Proms at The Glasshouse 4: BBC Music Introducing - Live, Theon Cross & band / Knats

[bluestateprommer]

Saturday 27 July 2024
22:00
The Glasshouse International Centre for Music
Sage Two
St Mary's Square
Gateshead Quays
Gateshead, NE8 2JR
England

(A) Knats (all first performances at The Proms):
1. "One for Josh"
2. "Miz"
3. "Tortuga"
4. "Se7en"
5. "500 Fils"

(B) Theon Cross and his band (all first performances at The Proms):
1. "Brockley"
2. "We Go Again"
3. "Play To Win"
4. "Wings"
5. "Affirmations"
6. "Forward Progression II"

Theon Cross, tuba (Proms debut artist)
Nikos Ziarkas, guitar (Proms debut artist)
Ruben Fox, tenor saxophone (Proms debut artist)
Patrick Boyle, drums (Proms debut artist)

Knats (Proms debut ensemble):
Stan Woodward, bass
King David Ike Elechi, drums
Ferg Kilsby, trumpet
George Johnson, saxophone
Sandro Shar, keyboards

https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/e84z3d

https://www.bbc.co.uk/proms/extra/y0kcb4aueq/Proms-Gateshead-27-July-BBC_Introducing

https://theglasshouseicm.org/whats-on/bbc-proms-bbc-introducing-live/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0021bsc

[bluestateprommer]

For jazz fans, this was definitely a "tale of two sets", with the two bands performing in very different styles. Putting it very superficially, Knats were more upbeat and "peppy", In fact, the enthusiasm led to a verbal slip when, I think, Stan Woodward dropped the f-bomb live on air. Soweto Kinch had to apologize for that gaffe not long afterwards.

Theon Cross and his band were more "out there" by comparison, but also more wide-ranging in their 'poly-stylism'. I'm not all that knowledgeable about jazz, but it seemed to start in a more "modernist" or maybe borderline "acid jazz" vein. But they did provide what struck me as the most moving selection of the evening with "Affirmations".

For the record, I've also corrected the saxophonists' names for both bands from the original Calendar entry.

[Serial_Apologist]

Standard stuff that's been around for decades, changed little, apart from surface glosses and virtuosic know-how when coming to standardised phrases and gestures, Ludicrously over-hyped too. I've given my more detailed critique over on the jass forum.