Urgent appeal: Save The Vortex

The Vortex in Dalston is one of the UK's brightest and best venues. It's run on a not-for-profit basis and showcases both established acts and talents of lesser renown. 

Please donate what you can to keep this brilliant corner going:

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/save-the-vortex

Lockdown Jazz

If, like me, you're itching for some live jazz, here's a live-streamed performance worth catching. From the lovely people at the Vortex, it's a donation-based performance by the rather excellent George Crowley.

I've caught him solo at Jazz in the Round in the past, so I can vouch for the fact that this'll be well worth getting online for. And you can get that feelgood factor of knowing your donation is helping keep the venue alive. 

Go to http://www.vortexjazz.co.uk/event/george-crowley-solo-set/ for full details.

Been there etc.

I'm a sucker for a good cause, so yeah, I splashed-out.


Besides, this is the old design, no longer available!

Circuits Bent

Elliot Galvin: The Influencing Machine album launch, 21 February 2018, the Vortex.

I first came across the phenomenon that is Elliot Galvin live at Dinosaur’s Together As One album launch, and in this trio form warming up for jazz supergroup Aziza at the Cadogan Hall. I was duly impressed on both occasions. 

Add in the social media build up and the pre-release promotion on bandcamp for The Influencing Machine, and I’d whipped myself up into a something of an anticipatory lather ahead of this opener to the trio's promo tour. 

I’m happy to report that I wasn’t disappointed. 

These three startling young musicians delivered a blistering, interval-free set, showcasing the whole album. As I often find myself saying, if you haven’t heard it yet, put it on your shopping list.

The Vortex’s intimacy as a venue provided the perfect setting, allowing Galvin to interact with a rapt audience, explaining some of the inspiration behind his compositions, and expounding the virtues of circuit bending by way of a Dora the Explorer keyboard – wow!

At times Elliot appeared like a youthful mad scientist; yet his toys-atop-the-Steinway approach never felt forced, or gimmicky, or obscured his formidable piano technique. Mixed in with the quirky sound effects, tempo changes and bursts of sonic craziness was some stunningly beautiful playing. Indeed, this is a band chock-full of youthful virtuosity. Corrie Dick, introduced by Elliot with the prefix “amazing”, responded to his bandleader’s spikey improvisations with mesmerising technique behind the drumkit, while Tom McCreddie spun basslines threading through the space between - I love those percussive breaks he delivers – and electric guitar excursions.  

The InfluencingMachine is out now on vinyl, CD and download, and there are still a few dates of the tour left. 

Catch them if you can. Your circuits will be bent for ever more. 

Influencing Machine album launch

Looking forward to next wednesday's (21st) gig from the Elliot Galvin Trio (Elliot Galvin, Tom McCredie, Corrie Dick) at the Vortex. This is the first of two nights launching their latest album, The Influencing Machine.

Should be a scorcher.

Crossed 'bones

So Jazzy G and I met up at Gillette Square for another heady night in Dalston. Annie Whitehead is a towering figure in UK jazz, but one I'd somehow yet to catch live, so I was raring to go.

As usual, our not inconsiderable proportions suffered the Vortex's legroom-not-included philosophy, but I can live with that when the music's top quality. 

First up, Rosie Turton's Quintet. The unusual line-up - with Turton's trombone and Joanna Burnheart's violin out front - set an intriguing, trance-like vibe for the evening, and Twm Dylan delivered that rarest of in-gig occurrences, a broken double-bass string! What with swirling, Tyner-esque piano work from Maria Chiara Argiro, and Jake Long's choppy drums, I'd very much like to catch this band again for a full night's performance.

The vibe delivered by Annie Whitehead's Blow The Fuse Allstars couldn't have been more contrasting, and not just because of the leader's more throaty tone on the 'bone. The band paid tribute to recently-departed Hugh Masekela, Deirdre Cartwright's guitar providing a soaring township-jazz sound, and to the late Rico Rodriguez with a warm rendition of his (4:4 time) Take 5 re-write. Alison Rayner (double bass) treated us to an original tune and Winston Clifford was a force of nature on drums as always. 

Rarely have I seen a band obviously enjoying themselves quite so much, and it was impossible not to feel the same.