Teignmouth Jazz and Blues Club usually presents gigs at a modest sized venue, the bar at the local yacht club, but for the visit by Gilad Ozman’s Organology they upsized in a collaboration with the Pavilions Art Centre. It was a bit of a gamble, and ticket sales were very slow to begin with, but by the time of the concert there was a large (and very appreciative) audience.
Much has been made of the innovative and revolutionary nature of the group in the context of the organ trio tradition, but don’t let that worry you – it sounds pretty classic to me, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Much of the music was firmly rooted in the rich soil of bop (hard & be-) but this is certainly that not to suggest they are backward-looking: their playing is fresh and adventurous, springing surprises here and there, gripping your attention from bar one, and holding it to the last. Regardless of labels, each member of the trio is a class act, and Stanley and Barford are in high demand from other enterprises.
One of the highlights of the second set was a splendid version of Charlie Parker’s Confirmation. It was hearing a Parker recording that introduced Atzmon to jazz in his school-days, and when I first heard him after he settled in the UK in 1994 he was playing the kind of virtuosic and incisive bop that was still often evident in this performance.
The gig kicked off with a slinky outing for Mack The Knife, Atzmon seemingly nodding to Johnny Hodges before slipping efficiently into bop gear. For organists, the shadow of Jimmy Smith is hard to escape but Ross Stanley achieves that with an approach that ranges from elegant to funky as each tune requires. In a concert that was full of highlights I’d especially mention My Shining Hour and the ballads Autumn In New York (retitled as Atzmon In New York) and Here’s That Rainy Day. Much of this is captured on their self-titled album on Aesthetiko AESCD004, which I highly recommend.
Atzmon might well have made a career as a stand-up comedian, and his verbal humour ranges from teasing of the audience (there was a routine about the possibility of him standing for prime minister) and, when introducing his arrangement of the traditional Scarborough Fair, he explained that since Brexit it could only be played in England. It was an exciting version, with a rhythm and vamps that evoked some of John Coltrane’s recordings from the early 60s, such as Greensleeves and My Favorite Things.
His humour surfaces in the music too: for example, during Secret Love he quoted briefly from I’m Getting Married In The Morning, and there was even what sounded like a brief fragment from Here Comes The Bride. Later on he made Stanley and Barford play with their feet only, but make no mistake – none of his verbal or musical humour detracts from the sincerity or power of the music overall, which consistently engages the emotions as well as the critical appreciation.
He claims to occupy the place where John Coltrane meets Palestine, and mentioned being an Israeli born in Palestine before he knew there was a Palestine. One of his previous bands, the Orient House Ensemble, showcased his love of Eastern Mediterranean and North African music. The band was named after what had been the HQ of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, and the unpopularity with his compatriots that this brought influenced his emigration to Europe in the early 90s. Our gain.
Organology at the Pavilions Arts Centre, Teignmouth 10 January 2026 – Gilad Atzmon (alto sax), Ross Stanley (electric organ) and Joel Barford (drums)
