Courtney Pine is perhaps the most enigmatic of late 20th century British jazzmen; he has consistently fascinated and frustrated critics with a restless and adventurous musical vision that has brought world music, pop, reggae, electronica, funk, and soul to sit in with the jazz tradition on his recordings. Pine spent his youth in London, learning to play multiple instruments, including saxophone (he is proficient on tenor, soprano, and baritone), clarinet, flute, and a host of keyboard instruments.

Courtney Pine Devotion Tour

The Esplande, Singapore. 2 October 2004.

Courtney Pine accompanied by Robby Fordjour, the solid beast, decks raw beats from the skins on the extreme right, bassist Darren Taylor in the middle, while trombone bad ass Donald Gamble rocks steady with a stream of slick grooves on the rear. On jazz guitar, Cameron Pierre gushes melodic chords with keyboard (electro and with the Grand Piano) provided by Chris Jerome on the extreme left of the stage. Together, this is a powerfully connected combo with a tight sound full of energy, talent, and soul.

The show opened with the band jamming together as guitar chords, trombone lines, double bass, and fat drums surrounded them. Then the sound of Pine´s soprano came floating through from the left of the darken stage on a wisps of high notes.

The band shot out fast reworkings of vibes from the late ´60s with hints of soul, Latin, and Jamaican influence - a combination that surrounded Pine as a youth in London and in the early ´80s jazz club scene. These heavy jazz sounds in double time mixed with thicker helpings of drum n bass helped rock the club hard.

On stage, Pine looks confident and charismatic. Dress in black from head to toe with a colourful "Bruce Lee" overshirt. Music is loud but well balanced. At one point, Pine did a "no head" performance as well as a double sax, tenor on his left and soprano on this right, simultaneously - a thumbs up for Pine's showmanship.

All music has an energy. Whether it's reggae, jazz, hip hop, drum n' bass - there is an energy that connects with people.