New faces

There was a time when I knew all the faces at the Jazz School.   They used to have plenty of events in the band room for smaller groups and the three large ensembles Recording Ensemble, Big Band and Commercial Band, and various gigs for smaller bands including staff and occasional visitors doing workshops.  Then there were the ructions and I also did more playing, jazz and classical, so was less available.  But I was surprised how many new faces there were at the Jazz and Contemporary Ensembles concert in the Band Room.  New faces and new names and a few that I knew from Molly or Smiths.  Nice to see.  Nice to hear, too.  There were five groups under the auspices of various staffers, Con, Lachlan (x2), John and the Recording Ensemble under Miro and John, ranging in size from 7-14 and in experience, 2 x 1st year, 2 x 3rd year and the Recording Ensemble which I assume is open by audition.  I enjoyed it throughout the ranges but obviously the groups get more adventurous and practiced with more years.  I also liked that there was so much inviting music and such a surfeit of vocals and harmonies.  The first group had concentrated on Joe Henderson and there was a lovely Lush life with the words to elucidate the heartache of the music.  Lyrics can be a key to me.  Then the next with several Stevie Wonder tunes, opening with the inevitable Sir Duke with three-part female harmonies, and then a few deeper ballads and a final Isn't she lovely.  The second ballad was Softy (as in the morning sunrise) in a deep 5/4 groove. Then the third group opening with There will never be another you with paired female vocals the finishing with an odd but intriguingly slow rendition of Well you needn't.  OI think it was this one that spoke of the soloistic approach, not too bull-at-gate but more considered.  Then the fourth with Invitation and Wayne Shorter.  And finally what must be the feature of the night, the Recording Ensemble playing a funky Les McCann Compared to what and finishing with a thrilling take on Joshua Redman Jazz crimes of many harmonies and challenging, changing melodies.  What a thrill to go out on!  I'd recognised various faces, Pete and Mereki and Elisha and Aidan and Oliver and Oliver and Jamie and perhaps some others and saw new notable faces and basses.  Several Fenders of course and a Melbourne mini double and a Stingray and a lovely fretless and Peter's unique Ibanez.  He'd told me he was playing a 7-string but no way I expected the Ibanez creation that he played, incorporating 3-string fretless with 4-string fretted.  It was the Ibanex Ashula SRAS7: only from Ibanez.  Fascinating.  So much enjoyed with new faces and a few other discoveries.

The Jazz and Contemporary Ensembles concert was in the Band Room at ANU and featured 5 bands and students of various years along with the Recording Ensemble.  My apologies to any I missed in the pics.