The Cinematic Orchestra
Live set - Milano, Alcatraz 17.11.02

THE REVIEW

I've never really been a jazz enthusiast, to be honest. But ever since I stumbled upon the debut "Motion," almost by chance, I've patiently waited for the opportunity to see the "orchestra" from Cardiff live, curious to personally experience the "cinematic" journeys I've already traversed multiple times from my living room chair. Those who know more than me tell me that if I want to get an idea of what the true new jazz is, I absolutely must attend and must especially forget about "that fancy guy" from Saint Germain (whose performance, by the way, I didn't dislike at all a couple of summers ago). And so, here I am at Alcatraz in Milan, to see one of the best projects from Ninja Tune. Jason Swinscoe, a former DJ of a London pirate radio, conducts the orchestra. Beside him is the turntablist PC, already a member of DJ Food. On the stage, scattered here and there, are John Ellis on keyboards, Phil France on bass, Tom Chant on wind instruments, and a slim guy on drums. They start with "Ode to the big sea" directly from the first album; the bass groove on which the sax is grafted immediately strikes. In the middle, a pause: the slim guy begins a charleston and snare drum solo, showcasing enviable technique. Another pause, then the initial groove resumes. Applause, the black singer Niara Scarlett takes the stage, and they move on to tracks from the new work "Everyday". The orchestral director's samples and the sax duet with the typically soulful voice in songs like "Burnout," "Evolution," and "All that you give." The typical improvisation of the genre is not lacking, the slim guy on drums resembles an octopus while the bass completes a rhythmic section that literally explodes in the jungle of sounds of the final encore. How talented they are. I'm struck by the ease with which they know how to combine diametrically opposed genres like jazz and electronics, ranging from typically lounge dreamy sounds to improvisations worthy of the best St. Louis scene.