Roller Trio, Hello Skinny, Lexington, Pentonville Road, London music scene

"Dark, menacing, bass heavy - the new sound of UK jazz." I could see why BBC 6 Music's Giles Peterson described Roller Trio thus. 

   But, last night, in a small but ideally sized room above north London's Lexington pub on Pentonville Road, Leeds-based Roller Trio (tenor saxophonist James Mainwaring, guitarist Luke Wynter and drummer Luke Reddin-Williams) blended engaging melody, bravado anthemics and sensitive yet powerful harmonies.

  Only in their 20s, these confident and technically accomplished musicians treated their Lexington cluster to a session of real power and rare groove. Roller Trio's surging bass tones hummed into us through the Lex's floorboards.

   Keep an ear to the ground for Roller Trio, who first met at Leeds College of Music. They're well worth a look and a listen when they next add their unique lick to a slice of London's music scene that defies pigeonholes...except the one tagged 'new and exciting'.

Experimentalists Hello Skinny with bandleader Tom Skinner perfectly opened at the Lexington, also showing how trios armed with new music technology can really create new and exciting sounds.

Tip-off credit and thanks to Nad the 'Cave Man'.

Paul Coleman, London Intelligence, December 2012  

    

Central London's booming Prime 'Resi' Market: New London Architecture breakfast seminar

Developers and property specialists defended central London's booming 'Prime' residential property market at this morning's lively New London Architecture breakfast gathering (Tuesday, 11 December).

   Apparently, it's good for London that average house prices in Kensington and Chelsea are now almost £1.1 million, compared to £189,000 in 1995. And, according to Jennet Siebrits, a CBRE property researcher, there's nothing wrong with 53 per cent of central London residents being people from overseas.

   Siebrits also paraded a statistic that 87 per cent of Prime central London homebuyers in Quarter 3 2012 paid for their homes in cash.

  Siebrits hinted at the inequality generated by a booming central London property market and the housing crisis facing parts of central and much of the rest of London. Only 15 miles apart, average house prices in Kensington and Chelsea are said to be fifteen times higher than in Barking and Dagenham in east London.

   But Prime 'central London' doesn't enjoy unqualified support. "Buoyant yet dysfunctional", was how London's residential market was described last week at an NLA housing conference by David Lunt, a senior housing planner with the Greater London Authority. 

Yes, 'Prime' generates vast wealth but some reckon strongly it perpetuates inequality across London.

For more on New London Architecture's excellent housing in London exhibition visit www.newlondonarchitecture.org

Paul Coleman, London Intelligence, December 2012
    

'Housing a Growing City': New London Architecture, Build Your Own House

Apparently over half of us in the UK would like to build our own home, according to a poll. But,sadly,finding an available and affordable piece of land in London is nigh impossible.
   But that mightn't stop Peabody housing association from exploring ways to work with potential self-builders to build much needed new homes in London.
   This was one of just several interesting asides to emerge from today's 'Housing a Growing City' breakfast seminar hosted by New London Architecture.
   More to follow...

Paul Coleman, London Intelligence, December 2012