JAZZANOVA LIVE ! BAND ON THE WALL MANCHESTER

Jazzanova

Band On The Wall

Live Review

Tuesday 6^th October 2009

We enter the futuristic almost “Bladerunner esque “Manchester landscape

in 2009.As with long held tradition it is absolutely pissing down with almost

a pre written scripting, bad weather and Manchester go hand in hand. This thriving nightime metropolis seems a long way from my 70’s and 80’s club roots in the city.

The Band On the Wall has undergone a serious refurbishment and stands proud and repainted outside with a carpeted inner concert area complete with stage, balcony, bar and mixing desk/studio inside. An atmospheric ornate arena that is complemented by an incredible new sound system and lighting facility.

As you enter you glide into a bar area called The PictureHouse this acts as a reception area for the main arena with a bar and seating area, a great meeting place before the concert. This area filled up very quickly and as we took our seats up on the balcony affording a great view of the stage the concert arena filled up to create a great atmosphere as we anticipated Jazzanova’s second and final night at the venue.

Proceedings got underway as their very charismatic and humorous Tour Manager got things underway by introducing the band, as well as promoting his T-Shirt and cd bar in the Picture House foyer J

It was immediately obvious that this was a very tight outfit consisting of keyboards, congas, applemacs, drums,trombone,saxophone,bass guitar and rhythm guitar assisted with a variety of percussion instruments spread between the players.

The nine piece group was complete when the very confident and talented Paul Randolph from Detroit took the stage and took care of Vocals, extra bass guitar and sirens/megaphones. From behind his “superstar Bootsy Collins style” shades and flashing white teeth evoked some great vocals dance moves and was the drive behind the band’s stage presence keeping the crowd in the palm of his hand and taking us through all the emotions with his singing and stageplay.Paul joined the Jazzanova guys who are of course based in Berlin after meeting them just over 3 years ago having previously worked with both Amp Fiddler and Moodyman an impressive remit. His influence through his writing, playing and singing talents are there to behold on Jazzanovas 2008 cd “Of All The Things”.

The show explored all the avenues that Jazzanova has covered over the last ten years providing a sound that was very close to their studio recorded work and as the night developed the musicians came and left the stage throughout giving us a variety of styles and formats to delight in. Each member of the group was given their own opportunity to highlight their particular prowess the bass player at one point leaving the stage to return with a full size Double Bass and provide a rendition that brought the house down, the rhythm guitar picked away frenetically throughout the set. This variety of styles and skills continued to ebb and flow through the whole show the keyboard player donning a sultry trumpet for one number, the drummer Thomas shone with his pistol like precision and Sebastian the sax player took his moment to shine. Throughout various instrumental and vocal grooves lead man Paul Randolph knitted it all together as he used his voice, bass guitar and dancing to mesmerise and entertain the very Jazzanova clued up crowd. The crowd themselves dancing, nodding band singing their heroes approval. The show ran through Jazzanova classics such as L.O.V.E. ,Theme from Belle et Fou-Bow,Lucky Girl(loving this tune),the timeless Let Me Show Ya,Look what you’re doing to me, Little Bird, You and I,I Can See and some great instrumental back catalogue.

You can ascertain from the quality dj/musianship why so many acts have gone to Jazzanova to remix and collaborate on their own material. At the end of the set our friend the Tour Manager reappeared to ask us if we would like some more Jazzanova and the crowds answer was a resounding yes, even at the end of a 48 date tour this German based dj/musician collective returned to the stage with a storming encore as our friendly Tour Manager donned his tambourine and dancing skills with them on stage.

This was well worth a night out for anyone a very good and well presented set the wove it’s way through all things Jazzanova to a very appreciative crowd in the newly refurbished and greatly missed Band On The Wall venue that is now back with a vengeance under the guidance of Mike Chadwick who deserves the plaudits for booking bands of this quality at the venue. Roll on the rest of 2009 which brings us, Eric Roberson Sunday October 11^th, Five Corners Quintet featuring Timo Lassy on Wednesday October 15^th, Jose James Thursday 5^th November, Azymuth Tuesday 10^th November, Breakestra & D.J.’s Friday November 20^th.

If you have never seen Jazzanova live I urge you to do so in the future and hopefully we’ll see you soon supporting this venue Band On The Wall as it brings back the Jazz, Funk @ Soul to Manchester!

Colin Curtis