Gig review/ Matt Bianco

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BY NARENDRA KUSNUR 

Matt Bianco/ Live in Mumbai

Genre: Pop-jazz

Details: Jamshed Bhabha Theatre, September 7

Rating: ****

From their discography of 15 studio albums, one would imagine British group Matt Bianco would have a tough time choosing its set list. But then, frontman and founding member Mark Reilly has done hundreds of concerts, obviously having a clear idea of what would work at their maiden India appearance.

The Sunday crowd at the Jamshed Bhabha Theatre was obviously more familiar with the first two albums Whose Side Are You On? and Matt Bianco, which were hits in the mid-1980s. Reilly spaced the popular songs judiciously, and whether the folks knew them or not, the band made a huge impression with its energy and virtuosity.

The sound was an ever-changing mix of pop, jazz, funk and Latino flavours. Most songs were filled with surprises. One never knew which direction the arrangements would take, and listeners had to be constantly attentive to enjoy the twists. Some fabulous spells by Martin Shaw on trumpet and flugelhorn, Dave O'Higgins.on saxophone and Graham Harvey on keyboards perfectly complemented bassist Geoff Gascoyne and drummer Sebastiaan De Krom, who even played one of the best solos Mumbai has heard in years.

Reilly did most of the vocals with able assistance by Betty Black. The group began with the catchy 'Summer In The City', which instantly impressed with its horn improvisations. 'Hi-Fi Bossanova' provided a Latino twist, and the Whose Side Are You On? title track lent nostalgia. The duet 'Heart In Chains' was well-coordinated, and Betty impressed on the new track 'Deep Space'.

The big hit 'Half A Minute' had a bossa nova flavour, and also brought back memories of its beachside video. The 75-minute set ended with the famous 'Get Out Of Your Lazy Bed', with 'Yeh Yeh' as an encore. Though one felt the bassist deserved more space and probably a solo, the evening was filled with some fantastic musicianship.

Named to sound like a character from a spy movie, Matt Bianco has had quite a few line-up changes. While Reilly has remained the leader, other members have included keyboardist Danny White, vocalist Basia and late multi-instrumentalist Mark Fisher. Of late, Reilly has also been collaborating with Dutch group New Cool Collective, which makes prominent use of saxophone and trumpet.

Matt Bianco's new album Masquerader is due for release on September 12. We're sure a few more surprises are in store.



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