Alfa Mist - Whelan’s

Touring his latest long player, Roulette, the British musician, songwriter, and MC fittingly opens with the title track. Wonderfully conventional in many ways, it cycles through the instruments: guitar, double bass, keys, and drums. Almost a quick limber-up for the musicians, always anchored by a longing trumpet refrain. What is unconventional is the introductions.

First up is Johnny Woodham on trumpet, who’s given a full four minutes to improvise a compelling solo piece using an echo mic before the band segues into a reinterpretation of a Freddie Hubbard track from the early ‘70s called ‘First Light’. Periodically, Alfa invites the remaining members of the band to take the spotlight for 4-5 minutes each. Jamie Leeming (who has two fine albums of his own) indulges with a beautifully retrained guitar turn. Flo Moore (a nice Jazz Club name) grooves silkily on an electric bass. Nathan Shingler garners the biggest reaction with a tour de force of texture and coherence in the most enjoyable drum solo I’ve witnessed in person.

On ‘9 Months’ and ‘Mind the Gap’, Alfa delivers his signature spoken word/rap, letting the hip-hop come to the fore. He also explores the whole back catalogue with three tracks dating back to his 2017 album Antiphon. The fabulous ‘Dersen Cafe’, which spans a mere two minutes on the newest album, is given a full airing, many times its recorded length, while ’BC’ allows the crowd to fully get their dancing shoes on. I believe jazz is having a moment right now.