Live Reviews

Live Review: Soil & “Pimp” Sessions at The Jazz Cafe

By | Published on Wednesday 28 July 2010

Soil and Pimp Sessions

Camden Town venue The Jazz Café was heaving as the Tokyo-based jazz sextet Soil & “Pimp” Sessions took to the stage after the ubiquitous Brownswood Records boss / Radio 1 tastemaker Gilles Peterson popped up again to introduce them as “one of the most exciting bands in the world today”.

Frontman Shacho took centre stage, though his brass playing colleagues shone most in the opening numbers. On sax, Motoharu rang out, powerful, inventive and chock full of energy, on ‘Hollow’, while on ‘Papa’s Got A Brand New Pigbag’, a cover from the outfit’s latest album ‘6’, trumpet from Tabu Zombie sucked the audience right in. This version was spot on, with the crowd were really rocking to this ska-influenced cut.

But Shacho was on good form also, not least during ‘Quartz And Chronometer’, my personal favourite from ‘6’, which was performed with much vigour and aided by the suited frontman getting the audience to repeatedly punch the air together with him.

Again, as at their last gig at The Garage, at one point the three more mobile members of the band left the stage, leaving just double bass, drums and piano, for a downtempo segment during which we got a bit of ‘Sahara Mint’ and the brilliant ‘Fantastic Planet’, from previous album ‘Planet Pimp’, where Josei made his mark on keys with a furious frenzy of a solo.

The return of the full band to the stage was marked with some furious sax blowing from Motoharu before the main set closer ‘Satsurika New Wave’, where the band gave it their all – Shacho using his white loudhailer to get the crowd to shout “soil” and “pimp” in unison, a bit of audience participation duly lapped up with all Café-goers joining in chanting.

And then the obligatory walk off up the stairs, plenty of appreciation from the crowd, and the encore – an extended rendition of ‘Summer Goddess’, resulting in both of the blowers looking exhausted by the end.

Soil & “Pimp” Sessions truly know how to deliver the goods. Gilles, on this occasion I must agree, definitely one of the most exciting bands in the world today. Highly recommended. PV

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