The Billy Pod quartet at Hitchin's JazzUp!

The brilliant JazzUp! finished its season with Billy Pod and his quartet playing tracks from his album 'Quintessence'. Billy was preceded by the resident support act, the Joe English trio, with special guest Toby Evans (tenor sax).

Joe English, Herbie Rees, Toby Evans and Henry Rugg

As usual, Joe and friends entertained the JazzUp! crowd. We're all looking forward to hearing them again once the club restarts in September. I'm also grateful to Joe for creating the theme tune for Harmonious World, which you can hear in the Season 15 Trailer.

The atmospheric Billy Pod quartet filled the space at Hitchin's Club 85 with extraordinary jazz, where the four musicians demonstrated why they are each regarded as at the forefront of the UK music scene. Will Barry (piano), Misha Mullov-Abbado (bass) and Tom Ollendorff (guitar) joined Billy Pod (drums) in what was a real collaboration.

Will Barry, Misha Mullov-Abbado, Billy Pod and Tom Ollendorff

There's a lightness of touch to this quartet, combined with a profound intensity and the sense of focus was palpable. At moments, you could see the facial expressions across the stage that kept the structure of each tune, while allowing for a freedom that this jazz inspires.

This really was an extraordinary gig and when Billy announced the title of a tune as 'Unprecedented', there was a ripply of laughter as the audience responded to what had genuinely been new and exciting. That track began with Will Barry on piano as the club fell silent to enjoy this music.

Billy Pod and Tom Ollendorff

Mainly playing tracks from 'Quintessence', the beautiful 'The Higher We Soar' was one of the highlights of the quartet's set. For me, though, the most inspirational moment was Tom Ollendorff's guitar feature on the rarely-heard standard 'Answer Me'.

This was the perfect end to the current season of JazzUp! and September can't come around quickly enough.

If you'd like to hear Billy talking about 'Quintessence', listen to episode 135 of Harmonious World.

Meanwhile, Tom Ollendorff features on episode 162.