Liverpool’s Jazz Evolution: Reflecting on Mutant Jazz’s First Event
Mutant Jazz is a collaboration between promoters Parrjazz and You And I Present. Supported by the Jazz North New Northern Bursary, the event took place on Thursday 28 September, 2023, at Metrocola’s Metro Loft, on Leece Street, Liverpool.
The idea was to bring some of the new artists from the city who are part of the jazz spectrum and present them as key players in our rapidly mutating jazz scene, hosted and herded by the lovely MC Motormouf.
From the doors opening the venue quickly filled up, to a venue busting capacity.
Bonk! opened with their weaponised and entertaining brand of heavy funk rock. Their energetic bassist, Sam, was leaping all over the place in his veteran jump suit.
Bop Kaballa appeared after a short break building their chilled new jazz into a hypnotic drum and bass crescendo driven by the awesome Will Hogan on bass.
Another rapid turnaround brought Sweet Beans into the hall delivering their throbbing riot jazz from the first note. Miceál Sammon alternated from trombone to bass turning the room into some frenzied pulsating cult happening.
The warm-down was provided by the spiritual hip-hop orchestrations of Ranga and the Easy Tigers. A beautiful collaboration of all types of instrumentation, held together by an electronic framework of modular synths covering a large dinner table.
Ranga’s set morphed into the closing jam joining with numerous Cypher MCs and guest musicians, including an unprecedented three trombones. Mutant Jazz #2 is scheduled for 14 December upstairs at Metrocola’s Metro Loft, Leece Street Liverpool L1 2TR.
