Concert Date: Thursday 17th September 2026
An ambitious event from the Brewery Arts Jazz Club in presenting a duo of saxophone and drums, and one that delighted a small but attentive audience. If the prospect of such an intimate setting with no other instruments in support deterred some from attending, Kay and Henderson presented two sets comprising original music alongside standards, compositions by Alice Coltrane, and a cheeky reference to the ‘Mandalorian’ theme treating us to some inspired playing that was as varied as their chosen repertoire.
The tonal palette available with just tenor saxophone and drums was exploited to often dramatic effect with the saxophonist’s use of dynamics and subtle inflections in timbre working in harmony with Henderson’s deeply melodic drumming.
The duo kicked off the first set with a composition by Henderson titled ‘Muir’ that featured Harben Kay’s use of breath to push air through the saxophone giving an eerie toneless introduction to the piece alongside the drummer’s subtle support, and the use of the shruti box to add a drone and texture before Kay introduced melodic fragments that gradually brought structure and form to the music.
The use of the shruti box and bass pedals played through a synthesizer also added further variety and texture to Harben’s ‘Bright Warrior’ and the theme from ‘Mandalorian’ that the dup took great delight in exploring with a powerful and hypnotic rhythm, played with mallets, by Henderson.
The two musicians, while keen to explore their own contemporary compositions, were also respectful of the tradition that forms the basis of the musical language that they use to such fine effect. With Kay’s warm and full tenor saxophone sound they delivered excellent readings of ‘My Ideal’, ‘Till There Was You’ and ‘Will You Still Be Mine’ with Kay giving notice of the influence of Sonny Rollins in their playing; and Geri Allen’s ‘Feed The Fire’ which was given a superb straight ahead reading that swung hard.
In the centenary year of John Coltrane’s birth, the saxophonist chose not to feature any of Trane’s compositions but instead turned their attention to Alice Coltrane’s ‘Blue Nile’ with Harben switching to alto flute, and ‘Los Caballos’. This acknowledgment to Alice Coltrane culminated in Kay’s own wonderful piece ‘Turiya’ (meaning the highest state of consciousness) that again featured alto flute and effective us of the bass pedals in a compelling composition.
The combination of Kay’s powerful tenor playing and Stephen Henderson’s marvellously melodic drumming brought forth some fine music. In a performance that was totally engaging, the duo signed off with another of Kay’s compositions, a superb Rollinesque theme titled ‘Speck’ and a superb way to bring a wonderful evening to a close.
