It was a privilege to hear completely different sets of music by Walter Smith 111 and the Peter Evans/Sam Pluta Duo in Birmingham this last week, a testament to the richness of the scene in the city. Walter Smith was at the Eastside Jazz Club in the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire on Thursday, while Peter Evans and Sam Pluta played in the BEAST pantry at the top of the Bramall Hall at the University of Birmingham on Friday.
Having listened to and really enjoyed a lot of improv and the wonderful ‘structure into freedom’ of Big Satan so far this year, I found it a very different, but equally enjoyable experience to listen to Walter Smith’s beautifully controlled music. It is always healthy to be reminded of how good that approach to jazz is. Walter Smith was playing in a trio setting with Michael Janisch on double bass and Andrew Bain on drums; alto saxophonist John O’Gallagher joined the trio for one number in the first set and two in the second.
Walter Smith played two sets of mostly standard material and mentioned in his first announcement that he is doing this on his European tour, of which this was part, in order to be able to work easily with players in the different countries taking the tour. This approach seemed to work particularly well with Janisch and Bain who provided really strong and inventive support. But clearly Smith was in charge developing beautifully crafted solos on the tenor saxophone with long flowing lines and a gentle swing that really held my attention throughout two 45min sets. Perhaps a little more passion was needed, but this was provided by John O’Gallagher’s excellent contributions at the end of both sets.
The music created by the Peter Evans/Sam Pluta Duo with the BEAST diffusion system could not have been more different. The duo works through the interaction between what Peter Evans is playing on the trumpet and the reaction from Sam Pluta on electronics. Pluta takes the trumpet feed and plays with it electronically creating fascinating contrasts with the trumpet lines. The approach is all about sounds rather than the lines and harmonic/rhythmic variations that Walter Smith plays.
On this occasion the duo was working with the BEAST sound diffusion system run on this occasion by Annie Mahtani; this creates an all-round sound through the use of speakers round the room and high in the ceiling, which is totally unique.
In the first set students from the jazz course at the Conservatoire and the Music Department at the University of Birmingham played very short impressive improvisations that had emerged from two days of workshops with Evans and Pluta.
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