Grooving in a silver satin shirt, wearing sunglasses at night, Cleveland Watkiss promises early in his set that "We're gonna come on to you from every kinda direction". It might sound like conventional soul man schmooze, but firing sounds through different musical tangents is Watkiss's forte. A founder member of influential young ensemble the Jazz Warriors with Courtney Pine in 1985, his subsequent incarnations included a move to drum'n'bass MCing in the 1990s, playing dance music festivals and touring his own event, Club 21st Century. In contrast, this show is a more intimate, jazzily laid-back affair, mainly previewing songs from his third album, Victory's Happy Songbook.
Initially, complications with the sound system and the noise of conversation from the venue's bar prove annoyingly distracting. But Watkiss and his current ensemble the Source are assured, adept performers, and by the drawn-out second number, Blessing in Disguise (taken from Watkiss's 1991 album of the same title), they evince an absorbingly spiritual ambience. Watkiss namechecks his players repeatedly during the set; many of them head their own outfits, such as superbly dexterous pianist Alex Wilson, virtuoso trumpet/flugelhorn player Byron Wallen, and the intricate guitarist Ciyo Brown (who also lends some fine backing vocals). When Watkiss declares that these are "some of the baddest musicians in the country", the audience cheer in agreement. Indie music might generally be pigeonholed as rock, but this is a fresh, genuinely free-spirited alternative.
Occasionally, Watkiss's lyrics border on the banal - "I believe in miracles, I believe in dreams" being one nondescript sentiment. But it's the sounds rather than specific words that convey his music's raw emotion and beauty, whether he's presenting older material, such as Green Chimneys (setting vocals to his hero Thelonious Monk's instrumental) or the newer compositions encompassing earthy dub, muscular double bass, funky brass, rich keyboards and lithe percussion. Most of all, Watkiss's voice can sound wondrous: when he holds onto a note, it evolves from soulful croon to human beatbox, rounding off with didgeridoo effects. He freestyles with ease. No doubt as a consequence of his work with Asian breakbeats pioneer Talvin Singh (he collaborated on Singh's Mercury awardwinning album OK in 1999), Watkiss has taken to incorporating complex classical Indian stylings into his rapid-fire scat jazz vocals. It's a thrilling, innovative yet harmonious fusion. Whenever Watkiss adds new directions to his musical journey, he's in his element.
