The Fighting Cocks, Kingston
Corto.alto — 21/09/26
Last night, corto.alto wrapped an in-store EU/UK tour promoting new album ‘SOME SMALL FORTUNE’. The Glasgow-based musician’s final show took place in Kingston at The Fighting Cocks, in tandem with Banquet Records. Find the best shots below.
Photography by Bethany Cordery
‘SOME SMALL FORTUNE’ is defined by its unpredictability and collaborative nature, packed into album form by its director’s cut. So how can three musicians that barely fit on the stage even begin to replicate it? Liam Shortall takes a jack-of-all-trades approach, moving between bass, trombone, keys and a synth pad, and shares that this has been the first tour he’s had to ‘learn lyrics’ to cover some of the record’s vocals.
On stage, corto.alto rotates these instruments within tracks to recreate the album’s textures, flanked by fantastically talented drummer Graham Costello and saxophonist Mateusz Sobieski. What results is a performance that is, above all, deeply interesting to listen to – the mind does not wander, because there is so much to concentrate on.
corto.alto has made a Mercury-nominated name in the nu-jazz world for his blending of genres and unusual samples. True to form, Drake’s ‘One Dance’ makes a brief appearance within a stomping set-closer of original track ‘GO’, featuring Lagos rapper, Vector.
Last night’s set felt cruelly short, and one that could easily be enjoyed for much longer. Luckily for corto.alto’s London fans, there really isn’t long to wait at all – with the musician performing at the opening week of the new Blue Note jazz venue this Saturday; after he’s slept ‘for four days straight’.
Find more photos on the TOPNOTE gig gallery, and an interview with Liam on the way.