Music / contemporary jazz
To Boldly Go …
Back in 2020 Bristol-based composer and guitarist Steve Banks had no trouble finding inspiration for a major new project. “It was the first lockdown, and at the same time there was George Floyd, Black Lives Matter, Me Too and the climate crisis all happening at the same time. There was a fear attached to those issues, but also a really positive response with people and communities coming together. I wanted my music to put across that positive message – these things are being heard, people are coming together and there is support for change.”
Steve Banks (guitar) and Rebecca Nash (piano) (pic: Tony Benjamin)
The result was Emboldened, a suite for Steve’s jazz quintet paired with original animations by Bristol video artist Chris Lucas that will be premiered at St George’s on Thursday 27. The music reflects the composer’s optimistic perspective, with three sections entitled Fear, Belief and Unity. “After feeling fear, people come together in the belief things can be done. Once there is unity they can try to make a change. The mood of the music reflects that process so by the end it should feel almost euphoric. Jazz music has always reflected the times – you can hear things like the civil rights movement in what (John) Coltrane and Ornette (Coleman) were doing in their day. ”
Mark Whitlam (drums) (pic: Tony Benjamin)
But while there’s a social meaning to its title, Emboldened is also a significant step in Steve’s own musical career. He is a very successful session musician and sideman in many local and national jazz projects yet he hasn’t ever recorded in his own name before. He hopes that this project marks the beginning of a new phase for him and his music, rooted in his own compositions and realised through his carefully selected band of collaborators. “I’d enjoyed playing with Mark (Whitlam, drums) in many different bands and Bex (Rebecca Nash, piano) and I have played and toured together so many times. It’s always a wonderful experience to play with her, she’s so honest. I was delighted to recruit Sam (Crockatt, saxophone) for our tour in September 2021 – he’s such a powerhouse and then Henryk (Jensen, bass) sort of appeared from nowhere and he’s just amazing, he drives the music exactly how you want a bass player to be!”
is needed now More than ever
https://www.facebook.com/chris.lucas.522/videos/912648599444165
Pairing up with a visual artist was another bold new move for the guitarist, and one which has proved excitingly creative. “I was wanting to broaden the ways I could find an audience for the music. I’ve never done that kind of collaboration before. Essentially I said to Chris ‘this is the concept, the message I want to get across but basically you have free rein to be you’. I really wanted him to feel free to express himself. Then we had a few meetings and he brought some storyboards and it was very exciting to see his ideas develop: it’s all looking really amazing.”
Steve Banks playing on the What She Said tour at St George’s (pic: Tony Benjamin)
The suite will mark the climax of the St George’s concert, following a set of Steve’s other compositions, with videographers filming and projecting images of the band throughout. The whole event, including Emboldened, will also be available as a livestream. For a first step into multimedia work it’s clearly a very ambitious move but there’s no doubt that right now Steve Banks is nothing if not Emboldened.
The Steve Banks Quintet will be performing Emboldened at St George’s Hall on Thursday 27.
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