The Necks in Brighton

photo by Al Hill

The Necks

St Lukes Church, Brighton

Sun 26^th May 2019

Presented by Dictionary Pudding and The Brighton Alternative Jazz Festival, who were responsible for bringing this Antipodean improvising trio of Lloyd Swanton, Chris Abrahams and Tony Buck to Brighton at the same venue in 2017.  Tonight, BAJF founder Daniel Spicer makes the mildly irreverent introductions:  “Make good use of the cushions; the pews are quite hard…” Spicer urges; “The Necks will be performing two sets this evening…so that’s one per cheek…”

The Necks’ first set finds them in an abstracted mood.  Gradual changes, locked-in interplay of the type usually displayed by groupings that have played together for over thirty years.  Chris Abrahams’ piano works through every conceivable extrapolation of the key in which they play; a trembling filigree from his right hand while his left holds down rhythmic chords for drummer Tony Buck to bolster with his simultaneous shakers and bells; tinkling artefacts, openly resonating bass drum skins, simultaneously playing in marching time and syncopation.  Over the top of all this, double bassist, Lloyd Swanton coaxes simple yet effective non-typical sounds from his strings, sometimes pushing little scraps of melody off toward the edge of his plate.  At one point, the piano sounds almost like an electronic organ; lending a kind of Popol Vuh flavour to the music.  All the while, the group are bathed in an unchanging blue and pink light; the height of the church ceiling producing a lovely airy acoustic.  Beautiful music, a superb example of what can be done by three musicians improvising together at a consistently high level.

After a half hour or so interval – I use the word “interval” deliberately; this concert’s presentation at the foot of the pulpit had more than a little theatricality about it, albeit most likely unintentionally – the trio reconvene.  This time, however – and perhaps this was discussed as a strategy during the break – the initial impression is of the deep communication and delicacy of the methodically drifting first set has been lost and replaced with what seems to me, an almost a deliberate attempt to disrupt unity.  Tony Buck seems to unseat the rhythmic propulsion of the first set with a much more tangential strategy.  In fact, unison playing only happens sporadically – yet beautifully – as the players seem to concentrate on themselves as individuals.  Perhaps they simply wanted to make it a little harder on themselves; I’m all for musicians pushing their ideas of what is possible, especially improvising musicians.  Swanton veers from percussive mark-making to melodic input and Abrahams produces more electronic-like tones until, finally, unexpectedly, they bring the whole thing to a precision close with a pretty resolution; hitting the final note together in crystal harmony.

The difference in approach to each piece clearly appeals to the audience who applaud generously with even some whooping and some members off to the right hand side trying to encourage a standing ovation.  This ain’t a concert hall, sunshine, but it is the best place to see a jazz trio, only partly because St Luke’s reportedly has the best grand piano of any venue in Brighton.  Their recent long player, Vertigo is now available on vinyl as well as cd I’m told.  Best get your hands on a copy.