Tom Jenkinson and Evan Parker reviews

Tom Jenkinson (photo: Rach Hunt)

“There was a whiff of the ‘anything an electric guitarist can do, I can do too’ attitude, particularly with the guitar-hero hammer-on trills. The over-amplification didn’t help, boomy in the bottom end muddying the sound. Impressive? Yes, in a blokey sort of way. Musically satisfying? Not from a musician whose recordings show so much more imagination.”
Julian Maynard-Smith, classicalsource.com (July 16, 2007)

“(…) when the bass does take a more traditional supportive role, with Jaco Pastorius-esque harmonic planes, allowing the sax (now alto) to go somewhere approaching melody, the effect is heartbreaking. Often, however, the interplay between the two doesn’t seem to create an awful lot more than the sum of its parts.”
Christopher Alcxxk, Drowned in Sound (July 16, 2007)

“When they joined forces, with Parker on tenor, they made surprisingly thoughtful music. Parker wittered happily over the bass-patterns, echoing Squarepusher’s more strident phrases with instant accuracy. This superduo will surely ride again.”
Jack Massarik, Evening Standard (July 17, 2007)

“Jenkinson, Zen-like, finds rare and unusual chords on his 6-string bass guitar with the speed of a martial arts black belt, articulating even the most obscured tones in his controlled derangement.”
Juha van ‘t Zelfde, audioculture.org (July 18, 2007)

“The jazzman’s gig at the Southbank Centre left me cold, but being a guitarist helped me appreciate Tom Jenkinson’s electric-bass set.”
James Anthony, The Guardian music blog (July 31, 2007)

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