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The ensemble gauged a winning balance between harmonic progressiveness without being alienating to the non-jazz-buff, and a set that was short, sweet and left you wanting to come back for more.
The set began with Piece for D. Its monologue opening showed off Argüelles’ musical agility passing between fluffy and edgy timbres along sometimes angular, sometimes lyrical melodic lines fluidly. From this lone utterance, the piece morphs into a bustling, energizing trio. This is Jazz to energize not relax you.
From this point onwards the ensemble was pumped up to its full 8-part capacity. The eastern flavour of A Month in Tunisia was balmy and characterised by rippling lyrical lines. Following the next piece, Mind Your Head, came Hi Steve (Steve being Julian’s brother) which made way for Argüelles to show off his most passionate, pensive and lyrical playing.
Evan’s Freedom Pass tore towards the end of the first half with flaming energy. The energy nearly burned out, and a trembling trombone solo struggled, bruised and deflated, over the relentless riff that carried the music forward into a final frantic cry for freedom.
The second half began with the exuberant Pow Wow; rasping bass clarinet melodies and ‘scrunch-y’ harmonies with a funk twist contrasted strikingly with what followed. Since Then was characterised by clean horizontal and vertical lines coloured with more subtle harmonic inflections.
Bath X (a title Argüelles admits to being a little embarrassed of) morphed from an energetic, syncopated single-pitched pedal (perhaps you’re in suspense, while your bath water is running?) into lush, rich harmonies underpinned by Martin France’s latin beats. The developing familiarity of repeating riffs and ostinatos allowed you to soak in this lazy-making piece.
Following this was Piece for Jess, a tender Ballad before Dis at Ease with its fiendish bass line, and finally 500 Broadway, a piece inspired by the jazz-musician’s rite-of-passage that is living in New York City. Beginning with just double bass and kit this had a gritty, urban feel ending the concert with boisterous energy.
But, naturally, there was call for an encore which was humoured tastefully with a meditative, short and sweet Buckley-esque song that gave Mike Walker another chance to shine.
The octet were absolutely attuned to one another from start to finish, allowing their performance sensitivity and grounded flair, no-doubt testament to their experience together as an ensemble. Julian Argüelles is a master of the saxophone and his sound is seamless, elegant and gutsy.
But this time, Mike Walker’s presence was the highlight for me. In an unassuming but transfixing manner, Mike Walker is at any given moment utterly possessed by the jazz coming out of him attending to every utterance – from virtuosic improv to a potentially lifeless one-note pedals – with his whole being while silently scatting along to every note. Mesmirising and Brilliant.
Look out for the Argüelles Octet in next term’s University of York concert series.
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