HULLABALOO by Dave Manington's Riff Raff

John Fordham
The Guardian, Thursday 24 January 2013 23.30 GMT

Hailing a group of mathematically-precise young explorers of tricky contemporary beats, who like making polyphonic jazz in which the melodies simultaneously move to different grooves, hardly warrants holding the front page. That's the signature sound of much new jazz today, after all. But Loop Collective bassist/composer Dave Manington's Riff Raff mix the leader's clever composing with a formidable lineup, including Ivo Neame on piano and occasional accordion, the articulate Tomas Challenger on tenor, and the excellent Tim Giles on drums. Add John Scofield-like guitarist Rob Updegraff and softly surefooted vocalist Brigitte Beraha, and the soundscape embraces a 21st century sax-led cool school sound, raw guitar-fusion, diffident Wayne Shorteresque lyricism, and vocals that showcase Beraha's eloquent lyrics and inventiveness as a wordless improviser. Some pieces are staccato and angular (like the opening Agile), some gracefully seamless (Challenger's and Beraha's entwining lines on the title track before its guitar/drums burnup). Not A Worthless Thing demonstrates the band's capacity for relaxed, asymmetrical swing.

Loop is a collective of musicians that was founded in 2005 in London. Its members are in demand at the forefront of the contemporary jazz and improvised music scene in the UK and Europe. Amidst challenging circumstances for contemporary music making, they have created a network of shared resources to promote their original music.

loopcollective.org