CAFE OTO - Shuichi Chino / Roger Turner / Naoki Kita / Hannah Marshall - 09.07.11

[Guest]

A quartet of piano, percussion, violin and 'cello - another grand night out in prospect at Cafe Oto this Saturday night. They have a good bar and a congenial, attentive atmosphere.

Here's the link: http://www.cafeoto.co.uk/shuichi-chino.shtm

I never got into gigs in my teens and twenties and I now realise because I never liked the row, the music I loved on record was lost in an aggressive boom of amps. Unamplified or calmly amplified music at the Vortex and Oto - often to allow sound treatment with effects - makes everyone of these nights joyful.

John Edwards and Steve Noble are on again this Wednesday 13th July with the guitarist Alex Ward.

[hackneyvi]

A struggle from beginning to end.

The ensemble rarely made interesting noise; they did for the last minute of the penultimate piece discover a timing that let the instruments speak effectively in clipped sequence or pairs. This was the first time I'd heard a 4 piece and it seemed to me that they never formed a whole - but that may not be the ambition. The piano and percussion were one pair naturally matched against the violin and cello, another natural match; the violin though was too insistent and determined for the more demure cello to come through more than occasionally; nobody seemed to be listening to her (the sole woman of the group).

Somehow, I think they were too nervous to succeed. Two pieces were played in the first half and no-one signalled that the first was over; the consequence was that the drummer had to pipe up, "Shall we play another number?" There was no applause and they began the second. In retrospect, I infer there was some discomfort between the musicians because the drummer spoke again after the second piece, asking more than once if the pianist (the group's apparant leader) if he wanted to take a break. They did break but this was premature and the interval was long; half an hour?

On rare occasions, the strings combined to create short, percussive sequences and the results were fascinatingly, liberally vigorous and rhythmic. But whereas Steve Noble and John Edwards seem almost - when they tumble into one - to have spent their time looking for a groove before disintegrating it, when this group found a groove, they seemed to lack the capacity to exploit the energy they had found to sublimate it into more music. More, the sound simply expired and another few minutes of familiar sqwuaks rattled and resounded through the room. Where the other musicians I've heard have suggested endless variety, dynamic and energy, this troup seemed to find a consistent, rarely contrasted, consistently uninteresting monotony.

Before the show began, I was surprised at the thin attendance (fewer than 20 people). Quite quickly, I could see why so few had turned out. This pianist has played Oto before and, summer or not, few effective sounds were created by the performers he led to draw any more numerous audience.

[hackneyvi]

PS: Tonight's tab.

One bottle of Oto's own porter. Rated: appalling; with a flavour of stale socks boiled up in grapefruit juice on a pound shop, aluminium saucepan.

One glass of water!!

One measure of plum wine; delicious, sweet and succulent, served surprisingly with ice which gave it a welcome length.
One glass of red wine; hmm ... started off reminiscent of sick but improved significantly and finished well.
One measure of Oban before leaving. £5 a time!, (and 40p more than I had left on me). Downed in three grateful sips. Perfection.

No brandy at Oto, SA, so I just had to make do.

[Serial_Apologist]

We're going to Henry Lowther's 70th tonight at the Vortex. A sure-fire line-up, at just £12.

AND they serve cognac!

S-A

[hackneyvi]

I don't know what I'm looking for but I'll keep my eyes peeled for you, SA. I'm recognisable by being a very tall, middle-aged man who gives off an unappealing air of profound social discomfort.

[Serial_Apologist]

That makes two of us!!! :cool2:

[handsomefortune]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Lowther_%28musician%29

this one? if tis, happy birthday henry!

hope you both have a very pleasant evening.

incidentally, i think i had 'profound social discomfort' last night.... ultimately, i guess the music was unable to compensate for the sensation.

(wahey, calum de jazbo's back from the US then! he met fellow bordee chas then, apparently) :cool2:

[hackneyvi]

incidentally, i think i had 'profound social discomfort' last night.... ultimately, i guess the music was unable to compensate for the sensation.

Were you at the gig, h? I'd love to know what someone else thought. It just barely ever came together and the hint of some problem in leadership maybe explains why? There were a few moments in 90 minutes of music but mostly, it seemed to me, when they behaved like a percusion band; that penultimate number's minute or so was brilliant.

Maybe 4 musicians and this combination of instruments is tricky for this style of improv? I dunno.

[Serial_Apologist]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_L...%28musician%29

this one? if tis, happy birthday henry!

hope you both have a very pleasant evening.

incidentally, i think i had 'profound social discomfort' last night.... ultimately, i guess the music was unable to compensate for the sensation.

(wahey, calum de jazbo's back from the US then! he met fellow bordee chas then, apparently) :cool2:

The very same, hsf. Place was so crowded I couldn't even get my birthday card to him.