Bass instinct plucks at the heartstrings

OLIVE MILLEN, artistic director of the Glenmorangie Glasgow Jazz Festival, has a confession to make. In this year's festival, she has a favourite. She shouldn't, she says, but she does, and it is the Henri Texier Trio.

When pressed as to why, she says: "Talent will out and talent is the sexiest thing there is. When I first heard Henri play, I thought, 'I want to marry that man.' I'd had a couple of Glenmorangies at the time, but the next time I heard that bass I was chilled sober and I still thought, 'I want to marry that man.'"

Noting the slightly dreamy look about Millen's dark eyes, one wonders aloud whether the verb she is looking for is in fact "marry".

Slightly surprised, she laughs. "Yeah, you're right. There's just something so attractive about all that ability. You can forget good looks. The man has got it.

"The difference between pop and jazz is like comparing a cheap fizzy drink to a fine malt. You might get a sugar rush but there's no depth, no complexity, no challenge.

"I first heard Thelonious Monk make the already familiar 12-bar blues magically turn into something intriguingly different and fascinating, and from then on I was hooked on the sound that has influenced most popular music, from Hendrix to hip hop. It is stimulating and constantly evolving, and as an improvisational form it asks us to make some commitment as listeners. Wallpaper music it is not."

She refuses to be drawn as to further favourites, saying: "Jazz is about choice, about your personal taste. We've tried - and I think by and large succeeded - in bringing something for everyone. I certainly hope so."

Henri Texier Trio, Tron Theatre, July 5, 7pm

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