In all honesty, I wasn’t sure what to expect from a berlioz live performance. Don’t get me wrong, I am a huge fan of his work. Berlioz, the jazz-house project from Jasper Attlee, is the ultimate vibe, and, as a huge lover of jazz, I think it’s an excellent entry point for exploring the genre, whilst striking a lovely balance between the traditional and the new. I was, admittedly, slightly dubious about how it would translate to a live performance – but at the same time curious to see how Attlee portrays his heavily art inspired music on stage. He is, after all, very driven by art of both the auditory and visual formats, captured by his tagline of ‘If Matisse made house music’, which pops up almost everywhere you see berlioz’s name.
As the lights dim on NX’s stage, any doubts I have are quickly washed away with a wave of deep red smoke, which floods the stage and obscures the four figures entering the stage. Attlee introduces his opener, ascension – also the first track on his debut album open this wall. Silhouetted against the rich, red backdrop, akin to a smoky jazz venue, Attlee builds the vibe with its strings and house drumbeat introduction, before introducing Sam Miles on saxophone, who steps out from the shadows, both visually and auditorily, and lifts the roof with his playing. Berlioz certainly knows how to introduce a set.
To me, this evening is simply a drummer away from being a full-blown jazz gig. The jazz talent on stage is undisputable. Part of me would love to hear some of berlioz’s tunes played with an equally talented jazz drummer, but at the same time I do appreciate that this would intrinsically alter the experience, and act to remove the house element of berlioz’s music, which is a core part of its essence. Berlioz strikes a perfect balance here, essentially acting as the trio’s conductor, whilst also laying down the remaining sounds heard in his music, not possible from the keys, bass or sax. From drumbeats to strings, and vocal samples to afro/jazz touches, berlioz provides it all; it’s perfectly measured, calculated, and served to match his band. It’s a harmony of instrumentation and electronics, and meshes to create a wonderfully rich and satisfying sound.
I would certainly classify this gig as feeling more like a jazz gig than anything else, though. Hearing a bass solo in Newcastle’s NX is not something I had on my 2025 bingo card, but it is refreshing to hear berlioz’s music in a jazzier context, and bassist Jihad Darwish, keyboardist Sam Crowe, and saxophonist Sam Miles deserve every credit for their contributions to the sound. To me, this strikes a key difference to berlioz’s recorded work, which sounds more like an electronic/house record, with jazz influences. I feel it’s an excellent choice to take a more jazz-focussed approach with live demonstrations of his songs, however, and it makes for a truly exciting and utterly impressive performance.
From the smoky atmosphere created on stage, to the instrumental contributions from Darwish, Crowe, and Miles, you can really tell that Attlee is a jazz-head, and truly inspired by the genre.
The highlight for me comes with fan favourite nyc in 1940, which, as you would expect, garnered a fantastic reception. During the middle section of the piece, the group mix it up; Darwish goes into a jazzy walking bass-line, before doubling time and ramping up the energy again. Then, as if the song needs any more mixing up, the funk is turned up, with Darwish employing a slap bass line towards the end of the piece: a very exciting and enjoyable journey with this berlioz staple.
Throughout the set, the vibes are epic, with Attlee clearly comfortable and confident on the decks, recreating his catalogue of known and loved tracks. Berlioz tastefully implements the spoken words snippets heard throughout his music, such as on something will happen, featuring words from a Willem Dafoe interview, and open this wall, which features a perfectly captured snipped of an interview with jazz vocalist Nancy Wilson: the wonderful and inspiring words of a jazz great are a fitting tribute.
Berlioz is clearly a project greatly inspired by jazz, art, and culture, and translated excellently to stage. Attlee’s use of spoken word samples is inspiring, visual art mesmerising, and his implementation of a supporting trio of fine jazz musicians brings his music to life in a way impossible to experience in any other setting.
Waxing Lyrical 