Jo Whiley got her mits on us with a Mega Plug for THE HALF QUARTET Jazz Duo.

Just fantastic!

LISTEN TO IT HERE

BBC Radio 1, Jo Whiley, 12 April 2005 @ 1029am

Thanks to Matt from Plymouth for sending it in

Philip Buttall
16 Nov 06

SUGARY BUT SERIOUSLY GOOD - The Evening Herald - 7th September 2006

The Half Quartet - pianist Alex Christaki and bassist Matt Brookes - have spent the last year criss-crossing Plymouth, delighting audiences in the city's growing number of 'lounge-music' venues with their distinctive mix of jazzed-up classics. Now they have become The Half Sextet with the addition of drummer TC Jefferson and in the process turned into a swinging jazz trio, although one with a difference.

Their Jazz Cafe set started with a rhapsodic opening that became Van Morrison's Moondance. Later we had jazzed up versions of Ravel's Bolero, Tchaikovsky's The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, which merged into the Pink Panther Theme followed by Lionel Richie's Hello. Carmina Burana got the jazz treatment then merged into Grieg's Hall of the Mountain King - all played with considerable skill and panache. The addition of TC Jefferson on drums has added a crispness to the ensemble and he, and Matt Brooks, who has a wonderfully rich bass sound, are fast becoming one of the best jazz bass and drums rhythm teams in Plymouth.

The marriage of jazz and classical music is neither new nor easy and it is simple to make a mockery of both.

European piano trios such as the highly-lauded Esbjorn Svensson Trio have shown how folk themes, classical music and jazz sensibilities can be merged to create a new music combining popular appeal and emotional depth. The Half Quartet has won many supporters for its undoubted skill, agility and fun and as a trio they have the musical capacity to be seriously good.

CELEBRATING ALL THAT JAZZ - The Evening Herald - 6th January 2006

That is when they celebrate their first anniversary at a bash at the city's Bar Bigwigs.

Comprised, as their clever title suggests, of just two performers - Alex Christaki on piano and Matt Brooks on double bass - the pair joined forces in November 2004, with a vague notion of playing jazz but with little idea of what direction it would take.

One year to the week that they played their first gig at Bar Bigwigs in St Andrew's Street, the pair can boast regular gigs three or four times a week, with residences at Bar Ha! Ha!, Bigwigs and Old Orleans, plus one-off gigs at the likes of The Waterfront, The Miners Arms and the Treasury.

In fact they're now in the enviable position of having to turn down gigs because they are too busy. Alex said: "We started playing Bar Bigwigs on Monday nights, the quietest night of the week. At that point we didn't really know what we were doing.

"The first week we had about two people, the next a few more, until within a few weeks we had turned empty nights to thriving, busy ones."

As the duo developed their set-list, they realised they had a winning formula to offer other similar venues.

Alex said: "We made a decision early on to steer away from trad jazz, as there are already plenty of people doing that.

"We also decided to stick as a duo, because a duo can play anywhere. We're easy to manage, inexpensive to hire and play accessible, but interesting material.

"Because we improvise a lot we get a positive response."

The formula certainly seemed to work well. By largely avoiding the usual standards - although they do include a delicious rendition of Summertime, and a smattering of other favourites - preferring to opt for jazzed up classics, interspersed with their own compositions, their set has a completely different feel from most.

Where else could you hear clever interpretations of Fur Elise, Carmina Burana, Ravel's Bolero, sitting alongside Lionel Richie's Hello, Abba's Money Money Money and Dave Brubeck's Take Five and Square Dance?

Before long they had also secured regular slots at the Treasury and Pizza Express.

"One of the challenges we set ourselves was to pioneer music in places that haven't had live acts before.

"This we have done and others have followed. It's only this year that, for the first time, we'll be playing at the Barbican Jazz Cafe?."

The Half Quartet has five dates booked in the Barbican venue in 2006, the first on February 13.

 

Article by CLARE ROBINSON
 

The half quartet became the whole quartet for a day (or would that be a half octet?) when they played at Zena’s Courtyard in Barnstaple last Saturday as part of the North Devon Fringe Festival. The talented duo (Alex Christaki on keys and Matt Brooks on Bass) was joined by a couple of equally virtuosic muso’s for the gig which took place in the relaxed and pleasant surroundings offered by Zena’s Café. Nick Goode – seen drumming more regularly with Joey the Lips, and Steve Osman, a well-known acoustic guitarist from Plymouth came together with Alex and Matt to form what has to be one of the most prolific gathering of shear brilliance and talent the South West has seen.

The set started with some of the usual “Half Quartet” humour we come to know and love with some familiar pieces like their jazzed up renditions of Fur Elise, Bolero and Carmina Burana and some new pieces including the “Sugar Plum Fairy”, which dove off half way through into the “Pink Panther” and cleverly found its way back to the Sugar Plum before you could say Inspector Cluso. The clever twist and turns that each piece takes makes the listening (and indeed watching) experience an uplifting and inspiring one.

The set also included some solo work from Steve Osman, which also included some great familiar pieces such as a James Bond theme tune medly and even (if you can imagine) a classical guitar version of “Teenage Dirtbag” (!).

These guys certainly open up vast bridges across genres and engage a varied audience as a result. Looking around the crowd you can see several generations watching, listening and ultimately finding enjoyment in the music delivered to their ears and wonder at the superb musicianship they are witnessing.

The finale of the set offered us two pieces, written by Alex himself, which were brazen with energy and vibrance, with Matt picking up his six-string bass and all four obviously displaying their own enjoyment of the playing.

Rumour has it that these four may just be teaming up again in the future and it is definitely something not to be missed. One would be wise to keep an eye on the half quartet website www.thehalfquartet.com for further updates.

Review by Julia Dando
 

The Half Quartet, a cunningly-titled local jazz duo, have been tickling the fancy of many a discerning punter in the chic bars around town since their formation earlier this year. Their music has even come to the ears of Radio 1's Jo Whiley, who gave them a massive plug on her show.

They are now finding themselves in increasingly high demand, and it's not hard to see why.

Alex Christaki, jazz pianist extraordinaire, approaches the genre from his background in classical music, so interpretations tend not to be based so much on the usual standards of the 30s and 40s.

You're more likely to hear him playing intriguing improvisations on Carl Orff's Camina Birana, Satie's Trios Gymnopdies or Beethoven's Fur Elise in a set that also includes adaptations of Sting's Shape Of My Heart or Lionel Richie's Hello.

Add to that Matt Brooks, the other half of the duo, a superbly sensitive double/electric bass player who augments the sound with some innovative playing, and you have the winning formula, a mellow aural backdrop to a more sophisticated evening out.

The pair are already regulars at Bar Bigwigs on Monday nights, they have just started regular Sunday night slots at the swanky new Ha! Ha! Bar on Princess Street/Armada Way and for sometime have enjoyed one-off appearances at The Treasury.

Next Wednesday they will make their debut at the Bac Bar next to The Library on North Hill as part of an exciting new idea by landlord Nick Southcott.

He is promoting a wine-tasting session on Wednesday nights followed by live music - a rather intoxicating combination.

The pair are also to play their first festival, along with Plymouth guitarist Steve Osman, at the Jazz Fringe Festival in Barnstaple, tomorrow at midday.

Catch them while you can still see them for free.

Article by CLARE ROBINSON

JAZZ DUO ARE BETTER BY HALF - The Evening Herald - 25 February 2005
(Click here for the original article)

The Half Quartet may well be one of the best-kept secrets on the local jazz scene.

The cleverly-titled duo, who made their debut at Bar Bigwig's a couple of months ago and play there every Monday night, have added a Thursday residency at Pizza Express to their commitments, and will play the odd one-off at The Treasury too.

If you want to see The Half Quartet for free in an up-market restaurant setting, you'd better be quick, because by rights these guys should be playing centre stage.

Alex Christaki, is perhaps better known locally as a sound engineer, but he's been hiding his true light under a bushel.

A classically trained pianist who studied at Dartington, he has composed music for The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra as well as The Stranglers.

The Half Quartet is his first foray into jazz - he's previously concentrated on classical and funk, so approaches the genre from a different direction.

Rather than opting to use jazz standards - although a couple, including a dreamy rendition of Gershwin's Summertime, do feature - he takes classical themes, including Carl Orff's Carmina Burana, Satie's Trois Gymnopedies and Beethoven's Fur Elise, and improvises with innovative and surprising results, creating pieces that hang together beautifully.

Pop classics are also given the treatment - listen for a wonderfully moody version of Sting's Shape Of My Heart and a funky rendition of Lionel Richie's Hello.

The other half of the duo, Matthew Brooks, better known as part of the rhythm section of Joey The Lips, does a really fine job on double bass, blending superbly, showing real flair in many of the improvised passages. His empathetic playing really helps define the fabulous easy feel that the duo achieves.

Article by CLARE ROBINSON

The Half Quartet at Bigwigs - Review taken from The South West Jazz Diary

Monday evenings are so often just the lazy anticlimax after the pleasures of the weekend.  So I was relieved to have something other to do than sit in front of the television and nurse my Monday blues.

The Half Quartet enticed me out of my asylum with the promise of some contemporary Jazz at Bar Bigwigs.  For those that have not yet found this great little bar tucked away behind the Magistrates Court in Plymouth, you should make this a wonderful excuse to experience good food, good music and great atmosphere.

I must confess I do not have "Jazz hands" and more traditional offerings from the genre have in the past left me feeling somewhat bored and misplaced.  However, this evening's entertainment from The Half Quartet was somewhat lifting from my previous experiences of Jazz, introducing a more contemporary edge with some very clever and enjoyable turns of pace and rhythm that display the extraordinary talent of these two guys.

Some impressive fast finger-work from both Alex Christaki on the piano and Matt Brooks on double bass / acoustic bass / six string bass guitar (not all at the same time obviously!) with a collection of melodies that weave a wonderful path of variety certainly left me impressed and somewhat intrigued by the sheer skill I was seeing in front of me. 

The duo played and combination of original pieces and some familiar classical and jazz pieces that had been transformed into a modern interpretation that was both inspiring and even sometimes humorous.  An interlude of solo bass work from Matt was outstanding and presented the incredible talent of this guy.  He even sang a couple of songs and delivered a smoky, soft vocal that was a sheer pleasure to listen to.  Surely it’s not healthy to be THAT talented! 

One of the pieces performed by the pair really stood out for me - "See Minor" composed by Alex - just brilliant and they were gracious enough to play it again to much request towards the end of the gig.  Alex also offered a super fast version of the moonlight sonata that cast a whole different light of the piece and was wholly enjoyable, particularly accompanied by his comical facial expressions - excellent. They finished off with a hilarious rendition of "Root Beer Rag" which was a grand finale and left everyone in the audience on a high.

I would recommend going to see these two in action - if nothing else you will be drawn to the great skill that is exhibited.  Somewhat addictive and I for one will be going back next Monday for some more of the same. 

review by Julia Dando

Are you suffering from a miserable dose of the mid-winter Monday night blues?

Suffer no more. A new jazz combo is offering an antidote in the form of a regular weekly cool'n'laid back jazz session at Bar Bigwigs in St Andrew's Street in Plymouth.

Picture the scene; a friendly and contemporary candle-lit environment, good food and wine, the company of friends or perhaps a loved one??? and in the background, the subtle tinkling of a piano and the smooth deep tones of a traditional double bass.

Just sit back and relax - what a great way to start the week.

The music comes courtesy of The Half Quartet - that's local composer/performer/sound engineer Alex Christaki on piano, and Joey The Lips's rhythm section stalwart, Matt Brookes, on bass.

If you're looking for trad jazz, you're unlikely to find it here. And, although the cleverly-titled duo slip in the odd personalised standard, they tend to specialise in carefully transforming classical music themes, favouring Beethoven and Bach with perhaps a hint of Eric Satie.

They're also keen to experiment with fresh new textural sounds of their own, and enjoy the challenge of innovation and improvisation.

With Alex demonstrating passion and panache at the keyboard and some incredibly agile, yet seemingly effortless, playing from Matt, the duo make a compelling combination.

The Half Quartet will be playing at Bar Bigwigs - which has already become recognised as a sanctuary from the bustle of town or the drudgery of work - from around 8pm every Monday night.

Simply turn up, or book a table to avoid disappointment on 01752 661263.

Article by CLARE ROBINSON