In 2005, a recording session took place involving electronica mastermind Kieren Hebden (the man behind Four Tet) and legendary session drummer Steve Reid. This one-day collaboration was a successful one, resulting in two critically acclaimed albums. The duo would subsequently tour together and would release two more equally wonderful, diverse records, Tongues and NYC. Unfortunately, the duo ended in 2010, when Reid passed away from cancer. The Live at the South Bank performance, recorded several months before Reid’s passing, serves as a wonderful review of the duo’s recorded work. The duo is joined by Swedish experimental saxophonist Mats Gustafsson, and though he adds flourishes here and there, he never overwhelms the special bond that Hebden and Reid developed. The two could read each other well, as Reid’s percussive magic of “People Be Happy” blends nicely with Hebden’s glitchy backdrop. The magic is best felt on “25th Street”—a blending of genres and generations that has remained a satisfying composition. The loss of this duo is great, but Live at the South Bank is a superior testament to what once was.
