Reverie of an era

Now is an era of climate and wars and Robodebt and populists and sometimes you just need a laugh and Home I'm Darling seemed amusing.  At least the title.  It's an award winning play performed by Canberra Rep at Theatre 3 and we finally got to the last night last night.  I was surprised to see a 2hr20min length (with an interval) but it didn't really seem so long in the end.  It was done well by our venerable company (91st year this year of Canberra Rep; congratulations due).  The cast was great.  Karina Hudson was exemplary as Judy, the housewife with a dream of domesticity and had a fabulously projected voice to carry it off.  Hubby Johnny had a less intense role but presented it authentically, especially the end-time resolution, and Mum and boss and friendly couple were all admirable.  But it was Judy/Karina who had the floor.  During the play Mum argues against playacting the '50s from a feminist POV, friend Fran dabbles in advanced housekeeping with vinegar and lemon juice and crystalised soda and her husband Marcus just dabbles and his partnership is suspended for dabbling in staff harassment and boss Alex is misunderstood then understands and finally helps solves the couples' problems and all is resolved in the end.  So, there was humour, yes, but not outright belly laughs.  And there was resolution, but a pretty obvious process and outcome.  So, I left somewhat underwhelmed, not by the production, for that was good, but by the play which was award winning.  I am not a regular theatre goer or even film watcher, but it seemed pretty tame to me.  Amusing, maybe; profound, not at all.  Should it have been?  I'll leave that to the theatre discriminates.  Maybe I should give up on therapeutic humour and return to climate or politics or something I better understand.  Or maybe The complete works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)[Revised] to end the year with Canberra Rep?  PS.  Some people just thought it was cute.

Canberra Rep presented Home I'm Darling at Theatre 3.  The cast were Karina Hudson (Judy), Ryan Street (Johnny), Natalie Waldron (Fran), Terry Johnson (Marcus), Adele Lewin (Sylvia) and Kayla Ciceran (Alex).

Middle of what

Tangents followed.  They were the longest set of the night and presumably, given their entry in Wikipedia, the stars.  Certainly they have toured and variously lived internationally and recorded several albums and are a managed act.  There was an unfortunate delay with electronics to start, but such is digital life!  Then into a long set of hypnotic sounds moving through rises and falls and presumably improvised changes.  Structurally and even harmonically, I found it quite similar to Ben and Chris, but the style was more rocky.  I thought Radiohead and post-rock at the time, but not really.  This was cello, synth, piano/keys and drums.  The cello was a gloriously toned thing, variously pizz or bow, sometimes playing the role of bass, otherwise melody or counterpoint or pads or other fills.  The piano was sparse, scalar, chromatic, variously defining some of the backing.  The drums really held all, busy but quite soft in tone and that deep woof of the kick as with Chris, moving through rhythms and grooves, in many ways defining place.  There was a laptop, too, but not so prominent in tone, but no doubt essential in presence.  I occasionally heard percussion that wasn't being played on the drums and presumably other live or otherwise sampled sounds appearing softly, gently in support.   The set was very much the longest of the night.  I looked around to see nodding heads moving with grooves.  This was not so much jazz although clearly with plenty of jazz and classical training.  This sounded rockier, louder, and used such traditions, techniques and grooves, harmonies.  Thus post-rock.   I loved on some cello melodies and drooled on some sparse piano melodies of long intervals.  Minimalist, colourful, insistent, effectively repetitious.  Again those little-changing minimalist harmonies and simple scales (perhaps Bb-A-G-D /F) but then some deliciously complex solo piano drops that spelt jazz training. 

Thus the night ended. I thought Miles and Zappa and Radiohead during the night and thought of jazz history and I mused on the series title, Midpoint.  We are probably always at the midpoint of musical and cultural life.  This stuff never reaches an end, at least we hope.

Tangents closed the first evening of Midpoint at Ainslie Arts Centre.  Tangents comprised Adrian Lim-Klumpes (piano, keys), Peter Hollo (cello), Ollie Brown (electronics) and Evan Dorrian (drums).

Opening the middle

I could only manage one of two sessions, but each evening at Midpoint at Ainslie Arts Centre had three performers so this was still a generous vision of the style.  The style was electronica-cum-dub-cum-pop whatever.  The classifications have exploded so I might talk of one tonight as post-rock.  Whateva.  But I always expect an intellectually satisfying outing at AAC and it didn't disappoint this night.  

First up were locals Ben Marston and Chris Thwaite.  Both well renowned in jazz circles, trained at the SOM, appearing variously, if these days less frequently, in jazz or such outfits.  Ben had his trumpet of course, and a table with laptop and various effects and perhaps triggers or keys; Chris had his kit with a drum pad and laptop (I guess) beside him.  And that overegged floppy bassy kick that remained for the night over the PA; probably apt for the style.  You could hear the jazz chops as they worked through various improvisations.  Ben would play with electronic tones with just a hint or occasional quote from his brassy-clear trumpet themes.  The harmonies are not complex in this music.  I noted a pretty simple scale with a few flats and notes dropping Bb-A and Eb-D and Cs and Gs ad Fs.  A feel might change between those themes, or when Chris reappeared after a break or when he played with some gorgeous polyrhythms or moved accents within bars.  This music moves, subtly, slowly, mesmerically.  There were some slips with too loud noises, but electronics do this occasionally: they are so literal!  Then for a later theme, a lovely octaver on trumpet, then some descending chromatic arpeggios.  I'm thinking '70s Miles.  Great stuff and not too indulgent, perhaps ~35mins.

A younger generation and different gender followed.  Two young women appearing as Shāyú, I think a take on their names.  One controlled a laptop with controller; the other read poetry, spoken word.  The laptopper started with a heavily reverbed welcome to country, then, if I got it right, a recorded female voice from a university library speaking of love and dating with plenty of giggles, all backed with big  orchestral-like sounds moving slowly between adjacent pitches or chords, then into several spoken word works, poems, by the poet of the pair.  I couldn't catch all amongst the accompaniment, but it could be jokey and mostly returning to the theme of dating and relationships.  Like, ask what is the most common item in your wardrobe, socks, that was so funny.  Or her fave, Devotion is a river, about parting in the morning, of kisses and a face like the moon, a common love of Arianna Grande and compared playlists.  Thus are concerns of this age and gender, and good on them.   It makes me feel old and withered.  Or another on food fads after a relationship ends, with music mostly droning in accompaniment, but climaxing with the relationship's end.  An interesting conversation and promising new duo.

Ben Marston (trumpet, electronics) and Chris Thwaite (drums, electronics) opened the first evening of Midpoint at Ainslie Arts Centre.  Shāyú followed.  They comprised a laptopper and a poet but names unknown.

The kids return

I write in jest as I always do for the students of Jinbo Huang.  This is the third outing that I have attended and I remain quite in awe.   It's still that the younger ones don't have that adult emotional awareness but they have skills and chops which will support their emotional interpretations as they grow older.  They take on Bach and Haydn and Beethoven and the rest with real competence at all ages, then on to a first year university student (Michael Anufriya) and we hear delightful delicacy and clarity in the playing.   And the ages do vary.  Charles Huang is not one of the older players, but he is impressive and capable and verging on that mature interpretation of the adults.  And the range of works is another pleasure.  Bach and Beethoven are popular, but also Faure and Sibelius and Bartok and something more obscure, Michael Carmichael.  And agian, they mainly played from memory.  One advantage of a young age, perhaps?  Just another Wesley Wednesday concert, and just another great pleasure.

The Piano studio of Jinbo Huang performed at Wesley.  On the day, the performers were Frank Huang, Charles Huang, Naomi Feng, James Jin, Charlie Sanoubane, Michael Anufriyva and Damien Ruan (piano).

Staying home

Perhaps my first concert with Musica da Camera featured Bach Brandenburg Concerto no.3.  Now that's a fabulous piece and a challenge but also very mainstream and established.  Sally Greenaway led MdCC for its latest concert and it was anything but BBB.  Sally is a capable and renowned Australian/Canberran composer and she obviously knows the composer community so we got a fabulous collection of Australian and Canberra-based compositions to play.  Now these were not unapproachable or experimental as new works are something thought to be.  These were attractive, lyrical, expressive, rhythmic, providing pictures of footprints or trees or animals or more.  Sally's was the fascinating response to post-WW1 poplar tree plantings around country towns.  Plus Lachlan Skipworth with a fanfare called Fanfara; Leanne Bear with a pastorale and a (purple possum) dance; Marian Budos with three of seven gifts, a religious dedication; Brenda Gifford with Bardju (footprints), a jazzy groove with an offbeat fills; Tristan Coehlo with Rustic dances, all nature in varied feels and some really challenging timings; Ann Carr-Boyd with an arrangement of a popular tune by Peter Sculthorpe, his Left Bank waltz.  As you can imagine, this was a varied collection and a demanding learning process, some pieces not even being available for a listen.  We were lucky to have five of the composers at the concert and a decent audience who clearly enjoyed the new music, attractive and expressive as it was.  It was a pleasure to play our contemporary Australian music and hopefully a pleasure for the composers to hear our takes on it.

Sally Greenaway (musical director) selected and conducted Musica da Camera in Australian music by Skipworth, Bear, Budos, Gifford, Greenaway, Coehlo and Sculthorpe arr. Carr-Boyd.  Featured soloists were Gabriel Fromyhr (cello), Shane Campbell (guitar), Jodie Petrov (flute) and Elizabeth Alford (harp).

Score seeks movie

Score seeks movie is my latest (8th) home studio album, under my nom-de-plume of The Pots.  The movie music theme was a suggestion of Megan's.  I quip that she finds instrumental themes so I don't sing or indulge a political rant but I manage at least one song on this album, even if it's a jokey, '80's new wave think called Party.  Otherwise, it's various orchestral and prog rock electronica with a score-like presence.  Have a listen.  In the meantime, here's my album note description to ponder: "Another story of modern love over dating apps.  This time, a sprightly score strives to secure a monied movie.  Let's see the outcome.  A mix of prog rock, electronics, orchestral and one poppy plaything.  And not a word of politics!"

Score seeks movie / The Pots is available on Bandcamp and all the main streaming sites.

 
The Pots on ...

Bandcamp > https://thepots1.bandcamp.com/

Spotify > https://tinyurl.com/2p9252z4

YouTube > https://tinyurl.com/ym2zj9t5

Amazon Music > https://tinyurl.com/ssp43jv4

Also on Apple Music and many other streaming sites

Taking care of business

It's not a common event for me, but we got to a 50th anniversary celebration for a business we know and it was in a salubrious location, at Zinc in Federation Square, opposite Flinders St Station and beside the Yarra in Melbourne, and the food and drink was laid on and some entertainment and some speeches and we chatted with an interesting Italian couple. But for the purposes of Canberra Jazz let me tell you of the entertainment: a duo, called SaxOnCello, obviously sax (alto) and cello with recorded backing. They dressed for the occasion, performed a lively presence, played fairly sparingly but effectively against their recorded accompaniment, all purchased and legal rather than self-developed. And a singer appeared to perform We are family, perhaps associated with the duo or maybe not. It was loud and effective and involving as parties should be. The women were attractively presented and the bloke had a hat and presence. This is all the nature of commercial performance and they did it with panache and presence and volume and persistence. I've caught a few bands around Federation Square and this is the nature of the local commercial scene. Interesting and involving and well done.

SaxOnCello are Ashley James (alto) and Lily Thornton (cello). They performed Zinc in Federation Square, Melbourne.

Colours

We always get to the National Gallery of Victoria when we are in Melbourne. This visit was no different. We'd heard of the Bonnard exhibition but it was not all; there was a Rembrandt exhibition, too. Wow. But we just got to the Bonnard. The Rembrandt was mainly from the NGV collections, they told us, so his four NGV paintings plus etchings. Interesting but. The Bonnard had works with owning institutions from out of town, NGA and AGNSW but also National Gallery of Art Washington DC and a string from Musee d'Orsay. So this was the big one. It took us through his friends, studies, artistic changes and long presence of his partner, model and later wife, Marthe de Meligny, AKA Marthe Bonnard. Interesting to see the involvement of photography and movies, of his colours and movement, of his sense of perspective (all tables and dinners and card games viewed from high viewpoints) and his interest in photography. There were also diversions into film with Alfred Jarry Ubu Roi and endless pics of various types of Marthe. It must be somewhat stressful to be always on display for an artist, but at least most was painted over time rather than immediate and photographed. I came to associate with his sense of colour and softness and movement in place of edges and lines and definition and appreciate his domestic and natural world but I'm not sure I fully appreciate his importance. That's for some more study. In the meantime, I continue to prefer other eras.

Pierre Bonnard : Designed by India Mahdavi was at the National Gallery of Victoria.

Venerability

NCO held its anniversary concert and I hadn't realised, but this is another venerable institution in Canberra.  40 years for this community orchestra.   It's not a huge history but it is significant, especially in the context of a short-lived town like Canberra.  I was amused at some of the discussion around Albert Hall in the same way by NCO members new to Canberra.  Our Albert Hall was a product of the first round of building for the national capital, opening in 1928, replacing the Causeway Hall (seen that?) as the largest place of entertainment in Canberra and succeeded in 1965 by the Canberra Theatre.  Thus this program was called Anniversaries, celebrating NCOs's 40th and Canberra with the Andrew Schultz Symphony no.3 written for Canberra's centenary and played ten years later and Rachmaninov's 150 birthday with his Paganini Rhapsody.  And a third piece by Ukraininan-Australia composer Catherine Likhuta.  It was a daring combination and a challenging play and NCO did it justice as always, not least with Rach soloist Kristian Chong.  Just a few pics but also a memory of the history that makes us all.

National Capital Orchestra performed Likhuta, Rachmaninov and Schultz at Albert Hall underLouis Sharpe (conductor) with soloist Kristian Chong (piano).

Clever folk

It's a long time since I've interested myself in folk music.  Perhaps when I attended some Irish jams in pubs in Adelaide yonks back.  Or when I played in White Cockatoo (bush band with rock rhythm section) around the Bicentennial.  Since then, I've had this idea it's all strummy guitars and singer songwriters.  But I can be wrong and it was proven to me by Veronica Milroy and Rowan Phemister at Wesley.  Now these are capable and well-trained musicians: Veronica sings in Luminescence Chamber Choir and Rowan in the CSO.  They presented what is essentially Irish folk, but it was far more than three chords.  This was complex, written stuff.  My Lagan love was traditional but it was gloriously beautiful and presented with immense capability and interpretation with depth.  They did two tunes by Loreena McKennitt, both musically complex and touching stories and four tone poems from Mirian Hyde in a series on the sea in which you could just feel the lapping of water in the melody overlaid on the lyrics.  It's another of those times that lyrics determine melody.  I've felt this before with Beatles, Bacharach and clearly here, and it just empowers the story and enlivens the melody.  And an amusing thing called Shipping song by Lisa Knapp dedicated to the much loved BBC Shipping forecast, now well past its 150th anniversary.  It was just the last tune, Don McLean Vincent, that fitted my strummy simple folk impression, but it's a great enough tune anyway and beautifully presented by this pair.  None-the-less, it's that early, busy, complex folk that will remain for me from this concert and reinvigourate my interest in (some) folk music.

Veronica Milroy (soprano) sang Irish folk with accompaniment by Rowan Phemister (harp) at Wesley.

Living stories

Another pianist, this one a world star: Garrick Ohlsson.  It was during this concert that I realised I hadn't heard much solo piano recently; piano yes, perhaps in a concerto or trio or in jazz, but not solo classical.  To hear a master like this was a revelation.  He's a big man, so a decent grand piano doesn't seem so large and the stool seems small.  His knees only just seem to fit under the piano.  I guess his hands are large, too, which often seems a great advantage to a musician.  Certainly, I note big strong hands suits double bassists.  Then his interpretation: delicate, hugely varied dynamics and phrasings and great flexibility in tempo and delays and pauses and commas throughout.  I described it as "telling a story"; a pianist friends spoke of colour.  For there was immense interpretation here, every line, every phrase considered over much practice.  He played a 10-page original composition commissioned for this tour, Thomas Misson Convocations, and introduced it with admiration.  Interestingly, he said he's spent more time on this over the last 3 months than the rest of the program.  Even so he was reading.  It says something about how much input was granted to the rest of the memorised, complex pieces before that.  Practice makes perfect, even if aptitude is also required.  Otherwise, he played his program 1: Schubert impromptu, Liszt sonata Bmin, a series of shortish Scriabin pieces and a Chopin Nocturne as encore.  The Liszt was a star piece and I am told is Liszt's best or near to.  My pianist friend said he'd looked at it and decided to refrain.  Whatever, he didn't make anything look easy, but he did make it all look well considered and deeply imbibed and scarily well performed.  This was really an eye opener to this admirer of local ambition.  It's a big world out there and Garrick and a string of Musica Viva performers bring some to us.

Garrick Ohlsson (piano) performed at Llewellyn Hall for Musica Viva.

This is CJBlog post no. 2,650

Kids today

I reckon the kids I see around me these days are mightily impressive.  Thus it was with the friends of our two sons.  Thus it is with occasional young pianists I hear at Wesley, not least Angela Zhu.  She was pretty unassuming in receiving applause and just sat between tunes, presumably contemplating her next piece.  She played with no music, so contemplation / preparation this is understandable.  And what did she play?  Bach, Mozart, Chopin, Poulenc.  A suite of renowned and popular performers and done with huge presence, commitment, memory and interpretation.  She's still at school, but working towards AMEB LMusA, the highest of the AMEB levels.  It shows: steady, insistent Bach; firm, loud Mozart, playful at times, light and bouncy with sudden interplays; lyrical, emotive, sometimes explosive Chopin; soft, modern, impressionist, French Poulenc with flowing passages, occasional dissonances amongst flowing passages.  This was a concert of immense satisfaction for the audience.  You felt it in the applause and impressed chatter after.  Kids today!

 Angela Zhu (piano) performed Bach, Mozart, Chopin and Poulenc at Wesley.

It's a wrap

The wrap up was Mr Ott again, this time with Nick Garbett in place of Ellen Kirkwood.  I've written of them from last night, so no particular report.  Suffice to say the vibe was infectious and joyous with lots of dancers and chatter and a few glasses and hamburgers.  I'd missed all the local Canberrans and a few notables that I know of and a few other names that I didn't know.  Given four venues with one a little hike away and single sets, it's not always feasible to get to everything.  You miss too much in the walk-time  But what I saw was enough and invigorating and stimulating and a nice update on SIMA and Sydney improv jazz and related arts.  On the way out I passed the local cultural centre (theatre, gallery, museum, library, cafe).  It was a sunny and warm winter's day (by Orange standards) so I managed a quick perusal of the local museum (small but these things always have interest) and a decent cappuccino so I was ready for the 3.5 hour return drive.  It's a hike but most do it, from Sydney or Canberra.  Otherwise, a nice town and we can only wish OWJF a long history.  It's a worthy outing on a long weekend.  Thanks again to SIMA.

Mt Ott played the Lord Anson for the end-festival party.

Penultimates

It was pretty much the ending but we had some seniors of the SIMA scene in the Sandy Evans / Andy Robson Quartet with offsiders Brett Hirst and Hamish Stuart.  Well, that's a mighty team and it showed with a range of original compositions in all manner of modern styles, latinish, dedications, ballads, memories of James Greening and Ornette Coleman, some simple and folkloric, some burning modernist, all done with grace and joy and immense competence and commitment.  It was a pleasure to see the interest and smiles from Andy at a Sandy solo and Sandy at an Andy solo.  Great and not unexpected but always appreciated and welcomely imbibed, melodious and entertaining, good mannered and inviting, stimulating and challenging and rich in references to other cultures.  And devastating with chops that were quick but purposeful.  Do no wrong; present no hype.  How can you not love this music?  They've all played together for yonks through all manner of bands and are now preparing for another album in this formation, I guess with these tunes.  One to get.

Sandy Evans (tenor, soprano sax) and Andy Robson (baritone, alto sax) led a group with Brett Hirst (bass) and Hamish Stuart (drums).

Stompin'

The Lord Anson is the hearty hub of the OWJF.  It's got beer, it's got disco-ish lighting and chatter and dancing and fun.  We dropped in just to hang out for a while between other acts and it was Queen Porter Stomp playing.  This is song with harmonies, trumpet and squeeze box and banjo.  Not modern but alive and humourous with a touch of seriousness (relationships and taking boats to work were mentioned in patter) and very welcomed dancing.  Perhaps a bit early in the night for too much dancing, but the toes were tapping and the seats were jumping.  Great with a beer and a top-tapping smile.  Love this stuff.

Queen Porter Stomp are Crystal Barreca (vocals, ukulele), Julian Curwin (banjo), Louise Horwood (trumpet), Matt Lamb (bass) and Alex Masso (drums).  They were missing their usual trombone player and I missed the name of the accordionist.  My apologies.