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An awesome and ridiculous film that leaves you thrilled beyond the point of your natural endurance
2012
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Always been a fan but never seen them live. I was ecstatic to be part of this epic event. WOW!
London,
Jack Massarik's rating
Reader rating
Description: The band play modern improv jazz.
Phone: 0207254 4097
Website: www.vortexjazz.co.uk
Email: info@vortexjazz.co.uk
Trains: Tube: Highbury & Islington 
, Tube / Bus: 30, 38, 56, 67, 76, 149, 243, 277, N38, N149, N243 
Extra info: Pub, Air Conditioning
Off the record: Porpoise Corpus's debut album contains many impressive moments but they are even better live
They have a daffy name and all look incredibly young, but Porpoise Corpus make seriously good music. Their debut album contains many impressive moments and last night they sounded even better. A sextet with two saxes, guitar, piano, bass and drums, they played stylish, fast-moving, episodic originals that held the interest as securely as the ever-changing scenery from a train window.
Thrash-rock passages by drummer Guy Wood and bassist Spencer Brown gave way to interweaving sax lines or gentle, semi-classical solo-piano meandering but every change of pace was linked by strong logic. Some ingenious melodic twists, especially for the saxes, also flickered with rare jazz elegance.
Pianist-composer Dave O'Brien, who did the arranging, can take a bow. Beneath his overgrown Beatle haircut ticks a jazz brain of unusual vision and originality. British writing of such intelligence and whimsical, anything-is-possible spirit has not been heard since the young Django Bates was first unleashed.
Frameworks as fine as these called for superior soloists. Jonathan Bratoeff, extracting a remarkably warm, round tone from his solid-body guitar, lyrical altoist Tom Ward and fluent tenorist Tom Challenger all played brilliantly. O'Brien kept a lower profile, but his understated explorations were no less fascinating. Keep an eye on him.
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
Thanks for the nice review, Jack, we always love playing at the Vortex, and we're glad you enjoyed it too.
For more on the band, check out http://myspace.com/porpoisecorpus and http://www.porpoisecorpus.com
- Tom Ward, London
