AREK MAZUREK QUARTET | LIVE REVIEW
Café Jazz, Cardiff
Crammed onto the tiny stage at Cardiff’s Café Jazz are the Arek Mazurek Quartet, a chamber jazz ensemble whose understated sound is well suited to the small venue. Tonight’s set consists mainly of pieces by Pat Metheny and John Schofield, and there’s a modern feel to the pieces. The band approaches each piece almost like a mathematical problem to be solved, cycling through iterations looking for the most elegant solution.
Mazurek is an accomplished and imaginative guitarist who prefers to pursue melodic ideas, rather than simply running up and down scales, or trying to fit rote licks into whatever space is available. The other members of the band contribute equally to the intimate and balanced sound of the quartet. Mark Sambell’s piano playing at times brings to mind Keith Jarrett, and at others he places block chords up and down the keyboard in a style reminiscent of McCoy Tyner. Aiden Thorne provides a strong rhythmic and harmonic foundation coupled with a warm, rounded tone. Welsh jazz veteran Mark O’Connor is a restrained and sympathetic presence on the drums, but not afraid to let loose when the music demands it.
The interplay between the four musicians creates music with a dynamic feel, exploring rhythmic and harmonic ideas in ways that are not simply academic or theoretical. There are times when the music seems to lack a centre, or to be in danger of losing its way, but these are far and few between, and easily outweighed by the moments of coherence and musical invention.
words DAVID GRIFFITHS