Spatial A.K.A. … London Jazz Festival… I don’t know if this will work but here’s the notes I was prompted to scribble during what turned out be an extraordinary and incredibly inspiring three hour concert…

Cacophony of Horns.  Weaving though the audience. Spatial A.K.A.  Masked, cloaked, blowin’, beating drums, shaking percussion.  Jerry Dammers – hooded in black and playing an offbeat melodica.  Onstage:   ‘Frownland’…. “my smile is stuck in your Frownland”…  Anthony Joseph is joined by Edgar Broughton …  a memory from the Sixties and the ghost of the Captain (Beefheart). Projected: People-less landscapes of Turner nominated Coventry artist George Shaw.  Duke Ellington’s ‘Blue Pepper’ from the ‘Far East Suite’.  Big band heaven! An Andrew Hill composition… alto sax… WOW! Nathaniel Facey – A Star. The Strings!  Jerry: “From the sublime to the ridiculous…” Library music:  vibes, bata drums  – Bro. Spry… Sixties “jet set” sounds.  Special guest… all the way from Jamaica… Johnny Clarke…  ‘Blood Dunzer’ (Pablo Moses tune!). Bless-ed. Track from Anthony Joseph LP – ‘Generations’. DEEP Dammers arrangement. Coltrane’s ‘Naima’…”it’s about broken love”… Francine Luce… brilliant gold mask black feathers… haunting version – it’s in French.  Jason Yarde solos… funky little soprano sax. More library music. Circus Parade – trained Bears?? Nine horns… top players… Shabaka… Finn Peters comes with a tiny flute, thumping rhythm… drum frenzy. New reggae composition by Jerry D. Magnificent arrangement… roots… Johnny Clarke… “The first victim of war, always the poor”… reality! Another Library comp. by Christian somebody – a German dude… ‘Medium Pop’.  Images of concrete Sixties modernism… Eastern Europe… Berlin… HEAVY GROOVE! Jerry D: Conductor… dangerous synth renegade. ‘Serendipity’ – a film. Made in the 70s. “You can all gargle to this…”. ‘Ghost Town’  – alternative lyrics by Jerry D delivered by A. Joseph. Next:  Sun Ra: ‘I’ll Wait For You’. Love this! Played this at first A.K.A gig.  QEH. Dedicated it to his dad… just passed. This time: Francine’s dad just died… “In some far place, many light years in space… I’ll wait for you”…. abstract dreams… wonderful.  Who’s the keys player? Alcyona Mick? Who is she?  Amazing…. Bolt upright & hands – a blur of activity. ‘Mode For DD’…  The Awakening… FINN… Next cut: William S. Fisher ‘Chains’. Images: slavery… bondage.  Powerful, moody… resonant strings… Denys Baptiste again… wow… shades of Trane…  so underrated… all these players… so underrated. Intense. FREE–DOM JAZZ LIVES!   “A song about struggle…”… JC – dreadlocks down to the ground… ‘Peace In the Ghetto…”  Harry Brown. Trombone. Robin Hopcraft. Trumpet. SKA. Big band ska … Tommy McCook’s ‘Samson’… pure power. Roger B vibes… kettle drum solo. Dancers give up. Finally… “well, almost”… Sun Ra… “on the dark side or maybe on the bright side”…  Larry Stabbins.. blazing… they leave as they came.  Strings continue. Finn Peters and Jason Yarde remain. Beautiful! Lights are up. They’re in the foyer. Mobbed! Everyone’s high… space is the place!