A sense of incongruity is never far away when watching groups such as the Benn Clatworthy quartet play windy, half empty clubs. Not only do the band anchor their performance firmly in jazz's most rich and successful periods, but the players themselves boast direct links with some of the music's most legendary figures. Saxophonist Clatworthy was tutored by Ronnie Scott, while drummer Martin Drew was a member of Scott's legendary Jazz Couriers, as well as a long-term player for Oscar Peterson. Glamour and mystique seem tantalisingly within reach, yet in many ways this is another backward-looking review show by musicians in thrall to the past.
Clatworthy has the air of a thoroughly dedicated performer. He possesses the tunefulness of Lester Young and skilfully merges it with the muscular tone of Coleman Hawkins. Like Sony Rollins, he is harmonically adventurous, and is capable of playing at speeds that recall Charlie Parker. In other words, all the usual suspects are resent and correct in his playing. That he manages to bundle them into a coherent whole and imbue them with some of his own personality is remarkable.
The other musicians give a crisp performance. Jeremy Brown's double bass provides a reliable, swinging foundation, and Phil Robson's electric guitar chimes away effectively in all the right places. Drew's drumming is more problematic. One of the most sophisticated technicians in the country, he has a tendency to over-play and throw every conceivable trick into every song. His blurred left hand is nothing short of a miracle, but we could have done without some of his more ostentatious bass pedalling.
The group's repertoire consists of original material interspersed with attractive renditions of such standards as Parker's My Little Suede Shoes. Just as the sense of nostalgia almost becomes overwhelming, the performance is unexpectedly vindicated by the excited tones of a group of young students in the audience. The have never witnessed a live jazz gig before and are almost overcome with excitement. "They're absolutely amazing aren't they?" one of them beams, and suddenly it seems there may be a future for this music after all.
At the Fleece, Boxford on November 2. Box office 01787 210247. Then tours to London and Maidstone.
