MUSIC

Coronation Tap, Bristol (Tue 3 Jan)

Here’s a mind-boggling little collective of young jazz talent from London (but including capitalised local heroes Josh Arcoleo and James Gardner-Bateman) bringing the drawling New Orleans 70s funk style of The Meters to life on a chilly blasting Bristol evening. The Meters took the core James Brown rhythm and slackened it off into an altogether slinkier sound embellished with a mix of jazz and psychedelia. Their smooth rendition of ‘Looka Py Py’ shows that The Peters (dreadful name!) have it completely down, from the solid thunk of Pete Randall’s bass and Lewis Wright’s clipped hi-hat to Steve Pringle’s percussive two-handed organ technique and the clipped riffery of Ben Barritt’s guitar. That four-man rhythm machine proves tireless and unassuming throughout the gig, lifting the sound from skeletal sketches to wide-screen orchestration and back again, deft individual subtleties almost lost in the overall mix. It’s a perfect carpet for the horn section to ride and they make the most of it. Complemented by Will Rixon’s trumpet, Arcoleo and Gardiner-Bateman  have an empathy that’s matured over the years and Josh’s funk grounding pays its dues to Pee Wee Ellis. The two saxes play out an almost dubbed-out reading of ‘Sophisticated Cissie’ with a lovely little counterpoint duo, while ‘Funky Miracle’ gets its New Orleans marching band drive from Wright’s flamboyant snare work, and all three horns go for it in an almost Dixie style. Rixon’s trumpet is superb, the Marsalis-like tone sliding over the racing beat in ‘Moneymaker’ with unhurried insouciance but pushing the elaborations to the limit, a blur of fingers tying themselves in knots. Gardner-Bateman pushes the minimal, clever repetition, stretching his ideas and emphasising the rhythmic; Arcoleo increasingly finds his funk roots, squeezing and stabbing the tenor sound while exploring harmonic possibilities. With the best will in the world, though, The Meters material can become a bit samey, so it’s great to hear upbeat stuff from the Menahan Street Band’s reggae-flavoured funk and a fine version of ’Hang Up Your Hang-Ups’ that let Randall’s bass and Wright’s drums off the leash to close things. It’s a faultless gig that everybody enjoys – band included – and all the more impressive for being their first live work-out. They should be checking out their camping gear now – surely the festival stages beckon? (Tony Benjamin)

Copyright Tony Benjamin 2012