Compositions by pianist Liam Noble commissioned for the E17 Large Ensemble provided an inventive close to the first E17 jazz festival held in Walthamstow at the weekend. The earlier Sunday afternoon slot featured an animated performance from the Brigitte Beraha Trio, in which elements of Norma Winstone, Flora Purim and playful French chanson each found avenues of expression while lively post-bop from the Dave Mannington Quartet followed, with fierce rhythmic exchanges and solos, particularly from keyboards player Ivo Neame.

In the evening a first set by the E17 Large Ensemble was a touch one-dimensional but the second set which featured Liam Noble’s five piece suite, more than made up for the warm-up with a series of compositions that made an inventive use of freedom within the constraints of the large ensemble. From the off guitarist Jez Franks played avant-garde lines that created a sturdy rhythmic counter-point to drummer Tim Giles’ figurative pulse. The suite’s second part ‘In Praise of Shadows’ opened with a teasing time signature and after a prompt accelerando the piece evolved into an up-tempo post-bop groove. The various parts sketched out disjointed melodic themes, and harmonies glistened with an edge of dissonance. Minimalistic voicings by John Turville on keyboards and sensual abstract lyrics by Beraha both provided a distinctive charm to the set.

– Joseph Kassman-Tod