Nubiyan Twist
Tonight’s show is a mix of what I expected - superb musicianship from a group that is tight as hell, jaw dropping solos, complex rhythms, warm and rich vocals
In the spirit of full disclosure, my experience of jazz is pretty limited. I’m here outta curiosity, as part of my ongoing efforts to overcome my saxophonophobia and, well, just because I like the name Nubiyan Twist. So, I’m probably the least qualified person in the room to review this.
Tonight’s show is a mix of what I expected - superb musicianship from a group that is tight as hell, jaw dropping solos, complex rhythms, warm and rich vocals - and the very unexpected - the sheer volume, an audience singalong that brought a tear to my eyes. For the most part, I absolutely love what Nubiyan Twist are doing. As someone who is very much the opposite of a jazz aficionado, though, a few of the extended passages were too virtuosity for its own sake rather than in service of the song and I felt my attention wandering. I have to say that the audience response was such that I was almost certainly in a minority of one. Jeez, the crowd was dancing like loons from start to finish. Big shout out to the guy who looked like a little bit like a slimmer Tom Davis busting out the Wigan Casino moves in front of me.
Will I listen to Nubiyan Twist at home? Much as I enjoyed most of tonight, I doubt it. Did I enjoy the show? Oh yes. Will I see ‘em again if I get the chance? Absolutely.
And I’m another significant step on my path to overcome my phobia for the sax!
