Kit Downes & Seb Rochford - 6th May 2012

For us the Cheltenham Jazz festival isn't the same without, at least, one sighting of Seb Rochford. Our first show in 2007 saw him as part of Fulbourn Teversham, before seeing him with Johnny Philips, Battle of the Beats with Schlomo and of course, Polar Bear.

Today he was teaming up with fellow Mercury nominated Kit Downes, allowing us our first oppportunity to look inside one of Cheltenham's newest venues. This was the Parabola Arts Centre which provided excellent comfortable seats and more importantly, perfect acoustics.

The concept behind this particular collaboration is quite simple. They both know each other individually and as part of other groups and just wanted to do something, just the two of them. So, they wrote their own tunes, rehearsed at each others houses & here they are. It sounds simple and in many ways it was. With Kit Downes generally leading on piano and Seb Rochford following this wasn't complicated music and I thought was a joy because of it's simplicity.

Having arrived at Cheltenham a few hours ago not feeling well, Sheelangig and Candi Staton perked me up and I was able to fully concentrate on every note and pause. The same, however, cannot be said of other audience members. One of the problems of starting a gig at 10.15pm is the temptation to close your eyes and let the music flow over you ( I know my wife did though she claims never to losing consciousness).

I wouldn't rush out to but any subsequent CD but this was a beautiful concert produced by two of the best Best contemporary Jazz musicians around. Well worth staying awake for and Kit Downes is now added to my growing list of performers I would see again