When The Music Changes So Does The Dance

What happens when you make everyone put their electronic guitars away, and make them play the saxophone instead? Jazz happens. Jazz.

Now, there used to be much to be afeared of in jazz. Go into any jazz shop, and you instantly felt the unease in the air. Earnest, serious men in the main, rifling through the racks with a quiet, furious determination, looking to fill the gaps in their closely guarded collections. And it wasn’t a place for the ignorant. You needed to know your stuff. It was no good liking something purely because you liked it. Oh no. You needed to know exactly what it’s all about, the timbre, the voice, the scale that confines the action, the character of each individual musician, the history. It also helped if you smoked a pipe.

Yes, there used to be much to be afeared of in jazz.

But no more.

Fulborn Teversham are a prime example of why not. Half made up by Chief Jazzer’s Seb Rochford and Pete Wareham, who kick about in Acoustic Ladyland and Polar Bear amongst others, it’s got saxophone, squelching synths and mental vocals courtesy of Alice Grant. And it’s all over the place. In fact, it might not strictly be jazz. But then again, it might. Hmm. What it definitely is, is cracking, and Empty Shell is one reason why. There’s more to download here. And once you’ve done that, buy the album.



Fulborn Teversham – Empty Shell


For something a touch more traditional, we look to Led Bib. Traditional in that they’re arranged, and they veer off into proper jazzing at times – but then they turn back on you with duelling saxophones, Bowie covers, and fx laden keys. This track should give you an idea of what’s going on and to persuade you to buy their latest album Sizewell Tea, but most of all go and see them live, because they tend to kick off a bit more, and give it a bit more freedom. Like playing the theme from Cheers for instance. But in a good way. Album here.



Led Bib – Stinging Nettle


And last but not least, we have Chik Budo, the arch infiltrators, slipping their jazz in under the radar stealthed over with all kinds of distorted bass and synths, and possibly even occasionally, a little bit of the funk. Battling saxophones again but this time far removed from the traditional, more towards the art and the rock, and rightfully so. This track is NYNX – but it’s rather short, apologies for that. I’ve got another one of their tracks on a cd somewhere, but after three days searching, I’m arsed if I can find it. Which is what you get when you haven’t got your cds in alphabetical and chronological order (eh Debris?). They’ve got a single out soon, so keep an eye out for that. In the meantime this is a brief beauty.



Chik Budo – NYNX


They tend to gravitate towards each other these jazzer types, so be on the look out – nodding, tapping of feet and clicking of fingers is obligatory.


Tiny Dancer


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