Sep 16
This is graceful music which ignores (rather than breaks) the usual boundaries which organise our musical understanding. Yes, it draws upon folk, jazz, rock, and other traditions, but it isn’t a fusion. Primarily this is about improvisation and interpretation between two well-schooled musicians whose backgrounds overlap but remain distinctive.
It felt like a sunny Sunday morning; which suitably enough is what we had in Scarborough today. Of course there’s a cliché of the chilled-out Sunday brunch so beloved of advertisers; but this wasn’t music for lifestyle marketing. Rather, it’s thoroughly enjoyable, intellectually stimulating, and carefully conceived performance. It’s as bright as the sun over the bay, as far-reaching as the horizon, and as delicate as the breeze from the sea.
John Etheridge has a rich personal musical background to draw upon and this morning I heard echoes of many of the groups and settings he has played in before. I knew less of Christian Garrick, in fact I have only heard him before on the Small Hotel CD he recorded with Etheridge. As you would expect if you know anything about Etheridge’s background, or even just guitar and violin duos, this set featured pieces associated with jazz violinist Stéphane Grappelli. Etheridge worked with Grappelli for several years, but he also replaced Allan Holdsworth in the jazz rock group Soft Machine. So we not only got a reworking of the Grappelli sound from Etheridge, but joyous shifts of role between guitar and violin. In fact the duo performance featured much of Garrick’s ability to seamlessly move through quite dramatic shifts of style, as well as his remarkable facility in using the violin well beyond its usual sonic and musical place. One moment he’s taking the role of folk guitarist, next Jimi Hendrix, then impressive hybrid techniques which offer a remarkably fresh take on both violin and the jazz duo.
Neither artist is afraid to work with electric pickups, effects pedals or dramatic string technique, just as much as they will tackle everything from world music or rock pieces, jazz standards, Tin Pan Alley songs, or film soundtracks. But beyond Etheridge’s introductions there’s no clowning about . This eclecticism isn’t a put-on, or a façade to hide behind, but seems to derive from two open-minded musicians exploring the possibilities available to them. If only every Sunday morning felt like this.
Tim Wall
