Robert and Deborah were playing as a duo version of Panacea to further promote the release of the new album Trust. Robert was in a very positive frame of mind as Straight No Chaser and Echoes had both come out that day with features on him and the new album. He tells me, “Yeah, it’s a nice one as I live locally so I thought I’d try out the keyboard with a laptop.”

The highlight of Robert and Deborah’s gig was their version of one of the standout tracks on the CD, ‘Ocean (In A Small Hand)’. Fellow Brixton resident, Gurdeep Stephens gives a highly individual performance on the album and is described in Straight No Chaser as “improvised warbling”. A bit harsh if you hadn’t heard how well it works. So, after a few technical blips, Robert says, “I’ll ditch the sick laptop” and went for a straight keyboard rendition. Deborah says, “Robert writes some amazing melodies” and this is certainly one of them. The patrons went silent as they gradually spotted that something special was happening in front of them.

Sally Pannifex (who took the photographs of Robert in Cuba for the CD sleeve) says the rehearsals with Robert on a Steinway piano were even more impressive so no wonder there’s a buzz about remix possibilities. If Radio 1’s Blue Room boys are supporting the likes of Iceland’s current hot geysers Sigur Rós, I would have thought they’d go for ‘Ocean (In A Small Hand)’ in a big way. They seem to like most things that are that little off-centre.

As a ‘local hero’, Robert had already played the venue in August with Cuban violin player Omar Puente (see links below) in what was described as “a real highlight of the year… as both are known for their nimble fingers and intense delivery.” Robert certainly has nimble fingers and has a classic piano player’s flourish that really suited the Café setting.

But the album is more than just the one track and it’s great to see live versions of the other songs, particularly ‘The Thief Of Dimensions’, ‘Cotopaxi’ and ‘The Brink’. It’s one to challenge Break Reform’s Reformation for top album of the year [N.B. watch out for Break Reform’s Gilles Peterson session, which should be broadcast in the next few weeks].

For more of what’s going on at the Ritzy, see news of the screening of ‘Dimanche à Bamako’ and the links below whilst the next opportunity to see the full Panacea band live is on 11th November at the Caedmon Hall in Newcastle/Gateshead.

Links:
Ritz Café – “read about the 2004 London Jazz Fringe Festival (supported by www.flyglobalmusic.com)”.
Thursday 15th September: Robert Mitchell and Deborah Jordan.
Those in the know need no introduction for Mr Mitchell. Brixton resident and member of the ground-breaking F-ire collective, his compositions under the moniker Panacea have seen his piano skills being compared to the great McCoy Tyner whilst Debbie Jordan was recently picked out as one of 6 vocalists to watch on the UK scene by Straight No Chaser. An edgy, against the grain approach to melody and song mark them out from the crowd.
“A young UK virtuoso of McCoy Tyner-like precision, excitement, boldness and scope. Formidable improvising skills, remarkable breadth and absorbing unpredictability.”
The Guardian.
“Tremendous stylistic contrast and narrative richness, an expression of the dynamic solo chops and writing abilities of the man whom his J-Life colleagues refer to as ‘The Dark Scientist’.”
The Voice.
“The compositions are complex and challenging. Clever construction reaps huge rewards… astounding virtuoso work from Mitchell.”
The Times.
“If any one album can sum up the multi-cultural essence of London’s newer jazz talent, this is it.”
Evening Standard.
Blue Room Tracklistings : Saturday Morning Fever with Rob da Bank :10th September 2005 : Sigur Rós – ‘Glosoli’ (EMI) – He actually played ‘Sé Lest’, but Rob, is this really “the definition of Balearic”?
Caedmon Hall, Gateshead Central Library, Prince Consort Road, Gateshead NE8 4LN - Box Office 0191 477 3478
Cuban Jazz School, Havana, Cuba 11-18 &/or 18/25 Feb 2006 “Learn Cuban music ..tutors include Omar Puente” www.jazzsummerschool.com