Z-U, The Drum Arts Centre, Birmingham, U.K., April 13

Where were you? That's the question to the people of Birmingham following an evening of excellent music witnessed by a small but enthusiastic audience of approximately thirty people.

The concert was part of "Live Box," a series of twelve wide-ranging gigs centred at The Drum and curated by Birmingham-based alto saxophonist and rapper Soweto Kinch. Jazz, soul, r&b, rap, hip-hop and poetry have all been featured in a diverse and stimulating series of programs. Tonight the spotlight was on contemporary jazz with a performance by Z-U, a trio nominally led by bassist Neil Charles, who appeared tonight exclusively on bass guitar. Charles has played with trumpeter Abram Wilson and with the group Empirical, rising stars of the British jazz scene.

Charles was joined on this occasion by reedman Shabaka Hutchings on clarinet and tenor saxophone. Besides also leading his own groups, Hutchings is a member of Courtney Pine's Jazz Warriors and appears on the latest Warriors release Afropeans. Completing the line-up was the young drummer Tom Skinner, an associate of London's influential and innovative F-ire Collective. (By the way, was there ever a more appropriate name for a drummer?)

The emphasis of the band is very much on group improvisation, using the themes of Charles and Hutchings as a starting point. With the judicious use of loops and other electronic effects the group is able to create a surprisingly broad sonic palette: the results are consistently fresh and engaging, with strong melodies spontaneouly developing from within the improvisations. It's music, moreover, that manages to be challenging while remaining accessible. Z-U's approach is a welcome contrast to the "in your face" belligerence frequently characteristic of the more extreme end of the free improv spectrum. The event may have been sparsely attended, but none of those present would have cause subsequently to be frightened away.

If anything, the first number of the night was the most challenging. The title "Sermon" was a play on words as the band had developed the tune at a workshop with the great British saxophonist John Surman. Hutchings' solo clarinet opening incorporated circular breathing, and the group built up layers of sound: Charles mutated the sound of his bass by means of loops and pedals as Skinner roamed around his kit, pushing out polyrhythmic pulses. Hutchings then switched to fluttering tenor sax before Charles' solo bass provided the segue into Hutchings' tune "Rocky." With an irresistible groove created by Charles and Skinner and relatively straight-ahead tenor from Hutchings, this tune was far more accessible than the abstractions of "Sermon," and the piece was warmly received by the audience.

Unaccompanied clarinet again ushered in Charles' composition "Breaking The News." Hutchings, a player of great technical facility on both clarinet and tenor, was quickly emerging as the star of the show. it was refreshing to see the clarinet being used in such a modern context with Hutchings proving that the instrument still has a place in contemporary jazz. As clarinetists from Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw to Buddy DeFranco, Eddie Daniels and Mort Weiss have shown, the instrument doesn't have to be all "licorice sticks" and Acker Bilk. It's likely that American clarinetist Don Byron has been an influence on Hutchings' approach. Charles' bass and Skinner's drums skirted around Hutchings' ruminations before Charles concluded the piece with a solo utilizing wah-wah effects.

Hutchings' lengthy The Chief Suite saw the composer distorting his clarinet sound by use of echo as Skinner chattered around him, occasionally dropping in a ferocious rim shot. The rhythm team then locked into a deep drum and bass groove, with Hutchings' clarinet first probing then dancing over the top. The piece climaxed with stunning high-register clarinet notes and further use of echo. (These guys certainly fit a lot into the course of a tune!)

The first set was concluded by the brief "The Middle Passage," which featured a solo bass intro from Charles and the searching tenor of Hutchings. The playing had gained in authority over the course of the evening, and the set was well received by those present.

After a very short break, Soweto Kinch took to the stage to host a good-natured jam session. His presence was a welcome bonus. This reviewer had not seen Kinch play live before despite enjoying his two album releases Conversations With The Unseen and A Life In The Day Of B19: Tales From The Tower Block. Kinch joined Z-U for a take on a typically elliptical Wayne Shorter composition entitled "Fall." Kinch's alto and Hutchings' tenor combined to form interlocking horn lines before both men delivered powerful individual solos.

Kinch then called a character named "Dr. Johnny" to the stage. Sporting a wide-brimmed hat, the good doctor proved to be a harmonica player—or "Mississippi saxophone," as he preferred to call it. Johnny duetted with Kinch on a loose jam that crossed the blues with the old Herbie Hancock crowd-pleaser "Watermelon Man." After the Dr.'s harp solo Hutchings added some gruff-sounding tenor to the proceedings. The whole thing was ragged but rather fun.

Next up was Stewart Wellington Kunaka, a poet and musician hailing from Zimbabwe but now living in the West Midlands. Kunaka has published a book of poetry entitled Freedom Is Only A Thought Away and commenced by reading "Earthly Riches In The Lost Psalms" from that work. Accompanying himself on the mbira (African thumb piano) he then sang an African folk song with support from Kinch's alto and Skinner's drums. The lilting African melody, when combined with the exotic sound of the mbira and Kunaka's high-pitched voice, produced something strangely beautiful. Hutchings' clarinet was featured in the closing stages of the song and included the use of slap tongue techniques. Kunaka next recited the title poem from his book with musical underpinning from Kinch and Skinner. Staying with the theme of poetry, Kinch then delivered his own rap, seemingly on the fly and with full band accompaniment. Solos from each saxophonist brought the jam session to a close, at which point Kinch vacated the stage for Z-U to conclude the evening.

"The Traveller" began with the now familiar solo clarinet intro before Skinner demonsrated a delicate cymbal touch with the brushes. Charles was happy to play the anchor role. The closing "Tikya" was probably the highlight of the evening, thanks to Hutching's urgent, buzzing clarinet and Skinner's explosive drumming. Skinner played with creativity and taste throughout the evening, always adding to the music but never overpowering his colleagues. Charles laid down a mighty, rumbling groove and also stepped into the limelight with a solo. Kinch then bounded back onto the stage to add his alto before Hutchings on clarinet delivered the final solo of the evening.

It had been an enjoyable and thought-provoking evening of music and poetry, and at the modest admission price represented a veritable bargain. Where was everybody? There will be another Live Box series in the autumn, so listeners who live in Birmingham or its environs will have another chance. The Drum is a comfortable and friendly venue, and with the bargain admission price even doubtful followers of the music scene can afford to experiment, though it's unlikely anyone will be disappointed with the quality of music being presented. And in the unlikely event it proves to be not to someone's taste, one can always slip out across the road to the Barton's Arms pub, a wonder of late Victorian architecture.

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Visit The Drum theatre and schedule.

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