Pianist Django Bates defies all the rules with the freedom of his improvisations and unique approach to deconstructing and reconstructing melodic lines. Walking into the venue for his concert at Stratford Circus last Saturday felt like entering someone’s living room, with an intimate stage close to the audience. This however seemed to give license to the eccentric Bates to test the audience’s boundaries, at one point even getting up from the piano to perform impromptu impish dance moves. While their ability to perform entirely spontaneous improvisations is impressive, there was a point in this performance where ‘freedom’ started to feel more like a gimmick.

For new album Confirmation Bates, along with bassist Petter Eldh and drummer Peter Bruun, combine new compositions with well-known Charlie Parker tunes. The trio got together because of their love of Parker, never intending to perform concerts or record, simply to play the music they enjoyed. Throughout this concert the group managed to put their own individual stamp into every song. Unfortunately seeing Bates live it was easy to miss a lot of his creative genius and musical spontaneity with the focus instead on the bizarre lighting. It was never made clear whether the lighting, and periodic blasts from a smoke machine behind the drums, was the band’s own choice or that of a particularly enthusiastic stage manager, but it managed to completely change the focus of the two sets; not least because Eldh, whether soloing or not, was in the dark.

The group plays very well together and has a solid sense of direction between them, even if their free improvisations are not the easiest to follow. The audience seemingly enjoyed the technical ability and agility of the performance, mostly undeterred by the strobe lighting and disco ball flashes. Bates as a pianist is undeniably captivating, however on Saturday night the audience appeared spilt between those in awe of his playing and those scared by his performance, nevertheless the whole room was mesmerised.

– Esther Hayden