By Maddy O'Neil, Fourth year French and Spanish
Following the release of his highly anticipated and critically acclaimed album, the hyperkinetic jazz drummer did not miss a beat.
The gig marks the final leg of Moses Boyd’s European tour celebrating the release of his debut solo LP ‘Dark Matter’. With two Mobo awards under his belt, the 28-year-old composer-producer-musician has gone from strength to strength, propagating his free-flowing contemporary jazz style.
Anticipation is high as opener Yewanda is on the decks. Grime infected bass heavy beats set the tone - a nod to the South London drummer’s upbringing. Local legend ‘Big Jeff’ (real name Jeffrey Johns) is down the front, punching the air and shaking his wild curls; a sure sign that this is the place to be in Bristol tonight.
By the time Moses Boyd walks on stage, dressed in a simple black tee, the crowd is prepped and primed for an evening of unadulterated fun. The band ease us in with gentle ripples of the saxophone and shimmers of cymbals, enhanced by the soft purple lighting, as they slide into the album’s opening track ‘Stranger than Fiction’. The tranquillity does not last long, however, as the band descend into a dynamic and highly engaging performance.
Moses Boyd is immersed in the music, eyes closed and grinning as his bandmates take centre stage. Although they ecstatically bounce off one another, there is no doubt that each performer is a star in their own right. We are repeatedly blown away by bold and vibrant saxophone solos of Quinn Oulton, whilst guitarist Artie Zaitz enchants the audience with his hypnotic technique.
After twenty minutes of uninterrupted performance, Boyd leads a solo, masterfully shifting between delicate drumbeats and an explosive full-kit display. Not even a fire alarm could curb his enthusiasm.Another highlight of the evening was ‘2 Far Gone’, superbly performed by Renato Paris on keys whilst Boyd shook the rafters.
A man of few words, Moses Boyd lets his music do the talking. When he eventually introduces his talented band, he gleefully tells the audience “this is the first sold out show on the tour”, joking about the earlier fire alarm, and revealing that there is “always a good vibe in Bristol” – a statement that could not be more true of tonight.
The night saw its crescendo with the endlessly upbeat ‘BTB’ - an animated blend of buoyant saxophone riffs and syncopated drum rhythms, reminiscent of Notting Hill Carnival. The energy is infectious.
Returning to cries of ‘one more tune’, the band retake the stage for an exuberant rendition of his 2016 breakout track ‘Rye Lane Shuffle’. Overall, the night was an energetic jazz masterclass with a modern twist, tearing up the rule book whilst frequently descending into improvisation to the sheer delight of the audience.
Image Credit: Maddy O'Neil/Epigram
