Sean Khan with Heidi Vogel and Omar reign at Ronnie Scott’s
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
Muriel, the sophomore solo effort from saxophonist Sean Khan might have been a mainstay in the end-of-year charts had it been issued earlier than late November, so it was a treat to see the majority of this suite’s exceptional cast present for this first live performance since it's release.
Drummer Laurie Lowe and pianist Andy Noble were both on the bill to reprise their studio roles, alongside special guest vocalists Omar Lye-Fook and Heidi Vogel, talents well-known on the London soul circuit.
Sean and his quartet, also featuring Dario De Lecce on bass, sparked off a terrifically executed and intelligently crafted set with a pair of instrumentals allowing each member to strut their stuff. Noble expertly-exhibited zest and endeavor on both the grand piano and Fender Rhodes, while Lowe gave an unrelentingly dynamic and acutely-articulated performance. The stage was set for Vogel's entrance with the latin-tinged groover 'Things To Say', before Omar joined her on an unexpected and gratefully-received rendition of Roy Ayers' deep soul classic 'Everybody Loves The Sunshine’ on which he delivered the tweaked-out synth line that makes Ayers' original tick, Khan smartly switching to flute duties to make for a finely-balanced arrangement.
After the interval, Khan and crew tore into an exquisite rendition of Wayne Shorter’s 'Yes or No' – clearly Juju, the Shorter album from which the track is lifted, is close to the band leader's heart, with a version of 'Mahjong' appearing on his debut album Slow Burner. The influence of Shorter’s work was also prevalent on 'Trane's Shadow', a terrific post-bop styled instrumental off Muriel, serving time-signature hops and refrains that conjure the Juju influence with more than a whiff of Coltrane.
Album showstopper 'Don't Let the Sun Go Down' closed the evening with Omar's falsetto lines and Khan ripping the sax with a series of intense crescendos to finish this brilliantly executed expo of the soulful side of jazz. Let's be hopeful this exceptional ensemble pen in some more dates for the diary very soon.
– Jake Williams
– Photos by Carl Hyde www.carlhyde.com/