Reviews

Alfa Mist at Thekla - Bristol Live Music Review

Posted on: 2018-05-01

Alfa Mist cements his status as a major player in London's modern Jazz renaissance.

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Like many people my age, I've always had an outside interest in Jazz music, compelled by the likes of Miles Davis, Nat King Cole and Nina Simone but not paying nearly enough attention to modern Jazz artists. It's always been just that - an outsider's admiration of classic artists - mainly because I've never found modern Jazz particularly accessible. Now, though, the UK is enjoying a revival of the genre, with artists like Yussef Dayes, Henry Wu and Alfa Mist heading up a new generation of Jazz artists. I caught Alfa Mist live at Thekla in April.

I regrettably arrived late for Alfa Mist's gig on Thursday 19th April, a victim of my own enjoyment, relaxing for too long on the Harbourside during that short spell of warm weather. I would have liked to have caught the support, because given Alfa's accomplished musicianship, I have no doubt that he would have insisted on an equally talented warm-up act. Once I arrived I had to settle for a spot at the back of the packed-out crowd, five minutes after Alfa Mist and his band had taken the stage.

 

Having come across Alfa Mist relatively recently, I was intrigued by his second full release, Antiphon. Critics have discussed him in the same breath as fellow London artists Yussef Dayes, Moses Boyd and Henry Wu, and one listen to the album makes it clear exactly why. His unique take on contemporary jazz is unlike anything I've heard before, injecting hip-hop, soul and Afrobeat influences and basing most of the album around an extended conversation he set up with his brothers. 

It was announced before the date that Alfa Mist would be performing Antiphon in its entirety on stage at Thekla, and it absolutely did not disappoint. In front of a sell-out crowd, Alfa himself showed exactly why he's regarded as one of the brightest talents coming out of London right now, and his accompanying band were all incredible in their own right, each taking turns to perform mind-blowing solo sections. I'd like to give a special mention to Johnny Woodham on the trumpet - I've never heard the instrument make sounds like that before.

 

The whole show was a constant display of intriguing flow, with all five members of the stage playing in perfect harmony and with a clear sense of freedom. The highlight, though, was the performance of Breathe, a track featured on the aforementioned Antiphon. Kaya Thomas-Dyke, who up until that point had been playing bass, took to the microphone for the only main vocal section of the evening, wowed the crowd with an emotional rendition of her own recorded vocals. Check out the original version below.

 

 

As a relative newcomer to the modern Jazz scene, I was massively impressed by Alfa Mist's live show. The relaxed, easygoing attitude of the musicians translated into a thoroughly enjoyable showcase of some of the best live music I've seen in a long time. If you're reading this and you're yet to give any time to London's upcoming Jazz scene, I recommend that you do. In a genre largely dominated by committed purists, it was refreshing to hear someone shake things up and present it in a new way.

 

Alfa Mist's Antiphon can be found in full on YouTube here. For more information or to find out about further tour dates, check out his Facebook page. Alternatively, to see what's coming up at Thekla, visit their online box office here.

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