The Roots @ Royal Festival Hall, London

with guests Ornette Coleman, David Murray and Vernon Reid. June 13th 2009

Shove over Ghandi; I’m going to need a bit of extra room at my dream dinner party table: Questlove from The Roots is coming over for lasagne.

I thought I loved the enigmatic drummer and figurehead of the hip hop funk collective enough already, but after this special gig at the Royal Festival Hall, he’s getting extra garlic bread...

Put on as part of Jazz legend Ornette Coleman’s ‘Meltdown’ event this was more of a jam session than a promo tour for their new record ‘Rising Down’. With guest lead guitar, bass and three legendary saxophonists including Coleman himself joining the band on stage, there was the slight feeling of chaos associated with improvisation.

Certainly if you had booked your tickets expecting only to hear all the big tracks, the lengthy live solos mid-gig might have challenged your expectations, but let’s not forget this is a hip hop collective that has always had live instruments at it’s very core, and Questlove’s inspired musicality on the drums kept the night moving when at points it felt like the soloists seemed to be playing to their own tune.

Kicking off with a lyrical journey through Hip Hop as a warm up, lead MC Black Thought took us through some of his favourites including Run DMC and Wu Tang before launching into new material. However it seemed to me an apt start to an evening where the emphasis was more on appreciating where hip hop and indeed jazz has come from rather than where it’s going - a night where the name ‘The Roots’ couldn’t have made more sense.

Our afro haired drummer conducted and lead from the back through classics like ‘The Next Movement’ complimented and enhanced by Frank Knuckles’ witty percussion, but I missed a female vocalist on stage when it came to ‘You Got me’ and their new lead single ‘Rising Up’

Overall I came away feeling that The Roots’ willingness to play such humble hosts for what was a pretty significant jazz interlude on their billing proved them worthy bookings as part of this season.

This band’s ability to look back with grace and respect proves that will always strive to move forwards, and do it in style.

…Now someone pass the salad.

BY LUCY YOUNGMAN