Soweto Kinch began his headlining showcase on Thursday at Austin’s old-school jazz hangout the Elephant Room at a disadvantage. Shorn of his band due to the expense of flying them to Austin, the UK saxophonist/rapper relied on pre-programmed tracks generated by his laptop and cell phone, a stark contrast to the (mostly) acoustic local jazz preceding him.
On top of that, he faced an audience divided into revelers celebrating the birthday of a waitress and exhausted South By patrons struggling to stay alert on day four. Faced with that kind of challenge, Kinch had two choices: overwhelm the audience with brazen displays of talent, or transform the atmosphere from presentation to a good hang.
Wisely, Kinch chose the latter, chatting with those sitting at tables closest to the stage and whipping up crowd participation as quickly as possible. Opening with “Centricity,” a mellifluously funky instrumental from his latest LP Nonogram that made the case why he’s considered one of the best players in Great Britain, Kinch announced a freestyle in which he would make up a rap using words beginning with the letters in the word Austin – as chosen by the audience.
Ice broken, Kinch alternated between alto sax excursions played with brilliant improv ardor and audience-generated participation raps that waxed political (“Forecast”) and personal (“Nostalgia”). And all of it with the informal air of a pal just shooting the shit. Kinch’s management might argue that he didn’t make his case as an artist, but as the set ended with the birthday girl sharing her cake with both Kinch and anyone who wanted a piece, it was clear everyone present would remember this gig and its headliner for a long time to come.
This article appears in March 16 • 2018.
