The more folks at last months’ Big Chill Festival told me about how good The Blessing were, the more annoyed that I was with myself for missing them (twice!). Luckily, Nick Luscombe had the good sense to get them along to the Big Chill House to celebrate Flomotion’s one year tenure at the venue along with special late guests Belleruche, a DJ set from Custom Blue (aka Alex Pilkington and Simon Shippey), Nick Stroud (Jazz Not Jazz) and Grant Little (and his particularly large bag of records).

You may have spotted that this gig was the No.1 choice in The Metro yesterday as the four members of Get The Blessing have previously played with Roni Size, Robert Plant, Super Fury Animals and Portishead. Now you can’t get more ‘rehearsed’ than Portishead (how long did take?) but Get The Blessing are tight and free at the same time, these guys are as equally ‘off the hook’ as label mates Neil Cowley Trio along with a fusion of funk’n’jazz’n’hip-hop’n’film theme; in fact, some of their best tunes sound like a car chase themes.

And these guys are so hot at the moment as their album All Is Yes that was released earlier this year, picked up Best Album at the 2008 BBC Jazz Awards in July. This no doubt also helped fill the house (not such a good idea to get the big chairs in when a band is on though). It’s great to report that they’re as equally good live as they are on CD, especially drum and bass of Clive Deamer and bassist Jim Barr (the Portishead duo) along with trumpeter Pete Judge and saxophonist Jake McMurchie.

Think Albert Ayler meets Acoustic Ladyland/Polar Bear without the electronics and you’re nearly there. I must admit, I got a bit caught up in the festivities and went a bit over the top but need to report that Custom Blue tell me their Far Out Recordings’ label mate Spiritual South (aka Mark Robertson) is on blistering form at the moment and the follow up to Belleruche’s Turntable Soul Music album coming out on Tru-Thoughts is their best yet, with the Launch Party at The Vibe Bar, Brick Lane on 11th October.

All Is Yes on all fronts and whatch out for Get The Blessing on tour now. By the time they get to Windsor, they’ll be burning down the firestation, residents of Worth Matravers beware!

Flomotion Live got the blessing it deserves, everyone take a bow.

Forthcoming Live Shows
19/09/2008 Croydon Clocktower, www.croydonclocktower.org.uk
20/09/2008 Square and Compass, Worth Matravers
16/10/2008 Chemnitz, Germany
17/10/2008 Dresden, Germany
18/10/2008 Hamburg, Germany
23/10/2008 Boca Bar, Bristol
08/11/2008 The Shed, Nr Malton, Yorks
15/11/2008 Teignmouth Jazz Festival
19/11/2008 The Vortex, London Jazz Festival
05/12/2008 Norwich Arts Centre
06/12/2008 Firestation, Windsor

Links
www.myspace.com/nickluscombe
www.bigchill.net
www.theblessing.co.uk
http://www.candidrecords.com
www.myspace.com/belleruche
www.myspace.com/spiritualsouth