Moses Boyd is a legendary name in the current UK jazz scene, revered for his work on a number of EP’s across the last decade. Now, at the beginning of this one, Boyd has released his solo debut, Dark Matter, to his greatest acclaim to date and set out on a world tour.

The night opened with a support slot from LA Timpa. While a dark-ambient support slot was unexpected it was definitely appreciated. Timpa performed the entire show solo, using loops and samples to construct the songs one piece at a time. The vocal work was exceptional, and the use of atonal guitar looping made for a unique sound, one would never have expected to open a jazz concert. However, this ended up matching Moses Boyd stylistically more than one might think, as the incorporation of deep synths and soft melodies in the vocals were fairly reminiscent of the new direction Boyd took on Dark Matter. Something Boyd himself would also live up to in the main set.

Those who have experienced a Moses Boyd show from past tours may be surprised by how different the new live show is. Since his run of performances at the 2019 Summer festivals, Boyd has reduced his band to a four piece, now featuring only a guitarist, saxophonist and keyboard/synth player. However, this works amazingly well as the new lineup feels so much tighter. The electronic feel of the new tracks added a layer of depth which separated the sound from anything else you might hear in jazz; creating a far more unique experience, darker and with a harder edge but nonetheless retaining the signature funk one would hope for. Most notably the change to using a synth bass replication gave the band a much slicker vibe, which also drew greater attention to their own playing, while also sounding viciously groovy in its own right. Meanwhile the band each took their own mesmerising solos throughout the night, leaving no one seemingly underutilised or out of their depth. All four musicians were on top form.

The highlight of course was Boyd himself. Aside from a wonderful performance during the songs themselves, the drummer took multiple solos throughout the set, all of which were mind bending. The entire crowd were blown away by the display of rhythm Boyd showcased, while also adding near constant flourishes of drum fills, cymbal rushes and general jazzy flare; this made the beats feel otherworldly, without losing their danceabilty either. Boyd performed a range from his discography, focusing mainly on cuts from his newest release. This was no problem, as Dark Matter is easily Boyd’s best work to date. Most notably, the track ‘2 Far Gone’ which featured Ezra Collective keys player Joe-Armon Jones on record. Even with such a high bar set, the live variation lost none of its beauty, as Boyd’s house-keys player more than lived up to the track, opening with swirling melodies before the rest of the group came in to flesh the track out and offer some of the finest grooves of the night.

Boyd’s encore consisted of a performance of his 2016 classic track ‘Rye Lane Shuffle’. The new band rendition was absolutely blistering, with the synth bass making the song feel so much more bombastic than its already fantastic studio variant. Probably the grooviest track in the set, this felt like a true closer that visibly left the audience leaving the venue with smiles on their faces. The last impression of ‘Rye Lane Shuffle’, and the set as a whole, was clear – Moses Boyd proved to Birmingham exactly why he’s credited as one of UK jazzes finest and whatever he has in store next will undoubtedly be ground breaking for the genre.

Dark Matter is out now via Exodus Recordings.