In The Mix With Soweto Kinch @ Rich Mix, LDN (Review)
February 1, 2010 by Tola Ositelu
Filed under Reviews
There’s a whiff of misleading advertising where the new Soweto Kinch weekend residency at the Rich Mix bar is concerned. It turns out, as I discovered on attending the inaugural show last Sunday, that Kinch himself only curates the event. He doesn’t actually play every week and will be merely making cameo appearances once a month.
In the meantime we have various members of Soweto’s band and past collaborators to keep us company. As you would expect the standard is high; particularly appealing when you consider that entry is completely free. First out of the hatch for the premiere gig was Barbados-raised clarinet/saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings, with Neil Charles on double bass and Seb Roachford on drums. The adorably bashful Hutchings is an accomplished bandleader himself and regularly tours with his own consortium of high calibre musicians, ‘Zed-U’.
For three hours (breaks included) on Sunday, a sized-down version of the group regaled Rich Mix with their own interpretation of standards like ‘It Don’t Mean A Thing (If You Ain’t Got That Swing)’ whilst also debuting original compositions such as ‘Calabash’, which was only written the day before the performance.
As well as clear inspiration from the golden age of 20th Century jazz, there were traces of Hip Hop’s extensive influence on Hutchings and co, with drummer Seb Roachford incorporating unmistakeably Timbaland-esque syncopation into a pensive tune or two.
Haunting and mellow, Hutchings’ set perfectly suited the chilled surroundings of the Rich Mix bar. A sincerely pleasant and relaxing way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
–Tola Ositelu
In The Mix with Soweto Kinch is a free event which takes place every Sunday from 24 Jan – 25 Apr (except 4 Apr) / 2pm – 5pm at London’s Rich Mix (35 – 47 Bethnal Green Road, London E1 6LA). Click here for details.
Born in South East London sometime in the early ‘80s to Nigerian-Ghanaian parents, Tola Ositelu is a solicitor by training. It is her experience that many lawyers are frustrated/aspiring writers and she is no exception. For the past 20-something years she has been involved in a passionate love-triangle with music and literature. Apart from Jesus Christ, family and friends, music and reading – or more specifically, language – are the two most important elements in her life. These are followed closely by world travel and good theatre.
What a lovely gig you went to! Do let us know (or err me to be selfish
) if/when you get to catch up with Mr Kinch, I’d be really interested to know what you think of his live performances/stage presence. Hmm, size permiting, I think I’d love to live in a saxophone.