Bill leads the bands

I finally got to the Capital Jazz Festival and it was for the internationals. Last night I caught Bill Cunliffe leading the Commercial Ensemble and the ANU Big Band in his own compositions and arrangements. I hadn’t expected it, but visiting NYC drummer, John Reilly, also got a look in for a wonderful few tunes.

The Commercials played the first set. This is the funky electric outfit from the school. The charts were demanding, and the band was performing them with considerable confidence. I particularly liked the second tune, an arrangement of Steely Dan’s Do it again. It started off standard enough, but then falling lines of varying dissonance just struck me with their intensity and creativity. Stunning writing! The band did a decent job on it, too. This was not easy. I chatted with pianist Callum Stewart after the gig and he was saying how odd the lines sounded when he was practising at home, but how it all fell together in the band context. Perhaps the pitching of the notes, or the tonalities, but the dissonance was a pleasure: not easy but it worked a treat. They also played a take on How high the moon that morphed into a mangled bop head (Ornithology?). Here I noticed lines that were dissected and moved in pitch so as to change the melody but leave it recognisable and beats and bars that were inserted that delayed and crossed the groove, just holding it for another onslaught, and washes of horns and contrapuntal lines that backed short, moving solos. Lovely writing.

The Big Band played the second set. This was a more sedate affair: much bigger, more horns, less brash, double not electric bass, more swing than funk. The standouts here were the professionals playing an Ellington medley and the ensemble playing Bill’s Grammy-winning arrangement on West Side Story. Firstly, the visitors. I remember Things ain’t what they used to be, and I thought In a sentimental mood (Megan’s not so sure) and perhaps others. Whatever, I heard a lovely strong piano tone and absolutely clear statements of fast changing chords from Bill Cunliffe. John Riley was a demonstration in drumming: body steady although not locked; wrists loose and arms easy; hard swings with a sharp snare on the 4 and fills of precision and inventiveness. He was lost behind a music stand for my eyes, but a treat for the ears. John Mackey soloed a particularly dirty blues and student bassist Jared Plane held his own amongst awe-inspiring company. It’s times like these you realise just what NYC must mean: this was easy and enjoyed but also powerful and fabulously informed. Bill’s solos were a pleasure as they strolled in and out of tonality through diminished scales. Nothing forced, just known. Bird said: “practice, practice, practice … and then … forget all that and just wail”. This felt like that, great playing informed by the composers' understanding. Then the West Side Story arrangement. It was a great bit of writing but not what I’d expected. I know the film score intimately, so I was surprised that I didn’t recognise more. The famed melodies just bubbled up amongst the orchestration, stayed for a few bars then disappeared. But no doubt it’s what he wanted. The arrangement was a tribute to Oscar Peterson’s WSS medley and influenced by Buddy Rich, who Bill had played with, so no surprise that this also featured a drum solo.

This was a very satisfying night of great orchestration with the bands both playing admirably and the students obviously having a great time. Looking forward to the visitors and their gig tonight.