Geoff Barrow-approved Get The Blessing fuse divisions between musical stylistics at this year’s Liverpool Jazz Festival, Getintothis’ Jonny Davis strokes his beard to an altogether new groove.
Fusing taught virtuosity with a quintessentially British sense of humour, Get The Blessing deliver a performance that pummels chin-strokers into sublime submission.
Formed by the rhythm section of Portishead back in 2000, this Bristolian four piece have steadily gained a reputation as wildcards of the admittedly pedestrian new wave of contemporary jazz-rock.
Akin to the dinner-table shackles placed on Portishead in the 90s, the jazz-rock label does the band a disservice. Sitting in the sweet spot between the minimal stylings of Portico Quartet and the bombastic skronk of Melt Yourself Down, they’ve hit upon a groove-laden melancholy that moves heart and feet.
Get the Blessing live at the Capstone Theatre, Liverpool
Bass player Jim Barr conveys a charmingly deadpan persona somewhere between the wry patter of Stewart Lee and the off-beat timing of Adam Buxton.
Introducing each song as a different sandwich, the show is provided with a levity that’s continued in the form of audience participation on the crowd-pleasing OCDC. A grueling slog of metronomic handclaps from the audience anchors the song and serves to unite artist and crowd.
With a raft of fx pedals at their disposal, Jack McMurchie (saxophone) and Pete Judge (trumpet) loop, delay and harmonise their haunting, brassy tones, whilst the mesmeric click-clack of Clive Deamer‘s drums delivers an intricate sense of chattering urgency.
With four albums worth of material to draw on, the set is both eclectic and accomplished, effortlessly leaping from the hushed ambience of Quiet to the free-wheeling bop romp of Einstein Action Figure.
Pete Judge of Get the Blessing live at the Capstone Theatre, Liverpool
Jazz has had a tough time retaining relevancy in recent years but perhaps Get The Blessing could be the band to change that.
With just the right amount of Zornian chaos and Coltranian freedom in their arsenal, their songs are well placed to at least make cracks in the glass ceiling. This is a band operating at the peak of their powers and most importantly, on their own eccentric terms.
Pictures by Getintothis’ Nata Moraru
Further reading on Getintothis:
Getintothis’ Liverpool International Jazz Festival 2014 Preview
Getintothis’ Led Bib Gig Review at the Capstone Theatre
Getintothis’ Chilly Gonzales Gig Review at the Capstone Theatre
Getintothis’ King Creosote and Jon Hopkins Gig Review at the Capstone Theatre
