It was hard to say exactly when the veteran free-jazz drummer Sunny Murray’s performance in the back room of this outwardly unassuming Finsbury Park Working Men’s club began. Murray’s current collaborators, the British duo of bassist John Edwards and saxophonist Tony Bevan, were nowhere to be seen when he sauntered on stage to make final adjustments to his kit, and began casually chatting with the front few rows of the sold-out house. Was this part of the show? Were we to ignore him politely, or attempt to engage in conversation? A documentary film-crew circled as Murray, a bear in a flat-cap, took questions from fans, told affectionate stories, and tightened screws. Sunny Murray had started, after a fashion, and most people hadn’t noticed.
Sunny Murray began co-creating what was to become American jazz’s avant-garde outgrowth with Cecil Taylor in the early 60’s. As he told attentive listeners, he’d tried to transpose Coltrane’s approach to the saxophone to the drums, abandoning conventional rhythms for the percussive equivalent of those all-pervading sheets of sound. By the time he’d hooked up with Albert Ayler, recording Spiritual Unity in 1964, the New Thing was in full swing, and Sunny Murray was stoking its engines. It’s clearly something of a coup for Ashley Wales and John Coxon, of Spring Heel Jack, to host to such a significant player at their regular Back In Your Town night, but when Murray reminisces, making final adjustments to his kit, he reminds us that this totemic figure is also just another working musician.
Whatever needed to be done is done, or undone, and Bevan and Edwards stand guard for Sunny’s opening solo. Four minutes of unaccompanied percussion open the toolbox and display the available hardware. Even when Murray’s at his most uncompromising, his skittering cymbals and staccato stickwork still buzz with the snap, crackle and pop of jazz as cabaret, rather than jazz as edifying art. Even his most lengthy improvisations always seem to end with vaudeville rat-a-tat-tat rimshots. After four minutes or so, Edwards dives into the undertow and Bevan shoots a reveille-like tenor salvo across the bows, perhaps an early concession to Albert Ayler’s strangely martial solos, and they’re off. Bevan’s playing initially is compellingly unadorned, and it looks like the night is going to be a heroic battle of wills. But somewhere around the twelve minute mark, Sunny settles into a series of skittering moves that allow the saxophonist to blow more softly, and Edwards to stretch out into a mesh of cyclical pulses, to the drummer’s obvious delight, before Bevan re-energises the piece, improvising around a little phrase that seems to have been copped from Harry Warren’s showtune, The Lullaby Of Broadway. A second shorter improvisation sees Bevan on the bass sax and Murray fluttering the edges of his cymbals over an uncharacteristically inisistent beat.
After the interval, the trio is joined by Wales and Coxon, on electronics and guitar respectively, and what has been a satisfying display of ye olde avant-garde jazz becomes something rather more confusing. The Murray-Edwards-Bevan trio know the rules of their game, but now Coxon’s clanging guitar notes and Wales’ techtonic rumbling have altered the shape of the playing field. They quintet begin cautiously, searching for an elusive centre ground, and Bevan falls back on unusually melodic playing as a counterpoint to the gathering chaos. There’s a feeling of panic, like the players have painted themselves into a corner. Edwards anchors a sustained wall of electronic skree with a walking bassline, and Murray seems lost, but it’s great to watch the group struggle a little, clearly beyond its comfort zone. Bevan pitches some squawky serialist sax over the noise, but the group are still drifting. After a quarter of an hour a strange and beautiful empty space opens up, allowing a considered, almost tidal interplay between the collaborators, until Bevan and Coxon force an escape route, bouncing sustained bursts back and forth between them. As the group finally begin a gradual collective descent, Bevan indulges in more lively, Ayler-style bugle-calls, as Murray plateaus out into a thunderous retreat.
This was the kind of show the London Jazz Festival should have been showcasing, but we witnessed it on a tiny stage more commonly home to up-and-coming stand-up comedians. With Wales and Coxon programming this kind of stuff alongside the existing Free Radicals nights, the genial Irish man who manages the bar at The Red Rose has belatedly become something of a free-jazz connoisseur. Is there any way he can be allowed to replace BBC Radio 3 as the LJF’s official sponsor?
Will there be crisps and nuts?
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter