Review: The John Martyn Project, St Georges

After a short, week-long tour of the UK, tonight is something of a homecoming for the John Martyn Project. Many of the seven musicians on stage tonight hail from Bristol and its environs. The project, initially pulled together for a one off show at London’s Jazz Café to mark the anniversary of Martyn’s death, was met with such enthusiasm that further shows, including a couple of nights at Bristol’s Jam Jar Club, soon followed. And so on to this recent hop around the country concluding tonight in the grander setting of St Georges.

The front line of the Project is Blythe Pepino, Kit Hawes, Pete Josef and Sam Brookes. Highly able, versatile musicians all and young enough to probably have their introduction to the music of John Martyn from the record collections of their mums and dads. They are backed by a nimble and dextrous rhythm section with occasional blasts of sax for added light and shade.

Blythe, in her introduction, tells of how they have been overwhelmed by audiences’ stories of what this music has meant to them. How their love of John’s writing has punctuated their personal journeys. A lot of that sits with the run of remarkable albums Martyn produced in his 70s’ purple patch. From Bless the Weather, through his creative highpoint with Solid Air up until One World. Folk, jazz and blues-infused timeless masterpieces all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VM6iiCXZp9Q

Tonight’s setlist draws heavily from that golden, creative period. But this is not simply a run-through of Martyn’s greatest hits. His less well-thumbed back pages are equally explored. This is a celebration of Martyn the songwriter. There is no pretence that they will try to replicate the low blues growl and slurred delivery of his vocal style. Wisely no attempt to directly mimic the legendary improvisatory, viciously swinging, and totally unpredictable interplay between his echo-rich guitar and the jaw dropping double bass of his old partner in crime, Danny Thompson.

The new generation of talented musos open with the title track from Solid Air, famously written in tribute to Martyn’s old friend Nick Drake. They capture the gently stoned, late-night vibe perfectly. The opening salvo of songs are easy, mellow and tuneful. We are treated to the angelic, ethereal vocals of Blythe Pepino. Stand out on a beautiful Go Easy on Me. A delightful, rich voice with enough characterful, subtle catches to explore a whole range of musical avenues tonight.

One Day Without You is an early highlight with Pete Josef’s soulful vocal served well by a funkily swinging arrangement that bought to mind primetime Stevie Wonder. Kit Hawes provides some pretty fancy guitar runs to send us towards the interval and the audience are already with them every inch of the way.

Back after the break for a nod to the early folk roots of Spencer the Rover. Kit Hawes’ guitar leads us through Small Hours from One World. A lovely guitar part set against a richly mellow vocal. You could take a bath in it. Couldn’t Love You More is one of the great love songs. Tonight it is played simple and Sam Brookes’ vocal is just plain gorgeous. The stoniest of hearts are melted.

They are greeted with a genuine foot stomping, clap your hands in the air standing ovation from every part of the hall. They are clearly touched. Back again for an off mic sing a long take on May You Never. They leave us with a skittering, bluegrass bass and snare driven stomp through Over the Hill.

It has been, by any measure, something of a triumph. Tribute acts and celebrations of the catalogues of the great and the good can often feel so unsatisfying. All the right notes but little understanding of what made the music so remarkable in the first place. In contrast, this was undoubtedly based on a deep understanding of the work of this complicated, deeply flawed but outrageously gifted individual and his songs. Here served with enough intelligence, passion and musical chops to find a new joy in this wonderful music.

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