TT gets a taste of European jazz

The musicians, regarded as three of Europe’s best, are Christof Lauer on saxophone, Michel Godard on tuba and Patrice Heral on drums. On the whole jazz is not my kind of music. I got as far as Thelonius Monk, grasped the fact that musicians begin playing, say, “Fly me to the Moon” or “Take the A Train” or (in pan jazz sessions) “Mr Walker” or “Miss Tourist” then each one in turn plays impromptu variations, finally all end up with the original tune. Instead of waiting for the conclusion, the audience applauds each musician in turn after their impromptu solo.

However, European contemporary jazz has evolved beyond those guidelines — if my ears did not deceive me — although that may have been due to the unfamiliarity of the music composed by one or another member of the trio himself.

“Un Regalo” was the first piece that I found rather noisy. Again, the musicians ignored the shell perfecting the Queen’s Hall acoustics — but I suppose that won’t work with electric guitars, amplified tubas and peculiar sounds emanating from the percussion.

I found the second piece, “The Kite” more to my liking being quieter, at least in the beginning. Otherwise I can only quote from my notes which read “heat problems” when performers mopped their brows, “tuba making noise like a horse neighing”. However, those knowing, and appreciating jazz gave the piece a rousing reception.

One to tease the ears was a piece composed by Heral. That piece was inspired by his daughter when she was at the “terrible two” stage. One was amused by some of the noises extracted (can’t think of another word for it) by Heral from his electronic box of tricks, via his own mouth, one imitated tip-toes, another a child thundering down stairs, bawling, crying, laughing and, so softly, sleeping.

If I remember rightly it was during that last piece that Godard, the tuba-cum-guitar player, astonished by playing his two instruments almost simultaneously; he slung his guitar across his back, played the tuba he held in front, then reached back with his right hand to pluck a thumping bass from the guitar.

If Godard was a surprise, Heral wasn’t. He impressed with his versatility, at one stage holding the mike in his mouth, then holding it against the cymbals to produce a soft, hissing sound, then would come a frenzy of beating drums, crossing hands as he did so — just as one expects of a drummer in jazz sessions. Lauer also astonished with his masterly playing.

Although there was no standing ovation at the end of the performance, there’s no doubt that jazz lovers thoroughly enjoyed the music — and showed it by the volume of the applause.

On their behalf I thank the German Embassy and the Alliance Fran?aise for bringing these three distinguished jazz musicians to the Queen’s Hall to entertain and, possibly enlighten us on the latest trends in jazz.