Trendy Requirements Supergroup – Harvey Mason, Ernie Watts, Niels Lan Doky, Felix Pastorius
(The Forge, Camden, 22 March 2024. Overview by Rob Mallows)

I discovered myself first within the queue for this gig at seven o’clock sharp when the doorways opened, which means a close to two-hour wait till the music began…. but it surely was completely price it. The phrase supergroup is commonly tossed round with abandon, however within the case of the Trendy Requirements Supergroup, it’s completely deserved.

Two of the 4 are by advantage of their age and breadth of profession the epitome of ‘tremendous’ – drummer Harvey Mason, one of the recorded drummers on this planet and sticksman within the unique Herbie Hancock Headhunters, and sax participant Ernie Watts, who’s labored with the Rolling Stones and Charlie Haden amongst many others. Each have been launched as two of probably the most recorded jazz artists of the fashionable period.

Beside them have been two relative striplings: Niels Lan Doky, brother of jazz bassist Chris, on keyboards, and Felix Pastorius, son of … effectively, you recognize who. On stage collectively, this quartet produced among the greatest reside jazz I’ve heard in a good whereas, and the group on the remodelled Forge actually agreed, given the reception on the finish.

The angle for the Trendy Requirements Supergroup is  to play jazz interpretations of contemporary rock and pop classics – a not altogether unique concept (the Bad Plus have been doing it twenty years in the past), however one delivered excellently. Just a few originals by the gamers, comparable to first monitor Intercourse Pots by Doky which opened the present, have been combined in for good measure.

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Niels Lan Doky was my major motive for attending; I’d seen his brother Chris reside many occasions, and was curious if the latter’s world-class jazz chops ran within the household. Reply: they do. Undoubtedly the band chief – he has already toured a unique model of this undertaking – Doky’s artistic decisions on tracks like Oasis’ Wonderwall have been completely convincing and his enjoying was simply impeccable all through.

Certainly, all 4 of them have been immense. Given their collective musical heritage, it could have been shocking in the event that they weren’t.  I used to be particularly intrigued to listen to Felix Pastorius. Sadly I’m too younger to have had the possibility to see his father reside, however shut your eyes..think about you’re listening to Pastorius senior…it’s all too straightforward. On his six-string electrical bass – with a single rose affixed to the headstock, his tremendously quick finger-work, stopped chords, frequent use of harmonics, and luscious melodies overlaying a strong groove always… it was completely spellbinding. Felix towers over the opposite gamers in bodily stature and principally performs sitting down.

 Ernie Watts was somebody I’d by no means actively listened to earlier than (extra idiot me). As soon as the instrument was in touch in his mouth, you understood why the viewers hollered and cheered each observe: such stamina! Certainly, he appeared to throttle his tenor sax on the Prince monitor It’s About that Stroll, simply to get each final squeak out of the fantastically quick trills he loved. And people sustained notes: oh, wow.

Harvey Mason was all through the night unobtrusive and completely undemonstrative, however his beat was true and on each monitor – together with after they performed Herbie Hancock’s Chameleon, a monitor he co-wrote, he served the music spectacularly effectively. Their model was recognisably Hancock’s, however the teams swapped some minor for main chords to provide it an ‘odd’ feeling, however one which confirmed the power of the unique composition.

At occasions with a few the covers you may see the be part of the place the band went from the fireworks of their improvisation again to the easier pop melody, however they clearly had large enjoyable with the idea and alongside unique composition’s like Ernie Watts’ Reaching Up, all of it hung collectively tremendously effectively. The encore – Jaco Pastorius’ Teen City – was large.

A tremendously uplifting night, spoiled solely by absolutely the scourge of trendy gig-going: folks spending tens of minutes at a time watching among the best gigs of the 12 months via a 5 inch cellphone display. 

The place ARE the jazz police while you want them?

LINK: Trendy Requirements Supergroup at Niels Lan Doky’s web site