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Led by Swiss guitarist Nicolas Meier he told me those awards last year were “the highlight of my career to date” but surely not the only prizes that he’ll be winning. With Gilad Atzmon (saxes and clarinets), Asaf Sirkis (drums) and Tom Mason (acoustic bass) they form the perfect group to play Meier’s jazz, flamenco, Latin and middle-eastern influenced music.

Not surprisingly, he says his guitar heroes at Metheny, McLaughlin and Paco De Lucía as he incorporates their styles throughout. Another influence is the music of his wife’s homeland (she’s Turkish) as they play new material from the current album Yuz that’s out 19th March.

Trading the spotlight with Meier, Gilad Atzmon was on excellent form on and off stage. After the show, he was telling me of his ideas for a musical, challenged me to like Artie and said, “I’m serious, the American’s killed jazz when they went to war in Vietnam.” Luckily, a fellow hack turned up, “I interviewed you at the Swanage Jazz Fesitval and you went into one about Salmon and foreskins.” Tom and Peter Foreskin (aka Asaf Sirkis) wander off as they’ve probably heard it all before, but there’s no question Gilad is serious in both what he says and his playing but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t bring humour or a joyous sense of adventure to the picture.

Tom and Asaf both excelled throughout, I especially enjoyed their solos and Meier is such a talent, he’s set to make the guitar a popular jazz instrument again. I’ve not seen the like since Larry Coryell and Phillip Catherine. Nick plays a range of guitars made by Godin and with a midi set up, there’s a touch of a keyboard sound and at times and even boarders on the sound of a sitar. It also features him playing a Turkish saz, which looks like a smaller version of the kora.

It seems that with The Meier Group and the Tassos Spiliotopoulous Quartet that now is the time for a resurgence in the guitar led style of global fusion.

The Meier Group — Yuz Tour Dates

April 8th, White Swan, Straford-upon-Avon, UK
April 17th, Pizza Express, London, UK
April 19th, Watermill Dorking, UK
April 27th, Wakefield Jazz, Wakefield, UK
April 29th, Jaggs, Ascot, UK
May 18th, Jazz at the Fleet, Suffolk, UK
June 29th, Live in Oxon, Oxon, UK
July 5th, Matt & Phred, Manchester, UK
July 6th, Zeffirelli’s, Cumbria, UK
July 15th, Swanage Festival, UK
July 19th, Festival International of Fribourg, CH
December 19th The XXeme, Fribourg, CH

Links:
www.meiergroup.com
www.gilad.co.uk
frontpagemag.com
The Meier Group Ribon In The Wind / Orient
www.pacodelucia.org
Bournemouth Modern Jazz Club Centre Stage, 14 Queen’s Road, Westbourne, Bournemouth BH2 6BE General info tel 07811 369062 or email bournemouth.jazz@ntlworld.com
ALSO COMING UP IN 2007, amongst others:
Fri 16 March: Mbawula (10-piece South African/British big band featuring Paul Bartholomew, Steve Lodder, Nic France, Dudley Philips, Helder Pack and more) —
14 June: Jason Rebello Trio
21 September: Cascade featuring Andy Sheppard