The Bays and The Heritage Orchestra produce an amazing live performance

The London Jazz Festival has grown since its humble origins as the Camden Jazz week. Now spanning 10 days, with performances in some of London's biggest venues, it is among the biggest jazz events in the world. The diverse line-up reaches beyond traditional boundaries and incorporates many different styles of music.

The Bays and The Heritage Orchestra play at the Royal Festival Hall and tonight is the final night of their 'Music beyond the Mainstream' tour. A mixed audience arrive ranging from aging classical music fans to younger drum and bass fans, filling the seated auditorium, generating a constrained atmosphere.

The unusual crowd are all here to see The Bays perform their unique style of improvised, on the spot, dance music. Not content with just improvising music themselves they have teamed up with the Heritage Orchestra, who play music written by a duo of quick thinking composers (John Metcalfe and Simon Hale) during the performance. The compositions are relayed to the conductor - Jules Buckley – and the Orchestra via LCD display music stands. Jules then brings in the musicians with which parts he wishes them to play. Inspired by the music and the audience, The Bays then progress the sound in a direction that fits the mood and all you can do sit back and see what happens.



Supporting The Bays and The Heritage Orchestra is the John Metcalfe Band. Made up of five incredible musicians, the band includes two members of The Bays and John Metcalfe - playing the viola and keyboards. The music is elegantly written a performed. The mix of tones from the strings, drums and synths highlight the stunning acoustics of the hall. The opening song has the ambient quality of Vangelis' Blade Runner soundtrack. From there in the differences grow as different beats are added and new textures are added to the set. The short half hour set resembles some of the later The Bays performance, due to John Metcalfe composition and Andy Gangadeen's drumming style.

Describing a performance of The Bays is near impossible without using common clichés. You really do have to see it to believe it! The movement between musical genres is subtle and progressive. Beginning with a strings dominated opening passage similar to John Metcalfe’s opening the style quickly modifies. A solo violin takes the melody with various other instruments playing harmonies and backing. Repetitive passages are changed between instruments and modified to create the modulation. Taking a back seat, The Bays barely play at the beginning letting the orchestra get under way.

Moving from the ambient start into a funky groove, lead by The Bays bassist Chris Taylor. Soulful vocal samples are overlaid creating a completely new feel to the piece. The orchestra pause while the tempo and beat are modified and return with new variations on the themes from the first passage. Now with a more blues / rock sound Andy Gangadeen starts to show off his drumming skills. With no single instrument holding the melody the organised chaos of the performance gets underway.

A quick swap between the composers, as one writes for the strings and the other writes for the brass section, the pace changes again. As the audience gets more excited as the music builds, with the change of beat to the syncopated break beat rhythm. The mix of cheers and applause ring out from the crowd, with many looking like they want to stand up and dance rather than stay sat in a chair. The buzzing bassline vibrates through the hall and a few people stand to dance.

As the players build up then break down the beats with continued skill, crowds of people gather to the edges of the hall to dance. The final build-up takes no prisoners. Staccato drum beats, heavy bass, short sharp bowing from the strings, a mixture of smooth tones from the brass, synthesizers and a piccolo finishes the performance.

Whatever style of music you like, seeing The Bays and The Heritage Orchestra is an experience you will not forget. Not just an amazing live musical performance but with stunning visuals mixed live onto video screens at the back of the stage, there is never a dull moment.

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