Some words and photos from Alan Dearling
It was another session of the ‘Sunday Easy’ very recently at the Trades Club in Hebden Bridge…it’s becoming something of musical ‘institution’. The packed audience welcomed the Sylvie Rose Quintet to the stage. A mixed blend of bass-and-drum-led riffs, some unusual, dynamic rhythmic time-changes, flute, voice, guitar and keys. At times it reminded me, in instrumental sonic terms, of King Crimson and early Soft Machine ‘rock melding into jazz’.
The set featured lots of new pieces, almost all composed by Sylvie, along with the tracks from her EP, ‘Sunshine Still Off’. Sylvie herself alternated between vocals and flute with Anton Hunter on guitar, Adam Fairhall on piano, Richard Young on drums and Stuart Eastham on bass. Sylvie frequently employs scat-style singing, whilst her fellow musicians favoured a powerful, bass-driven groove. A centre-piece in the set was introduced by Sylvie asking the audience, “Are you ready for an adventure?” I think it was entitled, ‘Rain Footsteps’. Sylvie added, “It’s a chunky piece with a number of movements.” Her publicity describes her as the, “Founder of Creative Heights, Sylvie Rose grew up on the edge of Dartmoor where the great outdoors played a strong influence on her creative life. Sylvie Rose makes music that is groove-led, complex and hugely influenced by her journey through life as a woman in these times of enormous change.” She is a very keen wild water swimmer and that was reflected in the title of the last movement, ‘Cold Water Transition’. It was a strong performance by all the band members, with some particularly excellent guitar work from Anton Hunter. He describes himself as an “improviser” and also plays with an eleven-piece ensemble, Article Xl, and Sloth Racket.
The publicity for the gig expounded the Brazilian influences on the music of the Sylvie Rose Quartet, but many of the pieces played could as easily be described as a hybrid of prog rock, for example in a track about ‘Strangers’. There were also some added elements of free jazz, spoken word and quite aggressive power-playing in many tracks, with some tinges of melancholia.
Their own promotional material states that, “The Sylvie Rose Quintet brings a forward-facing jazz groove that seamlessly blends Contemporary Jazz, Brazilian influences (Choro, Samba), Classical, Folk, and Hip-Hop, all honed on the road in Rio de Janeiro and Carai?va, Bahia. Their music draws on the rich traditions of Brazilian and UK soundscapes while leaning into the fresh energy of artists like Nubya Garcia, Esperanza Spalding, the jazz vocals of Fini Bearman, the intricate compositions of Alfa Mist, and the stunning solo work of Christian Scott.”
This is the link to the Quintet’s Bandcamp page: https://sylvierose.bandcamp.com/album/sunshine-still-off
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