Bring Your Own

I saw LED Bib just before Christmas 2015 at the Vortex in East London and was absolutely blown away. I bought this c.d. prior to seeing them in order to acclimatize, as I wasn't familiar with their music and was equally blown away. It's muscular jazz for the modern age, staying true to its roots but at the same time, ripping them out the ground and roasting them on a spit. Jazz with a kind of rock vibe going on but definitely not that insipid creature "jazz-rock". This is very exciting, glorious and at times, gut-wrenching stuff, that sometimes makes you feel like you're being mugged and at others like a mouthful of very expensive wine is exploding on your palate.Although it's fantastic for the likes of me that you can see this band for £15 in the intimate surroundings of the Vortex (and long may that continue), it is at the same time, an indictment of our culture. Why has LED Bib not taken over the world? Quite simply - this is the best band I have heard in a very long time, possibly ever! Yeah, really!

“Bring Your Own” is instrumental Jazz. There’s some good moments across the album, but it often sounds too random. The use of stereo sound makes it sound unbalanced which makes it quite frustrating to listen to.

We know that Led Bib are a Jazz group - they are featured on the cover of the latest edition of JazzWise magazine! But this latest album is stripped of virtually all of the distinguishing features of Jazz.We have no swing, no walking basslines - fair enough, but we have no Latin or R&B-influenced rhythms either. Some people like Jazz for the virtuoso players with their perfect,pure acoustic tone and beautiful melodic lines in their solos?Well on this album we have distorted, strangled sounds and there are almost no extended solos, where you can hear a featured instrument. This is more about ensemble playing and tight, short tunes.No "standard" tunes here either - everything is original and mostly written by drummer Mark Holub - although he is now allowing the other band members the odd tune, but they are very much in the same mould.From the start, we are into a sound world with no compromises to the listener - the first two tracks are all distorted electric piano and bass, with saxes wailing in a piercing manner while the drums are fairly chaotic - it's real Free Jazz territory. We have two Alto Saxes without the warmth of Tenor and the other instruments giving a hard electronic edge to the sound.But on the 3rd track - a light emerges from the chaos with a lovely, harmonised melody from the twin saxes and we are straight into Soft Machine territory from the early 70s and  Third .This could be the band of Hugh Hopper on fuzz bass, Robert Wyatt on drums, Mike Ratledge on keyboards and the extended horn sections they used then.The album starts to come alive with great bass lines that get quite funky and hypnotic, giving the listener something to hang on to and tap your foot even!We get little cameos of acoustic Double Bass and then the full contrast of the band coming in like a heavy metal riff monster. In many ways the star of this album is bass player Liran Donin. He goes through so many different styles and sounds - but is often the one providing the line that holds your interest - a catchy riff, a funky propulsive line - while all around is chaotic, he holds it down and gives the band its momentum.There are 10 tracks which are short by Jazz standards and there are quite a few melodies by the end of the album and a lot of group improvisation, but it's often difficult to tell where these start and finish - there are clear endings, but you hear little riffs and fragments, which may have been planned or a result of "in the moment" playing.In the end - does it matter? Does it matter if this is Jazz or just instrumental improvisation? As long as it inspires, interests and excites - that's all that matters!

On a cold midweek night in Leeds, in the unlit dimness of the poorly attended Spin Off club, Led Bib, incredibly, managed to warm and inspire our shivering souls with their infectious wit, humour and energetic delivery. They cohere marvellously, - bounding, interweaving, and pausing delightfully. There is an implicit knowledge of late twentieth century musics in their compositions and yet Led Bib manage to skillfully elude any attempt to be tagged. ( In this sense, it reminded me of the new spirit which Ornette Coleman brought to jazz, or the eclectic improvisations contributed by Tim Berne in many of his manifestations, - for example as I witnessed with Bloodcount ). This fresh and unpredictable approach engages the audience! Go now and catch them live on tour, - and of course you will want to buy their album.