The bassist in Courtney Pine’s band, Darren Taylor, unveiled his new innovative Horizon Venture last night at Jackson’s Lane Arts Centre in north London. Part sci-fi epic with Star Trek-like visuals art directed by his brother illustrator Des Taylor with the band playing in front of a specially created film with futuristic effects and motion picture-like presentation and the addition of a dancer and singer. The Enterprise band itself sported two keyboardists, Chris Jerome and 3io’s Robert Mitchell, with Taylor on his high tech ultra slim upright bass wedged between congas and Daniel Crosby’s drum kit. Taylor's glorious, deeply groove-heavy lines got plenty of space but did not dominate what was a well-integrated group performance.

While the narrative direction of the text beamed out from the screen was a little sprawling and more L. Ron Hubbard than Freddie Hubbard in its futuristic logic, Mitchell impressed with his well judged Nord staccato runs. In the latter portion of the hour-long set the group deepened into a Herbie Hancock-like electric episode flavoured by Jerome’s washes and finely judged runs reminiscent of the great Chicagoan’s album Thrust. Perhaps the band does not need the extra congas and the flow of the piece could require the return of the singer at the end rather than the recorded outro, but nevertheless this showing heralds a welcome new departure for the talented bassist. Check Jazzwise for future dates.

– Stephen Graham