Ant Law, 606 Club review — A-list band support the sideman turned headliner

A palpable sense of anticipation infused a packed 606 Club in London ahead of the debut performance of Ant Law’s latest band. The British guitarist is a fearsome technician with an original voice, whose growing reputation is built on a decade of touring and high-profile sideman gigs.

Law’s new project, Unified Theories, is at root a showcase for his rigorous and detailed compositional approach. At this gig, long-form complexities were compressed into bite-sized chunks and compositions unfolded through dense thickets of harmony, intricate rhythms and contrasting moods.

But it was his A-list supporting cast that added the extra spice. Saxophonist Will Vinson and bassist and former cricketer Orlando Le Fleming are British-born long-term residents of New York. Cuban drummer Ernesto Simpson launched his career in Havana with Dizzy Gillespie, and the Mercury Prize-winning pianist Gwilym Simcock was a regular in Pat Metheny’s band.

There was ample space for soloists to breathe, providing they were up to snuff. Although rehearsal had been minimal, the flair and proficiency of Law’s carefully constructed ensemble delivered the sonic detail and emotional contrasts of each twist and turn — which augured well for the recording session booked for the following day.

The evening began with Law conjuring a sense of new beginnings with shimmers of plucked strings over haunting guitar-synth bass. As the woody tones of double bass entered, cymbals swished, sharp rimshots added tension behind lilting sax and quick-fire runs brought “Ballroom” to an edge. “It’s at the rock end of the gig tunnel,” said Law before announcing the next twisty tune. Now the pulse had a funky bite and moments of calm eased the headlong rush. Then came “A to Z”, a love song with a pretty melody, gentle picks and strums from Law’s guitar and a sonorous solo for double bass.

Although Law’s aesthetic is demanding, soloists brought each piece vibrantly to life. Vinson provided emotional focus with a centred pithy tone and articulated rhythmically at speed. Simcock’s florid lines on acoustic grand contrasted with the leader’s electronic bite, and Law combined emotional warmth with fluency and tonal control.

The set ended with two compositions featuring tortuous lines played at pace. First, “Colours” expanded an experiment with an amended progressive scale; Vinson plotted a route through the complexity without turning a hair. Then drummer Simpson brought the angular funk of “Octopus Pyjama” to a crowd-raising high.

The second half added the blues-spiced waltz “Where Would We Be” and a short but lovely ballad, “Ensconced”, to Law’s tricky aesthetic core. Highlights included the bubbling froth of tapped rimshots, disjointed sax and guitar that periodically interrupted the smooth contours of “Parity”, and bassist Le Fleming and drummer Simpson locking together for rhythmic punch.

“Tbilisi” ended the evening, a wicked concoction of bespoke harmonies and angular unison lines delivered by sax and guitar at breakneck speed. Tight, powerful and oozing confidence, two stabbed chords signalled that the evening was done.

★★★★☆

antlaw.co.uk