there long after the gig was over. Sidewalk Empire is a blues song about a man roaming the streets of London on a cold winter day (but it's bloody freezing outside and you've got my jacket); if you check out their Tumblr - Diary of a Rain Dog (no do, it's great) you'll see life imitating art with Victor's general adventures around town and the lovely people he meets busking.

VICTOR & The Rain Dog have a great stage presence - super-clear yet brilliantly gravelly vocals, spirited drums and plinky guitars and the use of loop machines and even a loud hailer for effect. Their music is infectious and mystic and a little bit vampy which is right up my street. I heard so many influences which appealed to my love of a range of musical genres - blues, indie rock, 80s New Romanticism and blogger Daniel Lugg has summed it up perfectly with his album review - 'this band engulfs you with icy twinges of blues, rock and latin that solidify into an impenetrable backbone of music originality. There's a real intense menace to the guitar rhythms entangling amongst the distinctive vocals. They also have stomping tunes to back up their stylistic choices. A fascinating accomplishment'.

The crowd was just getting into it when the sound guy gave the nod for the last song. An encore was demanded from the appreciative audience, but it was not permitted. A travesty of course that it should be over so soon, but VICTOR & The Rain Dog were part of a line up of other artists and so couldn't have sole ownership of the stage as they so deserved. Fear not, as there are chances to see them again in the coming months. I am going to try to get to The Slaughtered Lamb on 20 November 2014 and their Christmas gig at The Old George  on 18 December 2014.

I had the pleasure of meeting Victor post-gig who was super friendly and genial and chatted to their brilliant manager James Ash over a few drinks before sadly returning to the real world in search of the tube home. I left with a sense that all was ok with the world - in London, with live music and exciting new talent. VICTOR & The Rain Dog are a genuinely talented and fascinating group and I wish them all the very best.

Their beautifully handmade and stencilled EP 'VICTOR & the Rain Dog' comes complete with a lovely little business card that asks 'If you ever see the Rain Dog, please email them'.

Well have you? If not, you should.

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Photos provided by VICTOR & The Rain Dog, shot at The King's Head Private Members Club and taken by Robert Baggs.

Julian Joseph - Masonic Temple, Andaz Hotel London, 11 July 2014

'World-class jazz pianist with large-scale compositional skills and a passport to the contemporary-classic world' - The Guardian

There are some concerts that simply take your breath away.

Ellington at the Temple, performed by Julian Joseph as part of the City of London Festival, was unquestionably a breath-taker. A number of components made it an enchanting evening - the mystical venue, the unmitigated talent of the performer and the power of the music of Duke Ellington.

Julian Joseph was born in London and grew up amongst an exceptionally strong crop of British jazz musicians before taking up a scholarship at the Berklee School of Music in Boston, Massachusetts in 1985. He is a noted solo performer as well as a prodigious composer and arranger of classical and jazz music for big band and strings, full symphony orchestra and opera. To add further to his accomplishments, he is also a respected broadcaster having presented jazz television series and several radio shows. He is also the recipient of a number of music awards, including his most recent accolade - a British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (BASCA) Gold Badge for his contribution to the British music industry. Julian is also a trustee and vice-president of the National Youth Jazz Collective.

It is widely recognised that Duke Ellington was one of the greatest pianist and composers to have lived. However, it is perhaps less well known that he was a member of the secret society of the freemasons along with some other well-known African-American musicians including Dizzy Gillespie and Nat King Cole. So when a long dormant and beautifully opulent masonic temple, built in 1912, was recently discovered next to Liverpool Street station in London (now the very impressive Andaz Hotel) the City of London's Festival Director, Paul Gudgin, believed it would be 'a perfect place to play tribute' to Ellington.

So it was on a bustling Friday evening that I found myself cocooned in this elaborate, neo-classical venue as a guest of Jazz FM to witness a remarkable performance from Julian Joseph. A 'perfect place' indeed it was - a masonic temple with reportedly twelve types of marble and gold gilt, the space was remained forgotten and walled off for decades before it was rediscovered during a refurbishment of the hotel in the 1990s. A golden pipe organ, monochrome checkered floor laid in marble and hand-carved mahogany furniture evidenced the dramatic craftsmanship. Candles burned around the room to create a formidable yet terrific air of secrecy.

Julian Joseph at the Masonic Temple, Andaz Hotel Liverpool Street for City of London Festival 2014 Credit: City of London Festival

My friend and I had the pleasure of bumping into Julian Joseph in the hallway minutes before the show began. He was cordial and thanked us for coming, a humble response given his status as one of the finest pianists to emerge this side of the Atlantic and a powerhouse in contemporary jazz for over two decades. So when he arrived into the room, with a 'Lovely to see you all' and 'Let's see what I have got for you, I already felt as if we were acquainted.

He took his seat at the grand piano and introduced the first song to be taken from Ellington's considerable repertoire, Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me. His playing was dynamic and immediately compelling and the noise reverberated around the temple aided by the remarkable acoustics. It was almost the only sound that could be heard in the windowless but far from oppressing temple, aside from my pencil softly but frantically moving across the page of my notebook as I tried to capture the visual and audio experience without making any noise at all. To use an iPhone would have guaranteed silent note taking, but a smartphone was the antithesis to the beautiful surroundings and sensation of being present in another time.

Julian Joseph noted that the next song, Heaven from the Second Sacred Concert album was as equally as deceptive at the beginning and I agreed; the song changed pitch somewhere in the middle and I felt like I was listening to an entirely different song. It was played effortlessly with a depth and vitality that left the intimate audience of around sixty people enraptured, in effect our own little lodge worshipping the sound. Some people had their eyes closed while others elicited a satisfied murmur of approval. As for me, I couldn't conceal a contented smile. It felt somewhat esoteric to be part of the audience but there was no sense of exclusivity.

Guest's chairs for the evening were hand carved mahogany thrones conjoined in a circle around the room. One great throne faced the audience, also framed by candles, as if reserved for a Grand Master presiding over us all and listening to the music. My own throne afforded me a vantage point; as Julian Joseph played his fingers moved across the piano dexterously, as if possessed by the spirit of Ellington himself, and his feet tapped along to the rhythm of the music. The turquoise and gold-gilded domed ceiling loomed brilliantly above the piano, adorned with signs of the zodiac. A beautiful lightbulb in the shape of a stair and four great marbled lights in the shape of scales added a cryptic air.

Julian Joseph at the Masonic Temple, Andaz Hotel Liverpool Street for City of London Festival 2014 Credit: City of London Festival

A Song for my Father was my favourite of the pieces performed that evening. With each pieceJulian Joseph performed he told an anecdote or provided an interesting narrative which embellished the music. Part way through the performance there was a mysterious clatter from somewhere behind the Grand Master's throne, and the official photographer and I looked at each other quizzically and grinned. I like to think the music roused the spirits; maybe it was a pantheon of the all time jazz greats expressing their pleasure of a man honouring their legacy with such skill and respect.

With one more beautiful piece played, Julian Joseph bowled graciously, smiled at his fraternity and left the room while the intimate audience kept up a steady stream of applause. 'That's a long way to go to make a point' he quipped as he returned for a well deserved encore before making his exit.

The biography on Julian Joseph's website provides a perfect synopsis.'The multi-faceted dimensions of his artistry are plain. As a pianist he is unsurpassed, as a composer he has brought new vitality to the music, and as a descendent of the jazz greats, he is not only fulfilling their legacy, but continues to honour their ground-breaking spirit into the twenty-first century.'

Ellington at the Temple enabled me to get lost in music, escape modem life for an hour or so and experience something so special. Julian Joseph is a true champion of the music.

Credits

A special thank you to Paul Gudgin (City of London Festival Director), David Lasserson (Associate of Brunswick Arts Consulting LLP) and City of London Festival for assistance with this article and for the photographs as credited. 

References

1. 2 July 2014 - the guardian.com - The Secret history of the jazz greats who were freemasons
2. 9 December 2009 - Londonist - In pictures: The Masonic Temple of Liverpool Street
3. Date unknown - Atlas Obscura - Masonic Lodge of the Andaz Hotel

Links

City of London Festival

Julian Joseph

The Julian Joseph Jazz Academy

Jazz FM

Jacknife Posters

Our designs are big, bold and brash… and sometimes subtle and understated. I try to match the feel and energy I get from the band's music with my design for their poster. A good gig poster should sum up that band, at that gig, at that point in time.

Chris Hopewell (Poster Designer)

Roaming around Latitude Festival recently in between acts, I stumbled across Jacknife Posters who were in residence with their incredible display of gig posters. It was a fortuitous discovery as the prints blew me away.

Bristol based Jacknife Posters, formed in 2006, design and produce stunning hand silk screen printed gig and tour posters using superlative paper and inks. Each poster is a guaranteed one-off, signed and individually numbered by the designer, which renders them immediately unique and collectable.

Whether bold and vibrant or subtle and modest, each poster is incredibly striking and I spent ages flicking through the designs on show. Whether you are into rock or indie music or not (I am), the graphic sophistication teamed with splashes of juxtaposed colour and awesome typography will snatch your attention. The female characters are fierce, irrepressible heroines captured flawlessly by the designers.

 I have my eye on this Queens of the Stone Age print from Primavera, Barcelona on 29 May 2014. If you're a band, manager, or promoter and you like what you see, then Jacknife may design something for you. You lucky things.

These are posters for art and music lovers everywhere and officially my new obsession.

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Latitude Festival

AVERY*SUNSHINE - ISLINGTON ASSEMBLY HALL, LONDON, 20 JUNE 2014

Upper Street, London, N1 didn't feel quite as exuberant last Friday night. England's premature exit from the World Cup, thanks to Italy's defeat, had hit the nation hard and dark clouds seemed to be forming.

Thankfully there was Sunshine on the horizon...

Last Friday I had the pleasure of reviewing Avery*Sunshine, supported by Anoushka Lucas, on behalf of Jazz FM. The gig was held at Islington Assembly Hall, a stunning Grade II listed venue in the heart of North London that has retained much of its original architectural detail and Art Deco interior, that everyone must visit at least once in their life. I insist.

With a perfect view of the magnificent stage, reserved tables with comfy seating and a disco ball that created a coruscating kaleidoscope of light, this was a classy way to hear live music after a week in the big smoke.

The evening began with British jazz singer Anoushka Lucas, deserved winner of the Love Supreme Discovery Competition in 2013. She plopped herself down at the keyboard and with no other introduction needed than a cheerful 'hello' and a beaming smile, she sang Daydreams. Anoushka's voice is beautifully raw; it can be both powerful and velvety and her impressive set was eclectic. Far From Here recounted holiday romances and conjured up images of balmy nights and impulse kissing while Get Up was soulful and uplifting and a solid delivery was met with appreciative head nodding from the crowd. Her solo piano playing gave the illusion of a big band when in reality it was just her, supported by Ben Reed on drums and Rick Biddulph on guitar.

As well as possessing a voice of great depth and quality, Anoushka is an accomplished guitar player and her beautiful strumming and makeshift drum beat ensured that Brixton Hill was a stand-out track for me. A sultry love letter to where she used to live, she welcomes the change in summer season and celebrates the sunrise on Brixton Hill (with no sirens today). Her cool London inflection and catchy lyrics reminded me a little of a jazzy Kate Nash and she is instantly likeable. Something About You is, by her own admission, something a bit sexier and was intoxicating. With her closing track, The Easiest Time, she seamlessly transitioned a low-tempo introduction into an upbeat track and the crowd were buzzing. Listening to Anoushka for the first time had the same impact on me as hearing Andreya Triana at last year's Love Supreme Festival - it gave me an appetite to hunt down her music and discover more.

A hugely important UK talent and I look forward to tracking her rise to stardom.

Jazz FM's Chris Philips popped up on stage to introduce the main act and invited us to give a London re-welcome to Avery*Sunshine; confirming there was no auto-tune to be had here, just real music. Avery was in town for the UK launch for her second studio album The Sun Room and we were promised a night of soul, jazz and gospel.

For those unfortunate souls who don't yet have some Avery in their life, she is a singer / songwriter / pianist with a powerhouse gospel-trained voice and a style that beautifully blends soul, jazz, gospel and R&B. Before releasing her self-titled debut album in 2010, she had already built an impressive musical career as a choir leader, a vocalist for Paramount Pictures' The Fighting Temptations and a choral director for the theatrical production of Dreamgirls among other great things.

Avery was as beautiful in the flesh as she is in pictures, glowing in a bright lemon top and dazzling drop earrings, and backed by possibly the most well turned out band I have ever seen in white shirt / black tie / black glasses combo. She launched straight into the infectiously catchy I Got Sunshine and crowd-participation was encouraged from the outset as she sat centre stage at the keyboard and asked us to identify whether our voice type was soprano, alto, tenor or bass and partake accordingly. Aided by a very strong double rum and coke (thanks, friendly bar staff), I  convinced myself I was an alto. Fortunately my flat tones were drowned out by the most harmonious, impressive-sounding crowd I have been part of - and a very good job too.

With her organic and soulful voice and adept keyboard skills, All in My Head cleverly transitioned into Anita Baker's gorgeous Sweet Love and this was met with rapturous applause from the audience. She performed tracks from 2010's Avery*Sunshine album including Pinin' and the fact she was having a ball was clearly visible.

2014's The Sun Room was produced by writer and classically trained guitarist Dana 'Big Dane' Johnson, who also wrote all tracks with Avery, and our very own Jean Paul 'Bluey' Maunick of Incognito / Citrus Sun fame produced all horn sessions. We were privileged to hear tracks from this album for the first time with her perfectly correlated band - Johnson on guitar, Orefo Orakwue on bass and Wesley Joseph on drums.

Nothing to Something is an exquisite ballad about finding love again that was sophisticated and sultry and with Call My Name (introduced with a rally cry of 'NORTH LONDON!) she talked about how much work it takes to be in love - reminding us to be nice to each other, conversational not confrontational. We all squeezed our partners hands a little bit firmer here.

On stage, Avery is funny, sweet and self-depreciating, and she lays bare her soul with a set peppered with motivational talks and heart-to-hearts. 'Find that thing you love passionately!' and 'No one should tell you how to fulfil your dream and don't let voices on the outside be louder than the ones on the inside!' she commanded and it was impossible not to feel compelled and motivated as she lifted us out of our seats with the rocket power of the her voice. The cover of Maroon 5's Sunday Morning had a latino-samba feel and it was one of the best covers I have ever heard showcasing a sparkling crystal-clear voice.

You know when you discover a great new artist or buy a new album and it takes a good few listens before the tracks distinguish themselves from each other? Absolutely not needed with this lady. For me, each track was unique and instantly likeable particularly Ugly Part Of Me and Safe In His Arms which heralded a gospel flavour to the set. Chris Philips returned to help dish out instruments to the crowd to form Avery's percussionists. I was again in awe of such a talented bunch of people - thank goodness I didn't let my excitement get the best of me and resisted the urge to dash up to the stage to shake a tambourine. Disastrous.

(Love) Won't You Try was a funky ode to Al Green and we gave the band a much deserved hand. With Time to Shine she invited us to clap, smile and take our shoes off and I honestly felt so relaxed and caught up in her luminosity I would have happily flung them off and lay on my seat - it was like being at home. The band departed leaving just Avery playing with her new mates, us the crowd, and only her hand clapping, the piano and us singing 'Shine' could be heard echoing powerfully through the Hall.

A standing ovation was a given - it would have been a travesty if she didn't return for an encore. She did, and what an encore it was. An Aretha / Michael / Luther medley was outrageously brilliant. She masterfully orchestrated sections of the crowd to sing rounds of 'When my baby calls, gotta jump to it' from Aretha Franklin's Jump To It (which I have played on repeat ever since), 'Never too much' from Luther Vandross' Never Too Much and 'Rock with you (All night), Dance you into day' from Michael Jackson's Rock With You (which sounded just like the Jazzy Jeff's Rock With You Mix ). Genius.

Stevie Wonder's All I Do formed part of the encore and everyone did the Soul Clap resoundingly, clapping on the eighth note of the beat, and Avery finished triumphantly with Carole King's You've Got a Friend with everyone singing heartily in the rows.

At the end I was fortunate enough to meet Avery*Sunshine and she was even more beautiful in the flesh. Unfortunately I trod on Big Dane's foot in all the excitement but he was incredibly gracious and super cool, phew. Avery complimented my husband Alex's hair and he grinned from ear to ear all the way home and who could blame him. I too found myself smiling broadly - she performed with such irrepressible power and star quality that it will be impossible to forget the first time I saw her perform in this beautiful venue.

As for the football? There's always 2018. For now, I've got Sunshine on my mind.

Anoushka Lucas

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