PERSONNEL:
- Steve Fishwick Trumpet/Flugelhorn
- Osian Roberts Tenor Saxophone
- Olivier Slama Piano
- Dave Chamberlain Bass
- Matt Fishwick/Matt Home
Drums
Since its inception in 2002, The Osian
Roberts/Steve Fishwick Quintet has built a strong
reputation as one of the most consistent
and exciting live acts on the U.K. jazz
scene. They've toured extensively throughout Britain,
performing in some of the country's most renowned jazz clubs
(Ronnie Scott's, The 100 Club, Charlie Wright's, The 606
Club etc.), as well as appearing in
many International Jazz Festivals (including Brecon,
Swanage, London, and Scarborough). The quintet's
repertoire is largely original (both leaders are prolific
composers, and more recently, pianist Olivier Slama has contributed
to the band's pad), but they also play their own arrangements of
standards, and throughout the programme, the emphasis is on
swing and improvisation.
Steve Fishwick, his brother Matt and
Osian Roberts first became friends 1994, when they
met on the jazz course at The Royal Academy Of Music in
London. Since then, the three have worked and rehearsed together on
a regular basis, both in their own groups, as well as in the ranks
of other bands (Mike Carr's Blue Note Quartet; The Matt Wates
Sextet etc.). In 2001 they met a group of French musicians
living in London who shared the same musical tastes, and began to
congregate weekly for an informal jam session to rehearse
and play arrangements from their favourite records.
Eventually, the group started to perform regularly in and around
the capitol. That group laid the foundation for what was to become
the current quintet, although the line-up has changed since those
early days; the only remaining Frenchman is the pianist
Olivier Slama, who is joined in the rhythm section
by bass virtuoso Dave Chamberlain.
In 2003, drummer Matt Fishwick moved to New
York, where he gained the invaluable experience of working with
many of the jazz world's most respected musicians,
including legends Joe Wilder, Frank Wess, and Bob Cranshaw; as well
as the younger generation of jazz heavyweights such as Jeremy Pelt,
John Colliani, Harry Allen, and Frank Basille. It was during
this time that Matt Home stepped into the
breach, and since Matt Fishwick's return to the U.K. in
2008, both drummers have worked with the group in turn.
The quintet is featured on the following HBR albums
(click on titles for album info):
HBR33001
"Too Much!"
HBR33003 On The Up And
Up
HBR33006 ...with Cedar
Walton!
PRESS REVIEWS (OF THE BAND'S LIVE
PERFORMANCES):
"Advance publicity for the
quintet fronted by Steve Fishwick and Osian Roberts, loosely places
them "…in the tradition of the great hard bop bands of the 1950s
and '60s." On the evidence of tonight's performance, though, they
stand shoulder to shoulder with some of the greatest quintets of
that period. As predicted, they opened our Autumn season with a
bang, and with just one standard in their repertoire, they treated
a spellbound audience to a whole succession of originals that would
have drawn nodding approval from Horace Silver himself. Backed by
the outstanding French pianist Olivier Slama, with Dave Chamberlain
on bass and Matt Home on drums, Steve (tpt) and Osian (tenor sax)
re-acquainted us with the very roots of modern jazz, with a sound
that continues to excite audiences throughout the land. No question
about it: their rating as one of the best hard bop quintets around
is fully justified."
Robin
Paterson (Peterborough Jazz Club 19/09/08)
"THE blending of trumpet and
tenor-sax has over the last 50 years produced one of the purest,
organic and durable sounds in modern jazz, popularly known as the
"Blue Note" style because of the record label that promoted it and
still continues to do so. But it was enormously refreshing to an
audience - which included a large number of Nottingham hard bop
stalwarts who cut their teeth on this music - see and hear a band
of youngsters not only emulate the Blue Note sound to perfection
but write their own material as well. The result was classic hard
bop with great interaction between the front-line men, the group's
French pianist Olivier Slama and the continually bubbling and
effervescent rhythm team of Dave Chamberlain (bass) and Matt Home
(drums). Steve Fishwick's fresh, cool trumpet and Osian Roberts'
robust, beautifully controlled tenor-sax kept up a continual
barrage of inspired creation, rounded off by Slama's harmonically
and rhythmically supple piano. Chamberlain's bass sounded every bit
as good as it looked; a beautiful instrument, impeccably played
with a warm, bouncing tone; Dave also produced some amazing sounds
with his bow. Matt Homes' drumming underlined everything; with a
basic seven-piece kit his steely top cymbal, chattering snare and
Art Blakey-type press rolls, contributed to the quintet's tight
swinging rhythm section."
Trudie
Squires (Bonnington Theatre, Nottingham
22/03/07)
"The Chickenshed at Southgate
was lucky to catch trumpeter Steve Fishwick and tenor sax player
Osian Roberts before they left to join Steve's drummer twin Matt in
New York to record with former Jazz Messenger Cedar
Walton. Roberts (in Cardiff) and Fishwick (near Manchester)
were born 20 years on in 1976 and the pair came together in the mid
1990s at the Royal Academy of Music in London. The tightness of
their playing has the ease that comes with years of familiarity and
hard practice. The concert featured many of their own compositions
with period titles like 'Blackout', 'Too Much!' or 'The Knife', the
latter dedicated to Roberts's baritone sax hero Pepper Adams. These
were 'classically' hard bop in style with angular up-tempo unison
intros leading to flowing solos. Fishwick carried out impossibly
long fast and fiery runs, then still had the breath to come back
for more explorations of the higher register. Roberts hooked and
upper-cut low phrases before producing free-flowing cascades of
middle-range notes. The two slim young men just stood up straight
and blew. They slowed down for Gershwin ballads 'I Loves you Porgy'
and 'Someone to Watch over Me' without losing their
fluency.
Toulon based pianist Olivier
Slama fitted in musically with jagged right hand runs interspersed
with lush block chord choruses. He was particularly good at
prompting tuneful bass solos from Dave Chamberlain and the whole
band was driven along by drummer Matt Home who excelled in swapping
four bar breaks with the two horn players and played as
convincingly with brushes as with sticks. Most importantly, the
quintet swung, even when playing Fishwick's inexplicably titled 'A
Pocket Full of Grease' in waltz time and the ferociously fast final
'I Want to be Happy'.
As I left, I overheard a comment
that it's unusual to hear a band with two equally good front men.
That goes for all five players on the night, there were no
weaknesses, no fluffed entries. Fishwick and Roberts have played
with some greats like Dave Cliff, Scott Hamilton, Anita O'Day and
the late Bill Le Sage. Their invitation to record with Walton shows
they are gaining the recognition they deserve.
Listening to the band at the
Chickenshed, I heard hints of previous giants, Red Garland's
chords, Dizzy Gillespie's runs, Art Blakey's punctuation, Sonny
Rollins' and John Coltrane's angularity, the tunefulness of Wilbur
Ware and the tight arrangements of Shorty Rogers, but these young
men are more than mere retro-copyists. They sit on the shoulders of
giants and come out as their own men. And they are good; very, very
good."
Huw Jones
(The Chickenshed Theatre, London 26/01/07)