Weather Tonight: 4°c Partly Cloudy Night Morning: 8°c Cloudy

Music

London,

Ed Thigpen

Description: The Copenhagen-based drummer presents a Scandinavian flavoured bebop and modern jazz spectacular.



Rating: 4 out of 5 Jack Massarik's rating
Rating: 5 out of 5

Reader rating

Your rating

one star two star three star four star five star

Click on a star to rate

Pizza Express Jazz Club Dean Street, W1D 3RW

Phone: 0207437 9595

Website: www.pizzaexpresslive.co.uk

Extra info: Air Conditioning, Food

Transport: Tube: Tottenham Court Road Transport for London

Like father, like son

Influential: without appearing to dominate, Ed Thigpen gave the group a core of absolute rhythmic rightness that filtered around the bandstand
Influential: without appearing to dominate, Ed Thigpen gave the group a core of absolute rhythmic rightness that filtered around the bandstand

By Jack Massarik
21 Feb 2007


Stunt Records week in Soho involves the cream of Scandinavian jazz talent, with many new faces in town and, at the drum kit last night, one venerably familiar one.

Ed Thigpen was the cornerstone of the Oscar Peterson trio before he settled in Copenhagen 34 years ago, and his effect on local players has been considerable.

His Swedish front line, trumpeter Anders Bercrantz and tenorist Tomas Franck, and his Danish rhythm partners, pianist Kasper Villaume and bassist Jesper Bolidsen, grooved soulfully and seamlessly together in a vintage early-Sixties Blue Note style.

The soloists' major influences were happily obvious. Bercrantz played prime Freddie Hubbard with bluesy half-valving touches of Lee Morgan.

Franck played early Coltrane with touches of Dexter Gordon's eloquence, especially on his ballad feature, Old Folks.

Boldilsen was prime Ray Brown and Villaume was early Wynton Kelly. And Thigpen, without appearing to dominate, gave the group a core of absolute rhythmic rightness that filtered around the bandstand like a kind of jazzmosis.

"My father showed me how to play drums," he recalled recently. "He could nail the tempo so it stayed where it was supposed to be." Quite. And like father, like son.

•Series continues until Sunday. Information: 020 7734 3220.

Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.

Reader views (0)

 Add your view

No comments have so far been submitted.


Add your comment

 

Terms and conditions Make text area bigger You have  characters left.

We welcome your opinions. This is a public forum. Libellous and abusive comments are not allowed. Please read our House Rules.

For information about privacy and cookies please read our Privacy Policy.


 

Music top five
Cher Lloyd
Cher Lloyd

IndigO2
SE10
Apr 8, 7pm

Chris Rea

HMV Apollo
W6
Apr 5, 6.30pm

Miles Kane

HMV Forum
NW5
Apr 28, 7.30pm

Example

The O2 Arena
SE10
Apr 27, 6.30pm

Lightning Seeds

02 Shepherd's Bush Empire
W12
Feb 18, 7pm