Classical review: David Milligan Trio

Published on Friday 19 December 2008 19:06

DAVE MILLIGAN TRIO THE LOT, EDINBURGH

THE concept behind Shops, a new suite jointly composed by pianist Dave Milligan and his longtime cohorts Tom Bancroft (drums) and Tom Lyne (bass), was almost as pleasing as the music itself.

Commissioned by Mull's An Tobar arts centre as the last of three jazz combos to seek inspiration in Tobermory's townscape, the trio accepted the brief of writing about its shops. Or, more specifically, the backbone of locally-owned businesses from which much of the island capital's vibrant individuality derives and where work began last year with a leisurely meander and browse through all five establishments. (Snippets from conversations with proprietors and staff formed one element in the artfully layered soundscapes, entirely fashioned from in-shop recordings.) Composition and rehearsal were all completed within a week, culminating in an afternoon's tour of Main Street to perform each piece where it began, before the full premiere at An Tobar that night, with this week's gig marking Shops' release as an album.

From the spirit of derring-do and the whiff of danger conjured by Duncan's Outdoor Clothing Emporium, to the meditative, occasionally restive ballad named for Ronnie Leckie's Art Shop & Gallery, via the wittily freewheeling contrasts of Tackle & Books, the music engaged wholeheartedly with both the surface and depths of its themes.

A keen sense of history, vigorous independence of mind, wily versatility and a staunch collective ethos all sang through the writing and playing alike.