The young London based pianist Will Butterworth has been a frequent and welcome visitor to the Welsh Marches over the course of the last year or so and has played three successful and very different shows in the border town of Presteigne. All have been reviewed for this site with Butterworth’s “Stravinsky Duo” with drummer Dylan Howe appearing only a couple of months ago.

This latest performance, part of promoter Tony Walton’s Tigerfish Sessions programme, saw Butterworth relocating to Hay-On Wye and bringing yet another new line up with him. It also marked Butterworth’s first appearance on electronic keyboards, his trusty Fender Rhodes taking over from the rather splendid grand piano at Presteigne Assembly Rooms.

For this latest gig in the book town of Hay Butterworth introduced yet another line up of prodigiously talented young musicians. On alto sax was nineteen year old Tom Harvey, already a hugely impressive player and one the jazz world is surely destined to hear a lot more of. The same could be said of young drummer and composer Peter Ibbetson and with long term Butterworth collaborator Marcus Penrose on double bass this was yet another winning combination.

The Globe at Hay is a former Methodist chapel latterly converted into an arts centre. The group played in the basement or “lower gallery” reached via a treacherous flight of stairs that brought back memories of the descent into the cellar of the Village Vanguard. The gallery itself is a pleasingly bohemian space reminiscent of The Others in Stoke Newington with it’s comfortable sofas and relaxed ambience. Unfortunately the extortionately expensive beer was a less welcome reminder of the London venue.

Apart from one Ibbetson original the material was largely drawn from the bebop canon with composers such as Sonny Rollins and Thelonious Monk represented. The music began with Ibbetson’s solo drum introduction and as the other members of the quartet joined in the melody of “You And The Night And The Music” gradually emerged albeit in an original and decidedly off kilter arrangement (by drummer Ibbetson) full of odd meters and unusual time signatures. Harvey took the first solo, impressing from the off with his fluency before Butterworth and Ibbetson took over, their keyboard/drum dialogue sometimes reminiscent of Butterworth’s work with Dylan Howe. Ibbetson’s playing was frequently explosive, the drummer sometimes rising from his stool to impart extra power to his already dynamic playing. Here and throughout the quartet played with a kind of subtle funkiness that engaged both brain and foot.

The following “Melody For Emily”, an Ibbetson original was a total contrast and showcased the drummer’s sensitive side as he deployed brushes on a wonderfully melodic ballad. Harvey again shone on a lengthy alto solo and the resonant tones of bassist Penrose were also featured.

Sonny Rollins’ “Doxie” was a slippery piece of hard bop with Butterworth’s Rhodes solo sandwiched between two outings for alto man Harvey. 

To complete the first half Miles Davis’ “Solar” began with solo alto, soon joined in dialogue by Ibbetson’s drums. Butterworth then took over, his Rhodes trilling above Ibbetson’s floating drum pulse. Penrose was next to feature with a springy, dexterous solo before a sparky dual between drums and Rhodes closed the first set.

The quartet were warmly applauded by a smallish crowd, although with the way the room was set up it didn’t feel in any way empty. Unfortunately saxophonist Art Themen was playing elsewhere in town the same night and probably split the jazz vote, not huge in Hay-On-Wye at the best of times. Something similar had happened in Abergavenny the other week when Asaf Sirkis found himself competing with Digby Fairweather. I know the styles are all very different but they all come under the jazz umbrella and in a jazz starved area it’s unfortunate that these clashes happen. A case of “London bus” syndrome I guess.

The quartet commenced their second set with one of their favourite tunes, the rarely heard “Cyclic Episode” by saxophonist Sam Rivers. Harvey immediately impressed with what was probably his best solo of the night. This young man has a remarkably pure tone and is already a fluent and gifted improviser. His playing throughout was commendably mature and assured and full of well executed ideas. Penrose, so often the anchor of the band weighed in with the latest in a series of excellent bass solos.

Butterworth began “Blue Monk” on Fender Rhodes, distorting his sound to create an almost clavinet feel before Harvey took over the lead with a burst of pure toned alto. Butterworth returned with a more traditional Rhodes sound and bassist Penrose was again featured.

“You Don’t Know What Love Is ” represented the second set’s only ballad and was opened by Harvey’s solo alto, later joined by Ibbetson deploying soft head sticks on his drums to gently rumbling dramatic effect. Both Butterworth and Harvey produced lengthy solos as the quartet stretched and probed within the fabric of the piece.

For an encore the group played one of the most famous of all jazz standards “All The Things You Are” again stretching out at length on alto and Rhodes and building in an impressive feature/solo for the excellent Ibbetson.

This may have been “real book” jazz but it was played with the kind of technical expertise and a spirit of musical adventure that we rarely see out here in the sticks. On this occasion Butterworth seemed happy to sit back and let his colleagues take the plaudits. Young Harvey emerged as the most impressive soloist of the night and plenty of room was given for Ibbetson and Penrose to express themselves.

Earlier we had been entertained by a local trio led by guitarist Tony Lancett and featuring the soulful vocals and bluesy harmonica of Steve Williams with Des Bromage coaxing an impressive array of sounds out of a tiny Roland drum machine. Their good humoured set included a number of blues flavoured originals plus old favourites like “Fever” and “My Girl”. They too, were very warmly received by a laid back and amiable audience. 

You can always guarantee that something interesting will happen when Will Butterworth makes one of his regular excursions to the Welsh Borders. Let’s hope he returns with some more fine music and musicians in 2010.

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