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The Wonderful Sound Of The Cinema Organ
Stephen Joseph Theatre, 16th November 2013

Images of an old Wurlitzer organ, rising to the stage from the bowels of the theatre floor, first sprung to mind when I was passed this assignment. The reality was quite different; the theatre’s Steinway piano and a laptop, hidden under a cloth, are the only keyboards in evidence tonight as TWSOTCO take to the stage in their vintage clothes.
The brainchild of guitarist James Grunwell, this fascinating eight piece consists of trumpet, sax and the standard jazz rhythm section. Two TV screens flicker black and white archive film and newsreel footage behind the band. Possessing a largely contemporary jazz sound, the addition of a violin and cello also adds a nostalgic thirties/forties vibe to their music, which is highly inventive and at times challenging, but one that kept the relatively well filled theatre on the edge of their toes throughout.

“It’s so quiet, I’m nervous, but we’ll get through it”, remarks vocalist Nick Rasle. Dressed in waistcoat, trousers and with a pink feather boa wrapped around his mic stand, any nerves are well contained during the first of two 45 min sets. Rasle has a timeless, haunting voice, reminiscent of the late Tim Buckley during ‘You’ll Never Know’, but maintains a charming, sweet personality of his own. Dealing with police brutality, this harsh subject matter is captured perfectly in this sad song; the tension is created by Sam Foster’s intriguing drum rhythm and a mournful violin solo from Rachel Hubbard, whose harmony vocals, alongside those of cellist Emma Coleman, blend beautifully with Rasle’s voice on ‘Happiness’. A slower, simpler song, this is when TWSOTCO are most endearing, their sound recalling the more tender moments from Parisian band The Gotan Project. Introduced by a gorgeous guitar part from Grunwell, the strings gradually build and Johnny Esser’s trumpet line is poignant as it accompanies onscreen footage of a toddler.

During the second half of the set, the band was plunged into darkness and the audience made to focus on the screens, as titles informed us we were to be taken on ‘A Trip To The Planets’. The musical accompaniment worked well, a soft muted trumpet sounded as we watched the Earth spinning on its axis. The music became more animated, with full ensemble, perfectly capturing the sense of gravity as the jolted rhythms emphasised the jagged, uneven surface of the moon. Although a larger projection screen could have been more effective at this point in the set, this thought was momentarily forgotten as the band moved onto another highlight, ‘Memory Loss’. Introduced by Rasle as being about “the pleasures of forgetting”, the repetitive string patterns reminded one of the “nu jazz” of the electronic band 4hero or The Cinematic Orchestra. It clearly demonstrated the thought, effort and time which has gone into all their songs, arrangements and visuals.

The breathy sax of Jack Chandler recalled the great tenor playing of Pink Floyd’s Dick Parry in the extremely atmospheric ‘For The Love Of A Nation’, introduced so sensitively by some moody chords from pianist Matthew Aplin. With its soothing vocals and moody understatement, it was an effective closer, as was the encore ‘On the Borderline’. Written about a friend of the band with mental health issues, this was a touching and deeply personal finale. The affectionate chorus line still lingered in my head as I made my way out of the theatre. TWSOTCO may not have had a Wurlitzer, but they do look set to have a promising and interesting future ahead with their nod to the past.

The Wonderful Sound of The Cinema Organ will appear again in Scarborough at Coastival 2014, Saturday 15th February.

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