Firstly, I’d like to get the elephant in the room out of the way. I would never claim to be an expert on jazz. There, I’ve said it. I thought I’d start with this sweeping statement to enable lovers of the genre and those who consider themselves experts in the field to look away now (I won’t take it personally). So please don’t expect in-depth examinations of structure or time signatures as I ramble on about who knows what. Although Matti did mention at one point, in that relaxed way of his, that the trio had played a tune, complete with extended solo breaks in 11/4 time, so there you go. I’m a casual fan of the genre, by which I mean I’ve some Miles, Kenny Burrell and a few other odd things in my collection and plenty of stuff that’s jazz adjacent in Joni, Steely Dan etc. There won’t be too many mentions of the technical abilities of the players here just an appreciation of great music, in a location integral to the UK jazz scene for decades.

The Bulls Head in Barnes, on the banks of The Thames, in the London Borough of Richmond Upon Thames, dates back to the 17th century and the current building to 1846, opening as a jazz venue in 1959. Over the years, the venue has experienced many changes but continues to play host to a wide range of acts. A little piece of trivia I discovered was that British jazz great Humphrey Lyttleton played the venue once a month for 42 years, which must be a record.

On this particular January evening, the Berlin-born pianist and composer Matti Klein is in town to commence a short UK tour with his Soul Trio. Matti led the successful funky jazz quartet Mo’ Blow for a decade, issuing three albums on the renowned ACT label, while also acting as musical director and/or arranger for domestic superstars such as Herbert Grönemeyer and Sarah Connor, international pop artists like Jimmy Somerville, plus latter-day jazz greats Ed Motta, Torsten Goods and Nils Landgren. With over 1000 concerts under his belt, from New York to Tokyo via Paris, Matti was very relaxed pre-show and unfazed by, shall we say, the limited audience, “It’s a Wednesday night in London”, he smiled. Those attending, in the pub’s Jazz room, included a smattering of radio people and print journalists who know a good thing when they hear it.

For approximately ninety minutes, the Matti Klein Soul Trio (the clue is in the name) swung, grooved, pulled back gently and swung again. The playing and interaction between the three band members was almost telepathic. A compatriot of Matti for many years, ex-Mo‘ Blow drummer André Seidel, partially hidden from my view by two large Zildjian cymbals, held everything together, sitting back and offering gentle support before exploding into life when required. I was impressed when he switched his right stick for a shaker, adding a further percussive tone to the proceedings as he played the kit with the shaker rather than just shaking it ( a simple idea but very effective).

The second member of the trio is Lars Zander on bass clarinet and tenor saxophone. Lars came equipped with a pedalboard of effects that would have many a heavy metal guitarist green with envy, over which he tap danced in a striking pair of cowboy boots, adding a string of tasteful melodic runs and blazing solos. Lars told me after the show that when setting up, soundmen in venues have asked where the guitarist is.

Which brings us to band leader Matti Klein, as engaging a host as you could hope to find, regaled us with tales of border crossings in this post-Brexit world and proudly, yet gently, reminded us how nice the LP copies of the trio’s records are. Matti is in thrall of vintage sounds and vintage kit, bouncing up and down behind his 70s Wurlitzer organ, his hands flashing across the keys or twiddling various knobs with abandon, his left hand often straying to the Fender Rhodes beside him to add warm bass notes. The Fender Rhodes is about as retro-styled a piece of kit as you could imagine, housed in a case, not unlike an old 1950s Dansette record player I remembered from childhood.

The three immensely talented individuals came together wonderfully as the music ebbed, flowed and frequently took flight as the trio took a deep dive into both of their releases to date. From South American rhythms via African-influenced fair to wonderfully melodic compositions such as the gorgeous ‘Sunsqueezed’, the trio blended their myriad European influences with those of the jazz greats from across the Atlantic - Tonight was about as close as I’ll ever get to a smoke-filled NYC club in the 1960s. The set concluded with the opening track from the debut album ‘Kill It With A Pill’ where the catchy melodies again shone through, and ninety minutes had flown by.

I’d be the first to admit that jazz isn’t always the easiest genre to navigate, but as a gateway into the world, a gateway filled with melodic, soulful playing, the Matti Klein Soul Trio would be an excellent place to start your journey.

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