The Improvised Music Company's OpenJazz 2000 day closed with a gently reflective concert by Martin Speake's quartet on Sunday night. Its "international" designation was apt: alto saxophonist Speake and bassist Mick Hutton (incidentally, Norah Barnacle's great nephew) are British, pianist Bobo Stenson is Swedish and drummer Paul Motian is American. And, despite the fact that the unit was assembled for this tour, its time together has allowed an impressive cohesiveness to develop.
Its strongest points are the subtle drumming of Motian and the utterly consistent, lyrical solo strength of Stenson, one of the figures in Swedish jazz. Anchored by the rock-solid bass of Hutton, these two engaged in musical dialogue of considerable finesse, with both signalling their quality and understanding right from the opening ballad, SPM, by Speake.
The alto saxophonist, who wrote all of the material, is an interesting, rather than arresting player. His time feel was different from the others, and his lines have a very personal logic, but to these ears a somewhat thin tone with a melancholy cast to it dulled the impact of his solos. His best work came in the second set, when the quartet hit its stride, notably on Barefaced Thieves, Secret Wood and Willow, where the resources of the group were deployed with taste and imagination.
