Rosie Turton Quintet

The Verdict, Brighton

Friday 15th June, 2018

    Trombonist Rosie Turton first appeared at The Verdict with the band Nerija back in 2016 and was recently seen there in April this year as part of the South London group Where Pathways Meet. Here she presented her own arrangements and compositions in an ensemble that featured violinist Johanna Burnheart, who utilised a variety of effects pedals to conjure up an array of different soundworlds.

    Turton began the first set with a trio of compositions by under-appreciated trombonist Grachan Moncur III, beginning with the mysterious sounding intro to New Africa played by virtuoso pianist Maria Chiara Argiro before it entered a variety of twists and turns. The second Moncur piece, Love and Hate, was by contrast a slow and mournful ballad which showcased the soloing talent of violinist Burnheart, accompanied by Pete Hill’s expert mallet playing. The final part of the three Moncur pieces was the upbeat, hard swinging tune The Coaster, from his classic 1963 Blue Note album Evolution.

    They finished their first set with an original piece by Rosie Turton, Orange Moon, which began with an extended bass ostinato before it developed into a gentle latin groove.

    The second set was entirely original music, which highlighted Turton’s growing maturity as a composer, developing a unique voice that explores different music traditions and various combinations of timbre. The first piece, Yaman, was a contemplative piece based on Indian ragas and featured an extended drone and ethereal sounds. 

    Pianist Maria Chiara Argiro stood out as a player with impressive listening skills, responding to each soloist with well-timed, intelligent chord voicings and counter-melodies, together with an advanced and fluid soloing voice. Turton too was an impressive soloist with a dark tone with advanced rhythmic awareness.

Charlie Anderson

Rosie Turton, trombone; Johanna Burnheart, violin; Maria Chiara Argiro, piano; Twm Dylan, bass; Pete Hill, drums.