Harben Kay, Edinburgh review: 'full on'
Tenor saxophonist Harben Kay just keeps on getting better, writes Jim Gilchrist
Harben Kay, Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh ★★★★
Life change as a catalyst for creativity is the theme of tenor saxophonist Harben Kay’s third album, The World I Live In, launched at this concert, and if the power of their quartet with pianist Peter Johnstone, double-bassist Ali Watson and drummer Alyn Cosker is anything to go by, the catalytic effect is full on.
They opened with the album’s title track, Kay delivering their Mary-Oliver-inspired declaration of creative independence over murmuring bass before their big-toned sax brought in an increasingly muscular band. Laylow further upped the action with sax and piano in hot pursuit of each other, the band coming over as a powerfully integrated unit.
The mellow drift of Swolf featured Kay on flute with Watson steering a companionable walking bass, while the pellucid Winter Halo elicited sensitive playing from Kay and delicate piano ripples over cymbal hiss. In contrast Blue Beetle took on formidable drive, Kay’s terse hook matched by racing, cascading keyboard and an industrious drum break. The closing Virago saw its plaintive, eastern-sounding sax introduction give way to a take-no-prisoners attack, with churning piano and crashing cymbals – a virago, as Kay reminded us, was, after all, a female warrior.
The introductory act featured two rising names from the Glasgow jazz crucible, trombonist and singer Noushy and guitarist James MacKay. Between them, they created intriguing, spacy soundscapes – Noushy, who also doubled on bass guitar, blowing trombone tones sumptuous enough to wallow in, over echoing sheets of guitar sound or pizzicato riffing from MacKay.
They created a suitably cosmic setting of Sun Ra’s Love in Outer Space, although their own songs, such as the environmentally aware Nature Is In Charge, despite Noushy’s full-voiced delivery, seemed too similarly sombre in pace and mood.
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