Live Review: Eddie Myer Quartet at The Verdict
How do you write a review about a fellow contributor to SJM? What if you don’t like it and then have to piss on his parade with a bad review?
To start off with, the line up is amazing. Top class musicians. And both the gig and the CD feature original compositions from Ian Price, Eddie Meyer and Tristan Banks. As well as launching the CD, the gig at The Verdict was also on Eddie’s birthday.
They started off with the first track from the CD, Time Flies, a tune reminiscent of Joshua from Miles Davis’ Seven Steps To Heaven. Frank Harrison’s piano solo also had shades of Sixties Herbie Hancock.
Whilst saxophonist Ian Price sounded more confident soloing on his own compositions (Lithuania, Stars and Moon Tune), he made the Tristan Banks original Capelinhas shine with some fantastic flute playing.
The low point of the gig had to be the distorted sound coming from Eddie’s bass, maybe a dodgy pickup/connection, particularly in the lower register (sort it out, Eddie!). However, this didn’t disguise the beautiful, woody sound that Eddie gets from the middle register of the instrument.
The standards were confidently played, with the bass feature, My One and Only Love, being particularly memorable.
The gig was great, the CD is great, but it’s much better seeing the group live so you can see and hear the group interplay.
Line Up
Ian Price – Tenor Sax/Flute
Luke Rattenbury – Guitar
Frank Harrison – Piano
Eddie Myer – Bass
Tristan Banks – Drums
Set List
Time Flies
Lithuania
Naptime
My One and Only Love (Wood/Mellin)
Capelinhas
(Interval)
Speak Low (Weill)
Stars
Moon Tune
Frisberry
Why Worry?
Encore:
Invitation (Kaper)
Reviewed by Charlie Anderson.
This review appeared in issue 3 of SJM, published 29th September 2013.
Photo of Eddie Myer by Lynne Shields.