You might recognise the name Jazz Sabbath, of course, ripped off by the infamous band Black Sabbath, along with heavy metal covers of all their songs, or at least that is the narrative they have constructed for themselves. Introducing the band, a short video explains how Adam Wakeman left Jazz Sabbath and helped Black Sabbath on their road to fame and success. I enjoyed this introduction to the show and it effectively included those of us unfamiliar with the narrative, although there was no need for the continual reinforcement of the joke throughout the show from Adam Wakeman. However, I did appreciate him staying in character and remaining true to the narrative until the last few songs of the set.
Once onstage, the jazz was lively, technically impressive, and sounded beautiful in the Glasshouse’s second stage. Made up of drums, a double bass, and a piano, the tunes had a depth and vivacity to them that conveyed their mastery of their instruments. Although on their studio-recorded albums there are more instruments and different musicians, I enjoyed the comparatively pared-back set and the sound it created.
The set list comprised of records from their most recent album The 1968 Tapes, which "were lost for years until Wakeman found them again", or at least that’s what they told us. I loved all the songs but some of my favourites were 'Iron Man', 'Fairies Wear Boots', and 'Into The Void'. As someone who doesn’t listen to Black Sabbath, the songs were simply appreciated for their jazz renditions. I also enjoyed the fictitious and mostly lewd song-writing processes that Adam Wakeman told us before some of the songs from having food poisoning to doing the ironing. Some highlights from their set had to be the solos that they each got at various points within the show, especially the drummer’s, with his faultless rhythm and crescendo towards the end of the solo, as well as their seamless rhythmic transitions in and out of the solos.
It was a fantastic way to celebrate Valentine’s Day with the Courier’s own Cory Gourley, the only disappointment was the atmosphere of the crowd. Being the youngest people there by at least 15 years, Cory and I wanted to dance along to the music, but that wasn’t the kind of vibe everyone else was on unfortunately. As a jazz fan, I would highly recommend Jazz Sabbath to any fellow jazz enthusiasts as well as anyone familiar with the other band’s music, because it is an impressive feat to switch genres so successfully.