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After scrabbling around by torchlight for more “down with the kids” evening attire (the gods of electricity were not smiling down on me that day), I headed up to The Spa Ocean Room wearing my most jazziest skanking southern-soul expression, and my most funking bass-grooving ears.
The evening’s gig promised to offer a deliciously complementary yet varied box of treats, so I had to be sufficiently prepared. This really was to be a gig offering something for everyone – from King Bee’s jazz-groove line-up, complete with psychedelic Moog and three piece horns, to Nubiyan Twist’s Brazillian-Caribbean vibes, and Stone Penguin’s dancefloor-friendly DJ/VJ collective, combining a ridiculously diverse range of genres.
I wasn’t sure if my ears would process such tasty musical morsels without ascending into nostalgic soul-funk heaven for the rest of eternity, but oh my, were they going to try.
First to grace my eardrums were the casual yet devastatingly cool grooves of King Bee. Founded in 2011 by Dave Wilde (also of sax/flute playing fame with third-to-play Smoove and Turrell), the group’s excitingly diverse style fused elements of soul, jazz, funk and drum-grooves into a dynamic performance which compelled both eyes and ears from the off.
With an outfit consisting of vibraphone, Rhodes piano and Moog, as well as some gloriously tight bass and drum-grooves, a note perfect jazz fusion guitar and a beautiful three-piece horn set, King Bee’s carefree yet intricate rhythms mingled with a toe-tappingly energetic groove to not-so-subtly inform attendees that the party was in full swing.
‘Esmerelda’ combined an afro beat-style horn arrangement with delightfully smooth sax-work and accomplished piano, whereas ‘Six Foot Sucker’ offered charismatically cheeky lyrics, a spry, zingy horn section and insistent percussion.
‘Jellyman Funk’ is allegedly named after the band’s vibraphone player, and had me bopping aorund in my chair like I’d sat on an ant’s nest; whereas ‘Return of the Dave’ was a vivaciously bass-happy, funk-filled bell-ringer – my crazed buffoon-like dancing stood testament to its place as my iron-clad, leather-bound set favourite. King Bee’s funky jazz certainly made a mark on my soul, and set the standard sky-high for next-up Nubiyan Twist.
Hailing from Leeds and London, the 12-piece Nubiyan Twist bound soulful, urban, slightly ethereal female vocals with impressive live dubs, fastidious turn-tabling and jazz-based improvisation. Combining Brazilian, West African and Caribbean influences, the band aimed to form a kind of artistic cultural unity via its uniquely fused musical style. The vocalist’s deliciously crystal-clear, soul packed tone and powerful lyrics were framed well by slick sax-work and upbeat reggae vibes, resulting in a set so sublime, it would have been criminal not to declare my support with a repeat of my ridiculous dancing.
‘Turu’ was a melodic, lilting instrumental with nimble horn arrangement that lulled me into a cosy, comfortable haze of jazz-filled joy. ‘Hypnotized’ was a bass-filled catchy arrangement, with soulful MC vocals and a generous helping of reggae-reggae sauce. The admirable deck skills and dub vibes throughout the track added a dynamic urban edge, while the compelling horn section made me wish more than anything that I could play the trombone.
In contrast, ‘Straight Lines’ offered the dexterous turntablist a chance to showcase his skills once again, combined with smooth seductive sax, Latin rhythms, a touch of Brazillian Carnival and more of those Afrobeat vibes which were so prominent through Nubiyan Twist’s set.
‘Figure Numatic’ acted as a refreshing insight into the artful flow of a truly skilled female MC, a role which appears shamefully undersubscribed in the UK charts in recent years. If you need any explanation on why this is such a crime, let ‘Figure Numatic’ warm your aural cockles – your ears will soon be clamouring for more.
The biggest advocation I can give for Nubiyan Twist’s stonkingly kinetic, indefatiguable music style is that whether you’re a modern-day Michael Jackson or a shy and retiring wallflower, with this talented twelvesome, dancing is compulsory whether you like it or not. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!
Smoove and Turrell signalled the return of a revitalised Dave Wilde in cohort with a 7-piece band of self-diagnosed “Northern Funksters”; fusing funk, Northern Soul, hip-hop and jazz to create a delectable contemporary sound. BBC 6 Music’s Craig Charles recently stated: “To say Smoove and Turrell are one of the greatest modern soul acts to emerge from the UK would be an understatement” – and it’s easy to see why.
‘Broken Toys’, their latest album’s namesake, offered us heartfelt soul-filled lyrics and hypnotic percussion. ‘Have Love’ featured a divinely contagious dance-funk beat which made me feel transported to the glittered-flecked floors of a ’70s discotheque, while ‘The Clown’ had a sparky, upbeat pop feel with infectiously happy (if slightly abstract) lyrics and a devilishly catchy bassline.
There are no two ways about it – when Smoove and Turrell take to the stage, you can’t help but groove, jive and jump around to your little heart’s content. This highly acclaimed group have already spent previous summers gigging at Glastonbury and The Big Chill – and after a show-stoppingly excellent set at Coastival 2015, it looks like the only way is skywards in years to come.
Last to grace the Ocean Room stage were the legendary vinyl DJ/VJ collective Stone Penguin, bringing the night to a powerful soul and funk-filled conclusion with a range of ’60s and ’70s soul, jazz and psychedelic rock, including the Jimi Hendrix classic ‘Purple Haze’. As well as already being firm Coastival favourites, Stone Penguin’s Kista, Mister Tookey, Filey Selassie and KandleVoodoo also made waves at 2014’s Beathereder festival, headlining the Perfumed Garden stage to storming success. Despite my befuddled brain and aching feet, I still managed a resurgence of energy on the dancefloor before trundling, still happily humming, off home into the night.
Looking back, Timeless was the perfect name for the night’s musical fusion. Because, despite its roaring success in rekindling the audience’s nostalgia for tried and tested music genres from the past, the four groups that performed that night are all clearly still firmly rooted in the present.
