Ricco Komolafe and Zuri of Orphy Robinson’s Dub All Vision/Double Vision quartet at the Vortex Jazz Club [http://com.ft.imagepublish.upp-prod-eu.s3.amazonaws.com/800231e6-0516-11e9-bf0f-53b8511afd73] Ricco Komolafe and Zuri of Orphy Robinson’s Dub All Vision/Double Vision quartet at the Vortex Jazz Club © Roger ThomasIt was ironic that the Vortex’s two-day Shape of Jazz to Come festival included a farewell gig from the Yana trio. Vibraphonist Corey Mwamba, Dave Kane on bass and drummer Joshua Blackmore called time on their 10-year partnership with an uplifting set of through-improvised constructions that brought the opening night to a bittersweet high. A band as good as this really shouldn’t be going their separate ways. The evening opened with Meg Morley’s spin on the jazz piano trio. Morley’s approach to improvising is rooted in the finessed chords and motivic development of jazz impressionism. But the clean outlines, sturdy structures and strong moods of her compositions reflect a parallel career composing for dance and silent film. These were apparent in the unaccompanied waft of chords that introduced the first tune, “Meandering”, and held the counterpoint of “Invention in D” firmly in place. The main focus of Morley’s trio is the close relationship between piano and Richard Sadler’s counterpoint bass, and though themes conjoin different elements and hints of reggae and bossa nova are in the mix, drummer Emiliano Caroselli acts as a background cushion of support. All three musicians solo with purpose, but it was Morley’s compositions and thematic development that stood out here, delivering affection and anxiety on “DCM”, warm lyricism on the waltz “Song Without Words”, and up-tempo riffs, complex time signatures and a lilting bridge on “Can’t Get Started”, the title track of her current CD. ★★★☆☆ In contrast, Yana’s set delivered a series of three-way conversations that changed tempo, texture and tone. The trio opened with Mwamba’s metallic wide-intervals moving resolutely over sturdy walking bass and rumbling drums. Here, scampers ended in a whisper and harsh clangs burst out of silence so unexpectedly that the audience jumped. “There aren’t any tunes, so we can’t tell you anything,” said Mwamba after the opening piece. The set continued with an abstraction of scrapes and screeches that firmed into rhythm and stopped dead with a blues-drenched line. A gentle melody came next, patted out on vibes, bass and snare, then a rampage of polyrhythmic thrust. The bittersweet finale was built on poignant two-note bass and ended with lyrical vibes fading to the band’s last note. “You’ll never see me again,” said Mwamba, acknowledging the whoops and shouts. ★★★★☆ The second day of the festival presented two continuous electronica-driven sets by Orphy Robinson’s Dub All Vision/Double Vision quartet. Voice-overs, samples and chunks of pre-recorded roots reggae acted as cue, spur and backing for a series of improvised set pieces. Bass guitarists Renell Shaw and Ricco Komolafe delivered a continuous undertow of funky riffs, twangs and grimy rumbles while Zuri added space-age keyboards and stripped-down expressionist piano. Robinson, orchestrating the evening from his laptop and keyboard, deconstructed a multitude of spoken-word samples into rhythmic loops and turned in a standout marimba solo in the second set. The first half began with a jumble of soundbites from Donald Trump — “Nobody can do it like me” was the first — and went on to include John Bercow ruling on Jeremy Corbyn’s recent alleged “stupid woman” comment and pithy comedian Chris Rock. The second started with Shaw’s freestyle rap, gave more space to the band and ended with a babble of voices crystallising into the simple message: “Merry Christmas”. Grungy, contemporary, and, for its fresh use of electronica, state of the art. ★★★★☆ vortexjazz.co.uk