Brisbane connected with Yussef Dayes last Sunday (3 March) for a transfer of intense energy.
Drum, bass, sax and keys filled the room as some stood stun-locked and starstruck, while others danced to the rhythmic trance.Yussef Dayes has said in previous interviews that music is about communication through energy – a connection. The stage layout had the band pushed right to the front. It was up close and intimate.
Being jazz, a general structure of a song is pre-planned, but endless improvisation and changes in intonation are native to the groove, a groove unique to the show and the room.
Image © Kalem Horn
The crowd and band had a friendly demeanour; we were all in this together. It was a transformative transfer of sound and energy. I can't speak for everyone, but I am incredibly thankful for the connection I felt in that room on that night.
In this experience, I did my best to turn off my analytic mind and simply listen to the music. It entered me into a space. It made my body bop and jolt to the beat. It was overwhelming with no time to process this trance-like state. I would quickly be pulled back out however, in surprise, reminded by the sheer talent of the band by a lick on the bass, or a drum fill.
It was Yussef's show, but every member on that stage was incredible in their own right. A standout to me was Ivy Alexander's subtle guitar. It sat lower in the mix and stood to complement the piece with soft picking of strings. It was a little bit of spice that made all the difference in flavour.
Image © Kalem Horn
All musicians involved had a rich texture to their sound. Everyone made complex use of dynamics – hitting hard sometimes, and lovingly gentle in others. This created an intricate blend of loud, slow, soft and fast.
In addition, the instruments themselves varied from normality, adding to texture. Yussef's kit was dressed in atypical cymbals varying in shape and form. Overall, everyone's nuanced, masterful way of playing, like Elijah Fox's finger flourishes on synth, created a show like no other.
This was my second Yussef Dayes experience in two years. Both shows have stood well above my average concert experience. Yussef Days and his band are an incredibly impressive achievement in music technicality with an overwhelming energy that can't be found anywhere else.
- written by Kalem Horn
More photos from the show.
