Gig Review: GrAle Soul Sessions

After two weeks of rest, The GrAle Soul Sessions stepped back into their namesake pub, ready to face the daunting challenge of getting students out the night after Halloween. As you can imagine, they rose to (and frankly, obliterated) the task: performing a set of winding, indulgent covers that got the audience clapping, singing and hollering praise as the musicians passed around the spotlight.

It was in the spirit of intimacy, rather than the collective’s trademark intensity, that the night began. As the lights lowered and guests trickled in, acoustic duo Liv Wilson and Ben Harrison took the (metaphorical) stage to perform The Taskey Brothers’ ‘Rain’ among other soul classics. Transitioning between wispy, feminine vocals and a deeper, more soulful register, Liv breathed a new life into each cover she took on. It was her guitarist, though, that saw the duo through to a final, breathtaking finale: mixing James Brown’s ‘It’s a Man’s World’ seamlessly into ‘Fallin’’ by Alicia Keys. With a final, chesty run which showcased the true extent of her vocal abilities, Liv stepped back from the mic as Ben sat down to join the ensemble.

The show was ready to begin.

In a matter of seconds, trombonist Felix Hollenbery got the clan ready to play their first song, and the colourfully lit pub filled with the familiar opener of Amy Winehouse’s ‘Back to Black’. He took a well-placed solo in between Liv’s shockingly Amy-esque vocals, building up the cover from restrained to explosive alongside drummer Ed Jobburn. Throughout the next few songs, it was this very interplay between control and excess that kept the momentum going and the audience engaged. Though the melody was constantly being redirected, no one musician ever took complete control—whether it was Tom Hardy’s impassioned keyboard runs or Tom Hughes’ polished saxophone solos, the band kept itself constantly in motion, and pulled everyone into it with them.

That is, until they shook things up completely. Out of the Soul Session’s bag of tricks came Ezé Wendtoin, and with him, a fusion of hip-hop, afrobeat, and West African music. Brandishing a pair of Kiemasans— an instrument he began playing in Burkina Faso—Ezé meandered between melodic verses and fast-paced percussive solos, getting the audience clapping to the beat and even singing a refrain with him callback-style. By the next song, the rest of the band joined back in: notably, Hardy improvised a melody on the keys while Ewan Thomas laid down some basslines to round out the sound. Ezé’s drumming was distinctly fast paced, and made use of the entire drum set, including the rims. Despite being called a ‘game-changer’ by one audience member, he still fit within the diplomatic structure of the ensemble: maintaining a conversation with Hollanbery and Hughes and interspersing his vocals with duets from the horn section.

Over the band’s ten-minute break, Ezé spoke about the transition from Burkina Faso to Germany, tracking his musical influences by mapping them geographically. He also noted his affection for the small-town feel of Durham, where he’ll be staying for the next few weeks. Comparing its interconnectedness to the more isolating lifestyle in Berlin, Ezé expressed a desire to become more acquainted with the music scene here, and happily settled into the crowd in preparation for the next set.

The GrAle kicked back off with Cara Cobham in tow; a wistful vocalist with an ear for jazzy riffs. She did an excellent solo performance of ‘How Much Can a Heart Take’ before calling Liv Wilson back to join her for another bluesy Winehouse cover. Taking a stab at ‘Me and Mr Jones’, the two demonstrated a rapport which carried them through to the final performance of the night: a high-energy ‘Money Money Money’ chock-full of digressions and builds.

This one was special. Ben Harrison started us off with a long-awaited guitar solo, and Ewan Thomas swapped out his bass for a mini keyboard to play alongside Hughes. In between verses, the boys called for a drum break from Jobburn. ‘Have your whiplash moment’ yelled one member: and indeed he did. Getting the audience to clap along only to play against their rhythm, Ed hammered on the hi-hat and brought the song to a crescendo—at which point everyone in the room began singing along. Closing out to a dozen, slightly mismanaged ‘money money moneys,’ the band brought the song to a jazzy, tailspin ending and, for the first time in the night, let the dust settle.

The GrAle Soul Sessions will be back every other Wednesday at The Holy GrAle pub, and you can believe they’ll come ready to put on a show. It is, above everything, the clear sense of camaraderie and passion for music that makes the spirit of the ensemble so infectious, and between the musical exploration and light-hearted improvisation that comes as a result, they truly have found a formula for a great night of student music.

Between me and you, it might be Durham’s best.

By Lianna De Bartolo