Winner of the Parliamentary Jazz Award for Best Media, 2019

Review

by Ian Mann

March 17, 2014

/ ALBUM

A consistently uplifting album, "Soho Live" does a superb job of capturing the energy of a Shez Raja Collective live performance.

Shez Raja Collective

“Soho Live”

(33 Records 33JAZZ238)

Shez Raja is a British-Asian bass player and composer, originally from the Wirral but now based in London. He began playing classical violin at the age of nine before switching to electric bass at thirteen. After studying at Leeds College of Music Raja became an in demand session musician, his credits covering genres ranging from folk to hip-hop. 

Raja formed his Collective in 2007 and has released three studio albums, “Magica” (2007) “Ten Of Wands” (2008) and Mystic Radikal” (2010). The line-up has included some of the best UK based jazz musicians, among them saxophonist Andy Sheppard and trumpeter Claude Deppa and “Soho Live” is a star studded affair recorded live over the course of several performances at London’s famous Pizza Express Jazz Club in Dean Street, Soho. The Collective has earned a formidable reputation for the exciting qualities of its live shows and this album represents a logical step for Raja with the bulk of the material being drawn from the “Magica” and “Mystic Radikal” recordings.

“Soho Live” features a core band of Raja on electric bass, Pascal Roggen on electric violin, Alex Stanford on keyboards, Aaron Liddard on saxophones and Chris Nickolls at the drums. The roll call of illustrious guests includes an impressive list of top horn men and singers including saxophonists Soweto Kinch and Gilad Atzmon clarinettist Shabaka Hutchings, trumpeter Jay Phelps and vocalist Monika Lidke. In a heady musical brew that includes elements of jazz, funk and Indian music we also get to hear Kinch displaying his talents as a rapper.

Given that Raja lists his key influences on electric bass as being Marcus Miller, Stanley Clarke and Weather Report era Jaco Pastorius it’s perhaps not too surprising that much of this music is full of strong grooves that pack a mighty rhythmic punch. Raja and Nickolls form an impressive team and give the music great drive but there’s also a pleasing degree of subtlety in Raja’s writing and in the contributions of the guest soloists.

The album commences with the appropriately titled “Adrenalize” culled from the “Magika” album. Raja plays a distinctive five string electric bass guitar and in tandem with drummer Nickolls he creates a busy and propulsive rhythmic drive which is augmented by the swishes and whooshes of Stanford’s keyboards. The principal guest soloist here is Shabaka Hutchings who expertly rides the grooves on dancing clarinet. Raja produces some astonishing sounds on a solo featuring heavily treated and processed electric bass (initially I thought it was Stanford’s keyboards) and we also hear the incisive alto sax of Aaron Liddard before a snarling meltdown of a finale. It’s thrilling, energetic stuff and the Pizza Express audience reacts with appropriate fervour.

“Karmic Flow”, from “Mystic Radikal”, acknowledges Raja’s Asian origins with its sometimes sitar like drone effects and Indian style melodies featuring Roggen’s violin, Liddard’s alto and particularly guest Monika Lidke’s wordless vocals.  Things take a different turn when guest Soweto Kinch takes the mic to demonstrate his rapping abilities. In general I’m not a fan of rap and hip-hop but I usually find myself enjoying Kinch’s efforts in this area, not least because I can usually understand what he’s saying, unlike most of his American cousins.  I suspect most hard core rap fans would find Kinch’s rhyming all a bit too polite and too “British”,  but for me he’s the acceptable face of a genre that I don’t particularly like. His powerful, impassioned alto sax is also featured which is a considerable bonus as far as I’m concerned. Meanwhile Raja and co. ramp up the groove behind him as the piece reaches another fiery climax which again gets a great reception from the Pizza public.

“FNUK” from “Magica” features slinky funk grooves and a liquid, melodic solo from the leader on electric bass that sees him simultaneously maintaining the groove. Impressive. The featured guest is Gilad Atzmon who relishes the opportunity to play some seductive tenor sax, for the listener it’s nice to get the chance to hear him on tenor rather than his usual alto. Atzmon just seems to exude music and his playing becomes more passionate as the tune progresses.

Atzmon sticks around for the following “Quiverwish” initially trading ideas with Roggen over a heavy duty funk groove. Raja takes the first solo on percolating electric bass before handing over to Atzmon who relishes the chance to deliver another dose of his own brand of tenor madness. 

“Eastern Revolution”, from “Magica” is a piece for the core quintet only. Propelled by typically monstrous bass grooves it gives Liddard the chance to cut loose, this time on tenor. We also hear from the New Zealand born Roggen on electric violin who delivers a coruscating solo and there’s a closing flurry from busy drummer Nickolls .

“Chakras On The Wall” from “Mystic Radikal” initially sees Lidke’s beguiling wordless vocals doubling up on the melody line alongside the leader’s bass. Stanford, Roggen Raja and the tenor toting Liddard engage in a spirited exchange of ideas before Lidke briefly returns.

The core quintet appears on “Junk Culture” sourced from the “Magica” album. Raja describes the piece as our “funkiest track” as he encourages the Pizza Express audience to clap along. A stinging slap bass groove underpins instrumental flurries from Roggen on violin and Liddard on tenor with Stanford delivering an astonishing synthesiser solo, proof that the instrument can still be used imaginatively in this context - shades here of the great Bernie Worrell.

The closing “Freedom”, sourced from “Magica” introduces a reggae element with Raja’s bass leading the way. There are also strong contributions from Jay Phelps on trumpet and Soweto Kinch , the pair joyously exchanging phrases above Raja’s infectious Carribean groove. It’s a feel good way to end a consistently uplifting album. 

“Soho Live” does a superb job of capturing the energy of a Shez Raja Collective live performance. It’s not the most subtle of albums, there are no ballads and precious few reflective moments, but it is enormous fun with some fine and fiery playing from both the core quintet and from Raja’s celebrated guests. At the heart of it all is the leader’s bass, funky and melodic by turns and always right on the money, Raja is a phenomenal technician. He also makes effective use of a range of pedals and other effects, as indeed do Stanford and Roggen who both produce an impressive variety of sounds from their respective instruments.

Raja’s pan-cultural approach is reminiscent of Jah Wobble, possibly another of Raja’s bass heroes, although with the exception of the closing “Freedom” Raja’s music is primarily rooted in American funk and fusion rather than Wobble’s dub and reggae. Raja’s genre mixing also reminds me of Soothsayers, another London band with a similar range of multi ethnic influences. “Soho Live” is a valuable document but surely the best place to hear Raja and his friends is in a live setting, preferably in an appropriately hot and sweaty club environment.


You have the chance to do that right here, at the place where the album was recorded;


Wed-16-Apr Thu-17-Apr (7:00pm):
Shez Raja (Album Launch) ft Gilad Atzmon, Shabaka Hutchings & Monika Lidke
Show Time 8:30pm / Doors Open 7:00pm
£17.50 per person

Pizza Express Jazz Club,
10 Dean Street, Soho, London W1
Venue telephone: 0845 6027 017


Website: http://www.pizzaexpresslive.com
 

Shez Raja will be interviewed about this album by Julian Joseph on BBC Radio 3’s “Jazz Line-Up”  programme at 6.00 pm on Saturday 22nd March 2014.

blog comments powered by Disqus