METAL MASTODON ABC, Glasgow, Wed 7 Mar
While metal continues to splinter and cross pollinate into a million different subgenres, each more wilfully obscure and self-conscious than the last, it takes a band like this quartet of Atlantans to reunite these individual pieces under the ragged banner of truly innovative rock. That isn’t to say we’re dealing with a bunch of brown nosing traditionalists here. Mastodon make music that is relatively conventional by some purists standards, but it is their way with phrasing, pacing and dynamics that puts them hairy head and shoulders above the pack.
Their 2006 album Blood Mountain might rely on lyrics and imagery that are more Tolkein than tokin’ but they share a sensibility with the mighty Queens of the Stone Age in that if you find you’re groove, don’t freak out, just stay in it,
60 THE LIST 1 15) Mar 200/
JAZZ
TSYJO WITH JOE LOCKE The Lot, Edinburgh, Sat 10 Mar; Rothes Halls, Glenrothes, Sun 11 Mar
Tommy Smith launched his Youth Jazz Orchestra as a means of developing the most promising young talents in Scotland. and a number of players from the band have already graduated to the senior Scottish National Jazz Orchestra. TSYJO gig regularly in Edinburgh. and occasionally elsewhere. but the saxophonist has been able to arrange a short tour courtesy of sponsorship from Shell UK.
As part of that package, he has also been able to secure the services of the great American Vibraphone player Joe Locke. a popular visitor to Scotland since he first came over here in the mid- 80s. Tommy has brought in American guests with the band before in Edinburgh, but this is the first time that a major US name has worked with them outside of the capital.
‘Joe has worked a lot with youth orchestras.” Tommy said. 'and he has some charts he likes to do. We'll be doing a recording as well. and working with Joe will be a great experience for them. We have two days rehearsal beforehand. so we'll see what comes out of that for the gigs.‘
Tommy replaced the late Bob Berg in Locke's own excellent quartet. and the short tour will begin in reciprocal fashion with Joe joining Tommy's quartet at The Blue Lamp in Aberdeen on Friday 9 March. as part of another strong Aberdeen Jazz Festival programme.
TSYJO will then perform a lunchtime gig at the same venue the following day. with trumpeters Ryan Ouigley and Tom McNiven and bassist Michael Janisch (standing in for Calum Gourley. who is touring with Todd Gordon) also augmenting the band. Then it's down the A90 for their evening gig in Edinburgh. The tour will be accompanied by workshops in Aberdeen and Glenrothes — see wwwtsyjocom for details. (Kenny lvlathieson)
do your thing and eventually everyone else will catch on, and maybe even catch up. To reinforce the notion of like-mindedness, Josh Homme even contributes some vocals to latest single ‘Colony of Birchmen’. Theirs is less about brutalising the listener with blunt riffs and more concerned with intertwining four weighty musical elements to make one deeply complex whole - you suspect there’s a few too many Rush records to be found in their record collections. One criticism that has been laid at the band in the past is that they sometimes struggle to replicate their recorded intricacies in live performances, but after a winter on the road with arch musos Tool, they’ve learned a thing or two about stage craft. Being this heavy, twisted and ingenious takes work and there’s a feeling that ‘the best metal band in the world’ have what it takes in their arsenal to deserve such a heady title. (Mark Robertson)
fiZYMUTH
The Bongo Club, Edinburgh, Fri 2 Mar
Seventies Brazilian jazz legends A/ymulh return to Edinburgh's Departure Lounge club night to promote the international release of sublime debut album Azimuth (previously only available in Brazil) by London's pioneering Far Out label. On its original release. pianist and songwriter Jose Roberto Bertrami earned comparisons to Herbie Hancock. But. with its distinctive South American feel. Azymuth's music is definitely in a class of its own.
Bertrami was already a well—established name on Brazil‘s production circuit by the late 60s. having arranged music for Elis Regina -— leading Tropicalista and later crown queen of Brazilian music. His obsession with synthesizer technology was so intense that he used to travel to New York to pick up the latest models. However, when he first circulated demos of Azimuth round the various Brazilian A&Rs in 1973 none was interested, one rep even calling the music ‘wrong'. Finally released in summer 1975. the album sold a modest 200,000 copies. But magical opening track ‘Linha Do Horizonte' later ended up on a TV novella and went gold (half a million sales). Azymuth had arrived.
Azimuth is now a bona fide classic and Azymuth one of their country's most influential bands. having worked with Stevie Wonder and all the Brazilian greats and released over 20 albums. innovating a sound they personally labelled Samba Doido (crazy samba). At last year's Departure Lounge show. the euphoria in the room reached fever pitch when Bertrarnr thought the set was over and tried to leave the stage. He was picked up and literally carried back to his keyboards by a particularly zealous audience member. Expect a roadblock. (Andrew Richardson)