Double shot

It was the opening night for Smiths Alt upstairs and I was interested.  But a quick look at NPC had Rafael Jergen in town playing with Greg Stott and Mark Sutton.  I caught the first set, all standards as is the style of NPC Fridays, and an awe-inspiring set all round.  Of course from Raf, who studied in Canberra, then in Luzern and now teaches at the HSLU Hochschule Luzern.  A story of commitment and the outcome is evident.  Wonderful playing.  Quick and correct but also relaxed and responsive.  So good.  Nice to see Mark back from the coast for some gigs, too.  Both he and Greg played effective and communicative solos, playful to Raf's ever-wide smile.  (OK, so I caught them in a moment of concentration!).  And I met Raf's family.  These visits for so many overseas-based players are family visits with some gigs thrown in.  Since COVID and those imposed music school antics, we haven't had the visiting players as before, so glad to see any and especially Raf.  Then a quick visit to Smiths upstairs.  It's been on the agenda for some time and now established.  Two decent rooms and a balcony upstairs.  One room is smaller with bar, upright piano and electric organ and a comfy hangout atmosphere.  The band on the opening night was Leisa Nicole (organ), Stephen Richards (drums) and Ben O'Loghlin (guitar).  Lovely tunes, organ tones, left hand organ bass.  The other room is more an upstairs concert-cum-events space, larger, with a stage, a grand piano (!), a pipe organ (?) and a small but decent PA.  It's early days yet, not too much furniture (despite a string of pianos throughout), but it bodes well for an extension of Nigel and Beth's lovely, laid-back and inviting, exploratory and bohemian atmosphere.

Rafael Jergen (bass) performed with Greg Stott (guitar) and Mark Sutton (drums) at the National Press Club.  Leisa Nicole (organ), Stephen Richards (drums) and Ben O'Loghlin (guitar) performed upstairs at Smiths.