04/05/0007 Alan Brownlee (Review of Last Minute Changes in the M.E.N)

THE young Manchester band have already been singled out for their strong original tunes (like Passing By, by pianist Andrew Stamakis-Brown), dynamic arrangements and strong group interplay. Like the best of their generation, the 6packers are resistant to hard abstraction.

The music changes from moment to moment (hence the title), but the quality remains consistent.

Shifting tone-colours frame the solos in imaginative ways, and the solos themselves are uniformly excellent. In particular, Kenji Fenton is majestic on a pure-toned soprano sax.

Irrefutable evidence that jazz is still a vibrant, creative force.