Andy Sheppard, influential stuff

[Pinball]

Hi, just thought I would share my experiences of a "James Morton vs Andy Sheppard" gig at the Fringe bar in Bristol this week.

I'm more your rock/blues/folk guy and not heavily into Jazz head but good music is good music so when I saw that such a renowned artist was playing so close by I had to go. I took my son and his friend, who is a drummer and a fan of Andy Sheppard.

The venue was tiny and only holds 40 people so the gig was intimate. We sat at a table at the front so were virtually on stage and the band needed little in the way of amplification. In fact we were so close to the action that we shared a table with some of the band's beers and Mr Sheppard's sax. The band consisted of keybourds, drums, double bass, and two sax players-Morton and Sheppard, with the latter doubling up in clarinet on occasions.

The gig was very much in two halves and the first set varied in quality. Sometimes it was very together and at others a bit lacking and I got the impression they were trying out stuff. The one constant was that the brilliance of Mr Sheppard shone through. The 2nd set raised the bar to new heights. The rhythm section were tight and the energy was amazing. Andy Sheppards control and invention were there for all so see and James Morton complemented this with an equally polished and more aggressive style. Both were playing with a lot of feeling. They keys were also amazing so we were trated to some great up-beat driving jazz until closing time.

Overall anyone going to the Fringe should be aware you have to be early because of the limited number of seats/capacity. Also beware if you like to drink lots of beer you are going to struggle to get to the loos once the gig starts. The smallness of the gig makes it really intimate but the wide stage and good acoustics make for a good experience.I guess the test of how good it was is to ask myself "would I go again" and the answer is "hell yes!". It hasn't turned me into a jazz head but it was one of the most influential performances I have seen and I feel I witnessed something very special. Andy Sheppard has an amazing musical ear and the rare musical ability.

[Bilbo]

I used to see Andy Sheppard regularly at the Four Bars Inn in Cardiff in the late 1980s. I remember when most of us heard him for the first time on a BBC programme about the Schlitz Beer Jazz competition. Everyone played two tunes except Sheppard who played one which started with an extended solo improvisation on soprano sax using circular breathing (the tune was called 'Esme'). It was an absolute showstopper. I also loved his Rhythm Method band with Steve Lodder, Claude Deppa and Sylvan Richardson.

[Pinball]

Yep the circular breathing was on full show. He blew into the clarinet for what must have been heading towards a couple of minutes without stopping. The thing that impressed me was that it contrasted and complimented the rest of the tune. Very subtle and skilful and it didn't sound at all self indugent. I guess that is what makes him stand out from the crowd.