Discussing grievances related to the Maltese arts scene, music in particular, was not on my agenda when I swung by jazz trio Cusp’s rehearsal room the other week.

Our jazz connection is intact, but we’re also open to other music and the new breeds of jazz

The reason for my visit was to get an interview ahead of the band’s upcoming live performance at St James Cavalier’s Music Room on Friday, but in typical Maltese fashion, once a discussion gets going, there’s just no stopping it.

It started from tracing back the musical paths of the three band members but turned into a discussion about musical elitism, the issue of events starting way later than advertised, and sadly, the prevailing lack of appreciation of (and respect for) Malta’s artistic talent by (still) too many people.

Many of the sore points that crop up in the conversation are ones I have already debated time and again with musicians from all aspects of the Maltese music scene, and we’re still some way off from resolving them. On a brighter note, regardless of the cons, Malta’s musical talent continues to thrive, and Cusp is living proof of that.

Formed about a year ago, the trio, namely drummer Luke Briffa, bassist Alan Portelli and guitarist Jes Psaila prides itself in that its musical pursuits are rather wayward and unpredictable. They are in the most general of terms, a jazz outfit, but not necessarily ready to restrict themselves to any confines, possibly because of the extensive spread of genres they have all dabbled in over the years.

Psaila started out as a guitarist with rock band Avatar back in the 1980s, when “there were less bands around than there are now”. He has since played in a wide range of different bands and projects – from alternative rock to pop and acoustic bands, theatre productions and jazz outfits.

Even when he was still starting out in rock, he displayed a certain reluctance to be confined to one genre.

“I was always interested in jazz, even if the local scene then was kind of exclusive.” Stopping short of getting personally involved, he followed local jazz events, but although he didn’t really plan to start playing jazz, “I felt myself drawn more and more to it and it kind of all happened naturally”.

Despite having less musical mileage than Psaila, before focusing mainly on jazz, both Portelli and Briffa had already been extensively involved and inspired by various areas of the music scene; from forming metal band Recoil together and playing in Carrie Haber’s band.

The rhythm section’s combined CV includes, among other things, work with Freddie Mizzi’s Big Band, Renzo Spiteri, Marc Galea and even hiphop band Sixth Simfoni, with whom they recently also performed live in Barcelona.

Versatility then, is clearly second nature to all three, which is probably why they clicked so well when they first started jamming together.

“I didn’t know them before; I met Alan at a music theory lesson and talk of a trio came about,” Psaila recalls. “The three of us got together and it took off from there.”

They all agree, however, that there is a big difference between what they sounded like then and now.

“There is continuous progress in the way we make music and react to each other individually on a musical level.”

Given his and Portelli’s established musical rapport and the fact he had never heard Psaila play, Briffa says that at first he wasn’t sure if the guitarist was the right person for the trio.

“Until, of course, he started to play,” he quickly adds.

“The way we connected musically was as if we had known each other all along. He fitted in perfectly.” With the line-up now complete, they needed a name – but where did they find a name like Cusp? The fingers point to Briffa.

“I compiled a list of names that I liked and we sat down to find one we all liked. After much debating, we finally agreed on Cusp.”

Psaila is eager to explain that the definition of the word has some bearing on the band’s concept, namely that the reference to points of intersection and tangents reflects the way they execute their musical creations.

“I think our music moves in a continuous cycle,” Briffa elaborates.

“At some point we do veer off and improvise on it, but it always comes back to a point of convergence.” Portelli and Psaila nod in agreement, “Of course, it’s also short and easy to remember.”

The concept may bear some familiarity to the jazz ethos, but Cusp’s approach is far from the norm.

“From the start we sought to instil something fresh into the way we play music,” Briffa explains.

“The fact that this is a project rather than a ‘working’ band gives us a certain freedom to not do things by the book.”

Portelli says that even when they perform standards, “we arrange them in our own style”, which basically means they do away with the conventional structure and let the feel of the music dictate the flow.

“This gives the song a wider sense of fluidity; more spontaneity too.”

Cusp’s maverick approach has already been tested in the handful of gigs the band has played during the past year, among them performances at Valletta’s reputed Bridge Bar, Coach and Horses and the Mediterranean Literature Festival.

“What we do is definitely not conventional jazz,” says Portelli. “In fact, there may even be some who don’t even consider us to be jazz”. Problem? “Not at all,” they reply.

“Our jazz connection is intact, but we’re also open to other music and the new breeds of jazz which are more driven and fuse elements of metal and punk”. Non-conformist? Indeed, but that’s what Cusp are all about.

Cusp will perform at St James Cavalier’s Music Room in Valletta on Friday at 8 p.m. Tickets cost €7 and are available from St James Cavalier. For more information, look up the band and event pages on Facebook.

bugeja.michael@gmail.com