The irrepressible Kesivan Naidoo took over the DSG Auditorium last night, as he brushed, cymbal-splashed and drum-rolled his way through two sets, dropping occasional “bombs” and generally making lots of pleasing percussive noise. Maybe, on occasion, the powerhouse drummer was a little too dominant, but his energy and evident joy is difficult to resist.
In Austrian sax veteran Karlheinz Miklin’s set, Naidoo is teamed with the puckish Swiss double bass player, Bänz Oester, standing in for Hein van de Geyn, a very different bassist. Both are masters of their instrument but Oester favours a less sonorous sound, often playing his bass like a giant guitar.
A horn with bass and drums is one of my favourite formats and Miklin’s prowess on both higher range saxophones and tenor is impressive. From busy Coltrane-ish soprano to cool alto and bop tenor, Miklin references jazz history, adding his own European flavour. His beloved South America too is an influence: a seemingly custom-made bass flute provides atmospheric bird sounds in his composition “Patagonia”. Back-announcing the tune, Miklin quips that with Naidoo it’s probably more Kalahari than Patagonian desert.
His perky composition for drummer Billy Hart is delightfully catchy, and on this Naidoo and Oester really cook, with Miklin on tenor. The set ends with another tribute composition, written for colleague and bassist Ron McClure. After a dazzling introductory solo from Oester, the trio set a manic tempo with Miklin on soprano.
Alto saxman Pekka Pylkkänen is a calmer, more straight ahead player than Miklin. This Finn has a beautiful tone. Kyle Shepherd is on piano, forsaking his customary black for blue denim; he appears to take a while to engage, as we see him trying to warm his hands on said denim. The middle and higher registers on the keyboard seem undermic’d, Naidoo’s drums and Ronan Guilfoyle’s electric bass overpowering the piano. UK trumpeter and flugelhorn player Nick Smart makes up the quintet.
They open with Irishman Guilfoyle’s arrangement of “Ah-leu-cha” by Charlie Parker. Next is Pylkkänen’s “Escaping from the Andes” (what is it about sax and South America?), Smart on flugelhorn, Naidoo relentless on drums. The marvel of the set is that the Finnish alto player manages to sound South African on Shepherd’s composition “Reinvention”. Sheppherd has fun here, connecting particularly with Naidoo, as Guilfoyle’s bass really grooves. Smart is an unshowy horn player, who seems to enjoy his exchanges with both Naidoo and fellow frontman Pylkkänen. The bandleader gives us two more originals before closing with a slight variation on a familiar Thelonious Monk composition.
We’ve been treated to an evening of contrasts, of unforced collaboration by seven mature musicians, age unimportant. Just the right music in just the right venue.
– By Karlheinz Miklin Trio, Pekka Pylkkanen Quintet, Nigel Vermaas,
