Led Bib

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Part of a fortnight of shows grouped together as a Brit Jazz festival, this show might have stretched the boundaries of what can be termed British jazz. Led Bib, nominated for the Mercury Prize last year for their album Sensible Shoes, are led by expatriate American drummer Mark Holub whilst Phronesis are the brainchild of acoustic bassist Jasper Hoiby, originally from Denmark and now resident in London. They also have a Swedish drummer. But an elastic approach to national identity is undoubtedly positive if it provides the rare opportunity to see two contrasting but highly acclaimed acts in a double bill.

Phronesis opened the evening with a rhythmically sophisticated, technically assured set that demonstrated the group's confident interaction. Hoiby has a resonant, powerful bass sound that allows him to build striking themes from a minimal combination of notes. It's rare to find a jazz trio with the bassist as leader, and it was a particular joy to watch Hoiby performing his subtle melodic themes in unison with pianist Ivo Neame. Hoiby is musically charismatic but exceedingly dry as an announcer, claiming that his mostly English audience should hate his composition entitled French and promising to decide a title for a piece that eventually transpires to be Untitled #2. Ho ho ho.

The loose structure of Hoiby's compositions allowed for some vibrant, intelligent improvisation. Neame played with a beautifully light touch, and his improvisation was both tasteful and exciting where necessary. Drummer Anton Egan, an engaging showman, played polyrhythmically with considerable technique and musicality, demonstrating an impressive dynamic range at the kit. His frenetic playing could occasionally be explosive, but he responded intuitively to the demands of the music. His trading of phrases with Hoiby on Love Song may have been the highlight of the evening. Most importantly, he sustained Hoiby's propulsive asymmetrical rhythmic patterns with precision and flair.

It's something of a dirty word these days but Led Bib definitely play a type of fusion. In contrast to Phronesis, they make full use of electric instruments, with Liran Donin aggressively attacking his bass guitar and Toby McClaren producing all manner of weird and gritty sounds from his Fender Rhodes keyboard. Led Bib blast through their fiery, rampant music but the pieces have an identifiable shape, with moments of calm occasionally puncturing the group's muscular clatter.

The band's set consisted mainly of new material from a forthcoming album, due in January 2011. Those catching the band for the first time and hoping to hear music from Sensible Shoes might have been disappointed, but it has always been the prerogative of jazz musicians to be one step ahead of their audience. This can raise the excitement levels, as the music can be in perpetual development and improvised music is always full of risk. The group are certainly now less heavily reliant on jarring intervals between the two saxophone lines, although the playing remains blisteringly intense.

Some of the new themes composed by Mark Holub and saxophonist Chris Williams had a mysterious, subliminal quality reminiscent of Wayne Shorter's work on Miles Davis' Nefertiti. Sometimes, the improvised sections veered so far from the memory of these themes that they were almost rendered redundant. As impressive as Holub's unfaltering, breakneck speed drumming is, some more moments of clarity and directness would have helped. Sometimes the intensity was so overwhelming as to suggest chaos.

It was often an enjoyable, spirited performance though, and there's something admirable about Led Bib's dogged, unrelenting insistence. It's not easy to compare them with the classic groups in the jazz-rock tradition. They lack the strong blues element found in Nucleus, or the strong melodic craft of Weather Report. Ultimately, they might be more reminiscent of the likes of King Crimson or Soft Machine, but with a smattering of Ornette Coleman-inspired freedom. Their music proved less subtle and intricate than that of Phronesis, but it compensated with a sense of momentum and energy.