Soft on the Inside

A nicely done concert film featuring the 15-piece band British saxophonist Andy Sheppard put together for a short tour of France and Britain. The band, composed of soloists from all over the world (nutter drummer Hans Bennink, Gary Valente's superb trombone, the inspired Peruvian guitarist Manc Ventura among them), perform four songs for Sheppard's eponymous new album. Intercut is the usual on-the-road commentary, of the 'So-and-so's a wild and crazy guy and I've always wanted to play with him' kind, here done with a minimum of pretentiousness. Sheppard says he prefers 'inside' players. He certainly gets them cooking.