Angela Swann witnesses a spellbinding lesson in jazz skill

It was on a chilly evening in December 2012 that the bewilderment which always overwhelmed me when confronted with jazz turned, if not into understanding, then at least into deep appreciation — and not a little excitement.

The band was Phronesis and included Ivo Neame making unbelievably complex and beautiful sounds spring from his piano and Danish double bassist Jasper Høiby driving the pace with spectacular expertise. Last week the duo made a welcome return to the North Wall, this time with Oxford’s own composer and saxophonist Adam Waldemann, in the guise of Kairos 4tet — and there was no way I was going to miss it.

This MOBO award-winning outfit, with Jon Scott on drums, can only be described as spellbinding, the complex improvisation merging effortlessly with more accessible melodies, such as a beautiful lullaby written by Waldemann for his niece.

Swedish singer Emilia Martensson lent her wistfully ethereal voice to several numbers, while every gripping solo, from Waldemann’s soaring sax to Scott’s joyous drumming, were heavenly to behold.

Performing music from their critically acclaimed third album Everything We Hold, Waldemann paid tribute to his collaboration with actor Rupert Friend, who sadly couldn’t be there but sent his mum instead! Neame and Høiby were as brilliant as I remembered with Neame also demonstrating his dexterity on his (brand new) accordian. No, I still can’t say I ‘get’ jazz, but with musicians of this calibre I’m more than happy to stay in blissful ignorance.