John Law, Julian Arguelles,Yuri Goloubev

The new season at The Forge Venue got off to a strong start last night. “Welcome back after what seems like several months of nothing but sport,” quipped venue director Adam Caird, as he welcomed a virtually full house to hear the first performers of the new season, John Law’s Three Ways Trio with Julian Arguelles on soprano an tenor saxophones and Yuri Goloubev on bass.

Playing mostly a programme of Law originals, the trio, which has not yet recorded, reached a unified band sound. Law creates shifting, sometimes ethereal textures, to which Goloubev’s decisive, pointed, contoured bass-playing gives form and definition. Arguelles has that astonishing gift to carry a melodic line with consistent assurance, to creat lines which develop  organically, continually keeping the listener interested. “What the Wind Whispered” was representative of the material. It had Arguelles circular-breathing the extended melodic line, while Goloubev’s ostinato figures punctuated, gave meaning.

As an encore the trio took Kenny Wheeler’s Everybody’s Song But My Own. Compellingly, deliciously.

We have previewed the Forge’s persuasively programmed season here.

Forge venue website