An end of an era

It's sad to see a venue disappear for jazz but it's not the first.  Venues change musics for business reasons or they are supplanted in a style or activity by another venue and they may or may not return to jazz sometime in the future and jazz just survives through it all.  Jazz goes through changes, not always comfortable but it's not extinguished.  The ANU ructions of a few years back is the big example.  The venue changes is just another smaller one.  Sadly, we saw the last of the jam sessions at Old Canberra Inn last night and it was entertaining and fun and cold (being outside on a suddenly chilly December evening).  But then I remember jazz there decades back, so maybe there's a return sometime in the future and it was pleasant.  A few beers and a too-big hamburger.  A very nice bass with good sound and nicely easy to play (thanks to Ben).  A chance to check out Evah Pirazzi.  Thanks to Ben, Peter, Simon, me and Jeremy for the bottom end and a string of players and singers of all manner otherwise and some chats to pass the time.  This is a sad loss but there are alternatives and jazz survives.  After all, it's not even the only jam session in Canberra on a Wednesday night.  And to OCI, thanks for the memories.

Thanks to Ben O'Loghlin for the long history of this jam series and this specific monster jam at our lovely, historical Old Canberra Inn.  Thanks to Sophia for the final pic.

Mr Jones' offsider

Eric Ajaye hosted a Q&A with bassist Gene Perla at the end of his concert for the Jazz Haus at Tuggeranong Arts Centre and my ear particularly picked up at the mention of Mingus.  Amongst some questions about his technique, GP mentioned Mingus' influence after attending his gig.  As I understood it, it was to play more freely over the neck, more freely over positions.  I had noticed frequent playing of the E-string right up the neck, the use of longer intervals and 11th hand shapes in walking, an ease in all positions; John B mentioned the spaces left in walks.  GP advised to avoid open strings, presumably to promote this neck freedom up the neck and regardless of keys.  I'm not so sure of that one.  And one interesting quote caught my attention: "If I hear you, you're messing up [=not in the pocket].  I need to pay attention to me".  But this is bass chatter.  The music was a revisit to the classic Live at the Lighthouse album from the Elvin Jones band (Elvin Jones, Gene Perla, Steve Grossman, Dave Liebman), so hard bop, driving tunes, passed solos, some delicious harmonies on originals by all and more.  It was too loud at first but Gene insisted on a quieter bass in set 2 and the concert came alive to my ears.  Suddenly the piano was always there, the bass was more acoustic-toned although via the amp and easier to follow, the drums were more subdued and the two tenors clearer and more intimate in interactions.  Quite an amazing change.  But it was always going to be a hard-blown outing.  They played a range of hard bop tunes and two standards.  I drooled over some glorious harmonised written parts between the two tenors and great solos, Roger all range and light, flighty tone and beautiful lines and Andy just unrelenting hard eighth-note blowing , driving and expansive drumming from Mark, big sounding, full handed accompaniment and solos from Brett and of course that wonderful presence and drive from Gene, all over the fingerboard, always intriguing and personal and often referring the Elvin Jones band that I knew.  There were chats I would have liked to have with Gene but no luck, but to hear him remains educative, sometime breathtaking, just as Eric Ajaye was suggesting.  Truth is, we never spot learning.  I did a webinar just yesterday and they spoke of the same thing, that instruments demand this endless improvement, this time noting it can interfere with other paths in music, here,  the perfect pop song.  All paths, all valid I reckon.  But what a huge pleasure to see and hear these formative musicians in the flesh.  Oh, and one absurdist glasswork from an exhibition at TAC.

Gene Perla and band played music from the album Elvin Jones Live at the Lighthouse at the Jazz Haus at Tuggeranong Arts Centre.  Gene Perla (bass) led the band with Roger Manins and Andy Sugg (tenors), Brett Williams (piano) and Mark Sutton (drums).

Our man in NYC 5b

CJ Intern's NYC Adventures Part 5a, as we reach an end (for this visit)

By Jeremy Tsuei

Tuesday again - Neal Caine and friends at Bemelman's Bar

And here's a little epilogue - my own "Scouring of the Shire," if you will. And just as necessary for the real fans out there. I'd been missing Neal's gigs in towns due to various reasons - including a double booking at the venue, clashes with other gigs, and then a clash with my flight out of town. But Neal told me about this one after our last lesson, noting the caveats of its venue, Bemelman's Bar, being on the other side of town and not being a real "jazz club" per se. But, still buzzed after the McBride gig, and for my last night in New York City, I thought "what the heck," and made the trip over.

A software engineer, an old friend from out town, a finance worker, and aspiring jazz musician from Australia walk into a bar... sounds like the beginning of a potentially overcomplicated joke. Nonetheless, this was the start of this portion of the night, when three drinking buddies floated the idea to me that waiting in line for table for four would be easier than waiting for a table for three. Now, I would generally advise being cautious of strangers, but with these fellows the vibe ended up being very wholesome. They only interacted with me in public spaces, didn't deliver my drinks (they did buy them though!), and all left the venue well before I did. So a party of three drinking buddies became a party of four drinking buddies, and I learnt a bit about the venue (located in the historic Carlyle Hotel, which came straight out of half a century ago or more), learnt some drinking tips and even received some snippets of general life advice. What a way to go for a triumphant hurrah!

The music, featuring Neal on bass alongside a pianist/vocalist and guitarist, was intended to be background music, and the venue was crowded and noisy. But the feel was swinging and the arrangements were solid. Having learned from Neal over the course of a few lessons, I've been able to pick up on key aspects of his approach and philosophy: Be self-aware. Outline the sound of the chord. Play good notes and don't settle for being a good imitation of someone else. These aspects, despite the din of the bar, were well on display. Good music insists on itself, even when surrounding noise otherwise conspires to drown it out. 

NYC - Some closing reflections 

Things I'd like less of:

• Taking the wrong train when getting to lessons (sorry once again for being late, Matt!)
• Sharing the same hostel with an assassin making national and international headlines (yes, I was staying at the HI Hostel on 103rd and Amsterdam Ave, the same place that Luigi Mangione was allegedly staying at during his time in NYC)
• Playing tunes I don't know (learn your lesson, Tsuei!)

Things I'd like more of:

• Seeing my heroes (I missed Ron Carter, Brad Mehldau, Jack DeJohnette...)
• Trading Instagram handles (this platform's currency over here!)
• Ear and piano app skills (so I can consistently practice without my bass) 

Things I'm satisfied with:

• Making music 
• Making friends
• Being part of this city for three weeks

And, for now, Jeremy the CJ Intern - signing out. 

Jeremy, thanks for the reports and pics.  Well done.  A fabulous and enviable jazz trip.  Brings back memories for me and many of us.  Eric

Our man in NYC 5a

CJ Intern's NYC Adventures Part 5a: Objects in Rear View Mirror are Closer Than They Appear, or the Third Christian

By Jeremy Tsuei

Well - here we go. The last one. Back home to Australia, but not before a brief family visit in Vancouver. Back to the shed, back to family, back to a bit of normalcy. With a lot of notches under the belt. Not only did I get to jam in New York (many, many times) - I also got asked if I was available to play a gig. The answer was no (I didn't have my own bass in any case), but that was certainly something I didn't expect which I now get to come away with. 

Tuesday - Christian McBride and Inside Straight

Christian McBride's second live album with Inside Straight (Peter Martin (piano), Carl Allen (drums), Warren Wolfe (vibes), Steve Wilson (sax)), recorded in the Village Vanguard in 2014 and released during/after the pandemic in late 2021, is one of my favourite releases ever. The feel is so good throughout, and every note feels right, but there are still those small live inflections that give it that atmosphere and spontaneous vibe - like McBride's little 'what?'s as he's backing Wolfe's solo in "The Shade of the Cedar Tree". Speaking of "The Shade of the Cedar Tree", attentive readers will remember that that tune is one of my favourites, and the version from that album is probably my favourite recording of that tune. A veritable stacking of favourites!

Ten years later, and the band is back for their December residency. The atmosphere and vibes (pardon the pun) were spot on - ten years of gradual evolution, but this was the same band, playing many of the same tunes. Being at this gig was like stepping into something intensely familiar, but also like experiencing it again for the first time. This was the band I've heard many many times over, playing in many cases the same songs, but finding new ways to do it. 

There was no "The Shade of the Cedar Tree", nor was there a bass solo in every song (although there were some neat traded fours with Carl Allen towards the end of the gig). Nor, I'll mention, did I get to meet McBride - a lovely man by all accounts, but I understand why he had a bodyguard in front of the green room. But there's something to be said for getting the reality of something, rather than having it fit the demanding moulds of wish fulfillment. What I got was something just as satisfying and so much more true to life than anything I might have imagined from what I'd experienced before. This was a lovely close to my trip. Hearing one of my favourite recorded bands, not deviating from their established sound, but finding new pathways and avenues within. Getting something new, and being given the opportunity to evolve as a listener as the band has evolved as a band. 

Describing Chris Botti's band from the previous night, I'd used the loaded moniker of 'smooth jazz' to address some of the less fulfilling aspects of that (still very worthwhile) gig. I suppose when we're talking about 'smooth jazz', we're talking about stuff that is content with not pushing the bounds, or content which seemingly has no interest in breaking free into new territory. It's the sound of jazz as the lay listener expects jazz to sound, if you will. That spectre of the familiar is at play in my reflections with this band, and its ties to a decade-old set of recordings. But what I hear - and what I heard from this gig - is a band that is content with pushing their own boundaries, and not necessarily any boundaries set by others. A group that has played together for this long, filled with members who know each other so well, striving to play at nobody's best but their own. Fearsome stuff. 

To be continued very soon ...

Our man in NYC 4b2

CJ Intern's NYC Penultimate Piece ends (part 4b2)

By Jeremy Tsuei

Monday: Jochen Rueckert and Chris Botti 

Another Matt Penman gig, this time with Jochen Rueckert (drums and bandleader), Troy Roberts (sax), and Alexandra Ridout (trumpet). Alexandra was a last-minute call, but she absolutely smoked the gig. Sitting in the corner next to the drums, my friend Tony and I really got the whole experience - big beats and strong sounds. A real mix of musical personalities and nationalities which went towards a really strong and cohesive whole - partway through the gig, Rueckert joked that Alexandra's country of origin, England, had oppressed every other band member's country of origin (Roberts is an Aussie and Penman is a Kiwi) except for his (Germany), acknowledging that his country of origin has had its own set of historical issues... Rueckert also claimed that he would differentiate himself from other acts by not making a joke about selling CD players despite many people no longer owning CD players, but was that not in itself a joke? A meta-joke perhaps - fitting for a drummer and bandleader to have a solid perspective of what's really going on behind it all...

 

Chris Botti has been playing a December Blue Note residency for two decades now, and he launched this season with a bang. Botti has played across jazz and pop realms, and I found his mic'ed up tone a bit too reverb-y, and some of the songs waded into dreaded 'smooth jazz' territory. Still - whenever it started to get too smooth, Botti would punctuate it with a strong, daring tone, something just enough left field to remind us of his 'serious musician' credentials. The band was also stellar, and navigated different feels, styles, and transitions with verve. A tune which Botti described as a "real jazz" song started with a thoughtful bass solo from Daniel Chmielinski, before launching into a full band effort, and then finally morphing into a synthesised dub party while the band traded 4s with drummer Lee Pearso.

Botti's selection of guests was fantastic. Tonight, Botti was joined by Anastasiia Mazurok (violin), John Splithoff (vocals and guitar), and finally Veronica Swift (vocals). I found it a marker of confidence and assurance that the band leader wasn't always playing in his own gig, and left it to others to take a leading role for their feature tunes. And Veronica Swift! I'd actually purchased tickets to this gig because it was my only opportunity to see her live, and she smashed it. A generous collection of classic standards - "There Will Never Be Another You", "Love for Sale", "Under My Skin", "Moanin"... - delivered with sheer power. Swift's scatting was incredible, and during a traded solos with Chmielinski she even started to emulate the sounds and inflections of an acoustic bass - real creative stuff! Swift also commandeered Botti's trumpet at the end for a humorous - and very impressive - bit. And of course some Christmas material at the end, as it is the season - but at the end of the set and with a band this good, there was nothing left to prove.

Other things

As well as all this stuff, I've also been volunteering with the First Presbyterian Church's Tartan Christmas Fair, seen the sights and read up on history at the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, had a taste of home country with a Yirrkala Bark Painting exhibition at the Asia Society Museum entitled "Madayin", and had lessons with Joseph Lepore and John Benitez.

There's no shortage of things to do here! It won't be long before I'm back in Australia, but man am I looking forward to my next visit here...

Our man in NYC 4b1

This is getting complex... 

By Jeremy Tsuei

Saturday: Astghik Martirosyan

This one came to me after a lesson with Matt Penman, who told me that that the venue, Bar Bayeux, was the "Village Vanguard of Brooklyn". Well, they certainly had the curtains in common - as well as a good sound and a good vibe. This was a killer group - including Julian Shore (piano), Rogérico Boccato (percussion), Vinicius Gomes (guitar), and the aforementioned Matt Penman (bass) - playing some really twisty arrangements and tunes. Martirosyan's voice was powerful, and she blended modern sounds, generational jazz influences, and Armenian folk sensibilities with aplomb. Particular highlights included the original tune "Lavender" (I hope the love story which inspired this goes well), as well as the Fred Hersch tune, "Song of Life". Martirosyan's debut album, "Distance", came out last year - she's definitely one to watch.

Sunday: Basik jam and Aaron Johnson Boplicity

Another Basik jam, this time led by Matt La Von. Maybe I'm biased as a bassist, but I've got to give it up for house bassist Paul Torres - this guy was just shredding it on his instrument, and knew every tune that was called inside and out. Some really amazing bebop lines and real fluency and creativity for every solo - just an example of a player who really knows their stuff, and how to use it. I also had the chance to play a few tunes - fun was had all around.

Following this up, I went to Smalls for the late night jam hosted by Aaron Johnson's group. These guys dressed and played like they stepped straight out of the '60s (in a good way, of course) - it was a bit of a double-take moment seeing them pulling out iPhones here and there! The band was tight - real straight-ahead stuff, that knows exactly what it is and what it wants to be. For the late night jam I once again played a tune I wasn't familiar with. Learn your lesson, Tsuei!!

To be continued today...

Our man in NYC 4a

CJ Intern's NYC Adventures Part 4: Promptly Penning a Plentiful Penultimate Piece (part 4a)

By Jeremy Tsuei

As promised, we're winding up but by no means taking our foot off the gas (that's a little American-ism for you). Big gigs and big lessons this week, as well as some touristy things and even some volunteering - all the New York things!

Wednesday: Cory Henry solo set

Cory Henry's definitely made a name for himself, first gaining prominence with Snarky Puppy and now touring with Stevie Wonder and working with popular acts such as Imagine Dragons. But enough about his collaborations - tonight was between the man himself and his audience, as Henry shared his roots, influences, and new directions. In both the first and second sets, Henry began simply with the "Amazing Grace" melody, before building complexity and adding new textures - a kick drum, synth, vocals. It got busy (for a one-man show, anyway), but never strayed from that simple feeling of joy and gratitude from hitting those opening notes and hearing them resonate and lead into each other, until a story begins to form. This was the first song he learnt as a kid, at only 2-3 years of age. The man's been playing music longer than his brain has had a functional memory system (psychologists say memory starts working from four years of age), and it shows. I loved how gospel- and soul-oriented Henry's sets were - really digging into his community and spiritual roots a la his album released earlier this year, "Church". All in all, these were songs for lovers, songs for those with broken hearts, songs for humans.

Thursday: Christian McBride Quartet and Jihee Heo Trio 

McBride again, and Mike Stern again - this time in a very different setting. Last week Stern remarked to me how he was nervous about this gig, as McBride had just called him and so far there was no setlist and no rehearsal. So calling standards it was - and on the night, McBride described it as a jazz party where we all got to have a share of the groove. Tivon Pennicott (sax) and Marcus Gilmore (drums) rounded out the quartet, and everyone had space to shine. Stern in particular brought in a groovy "Body and Soul" with a solo guitar intro, which really demonstrated his voice and fluidity on the instrument. Such a different gig compared to the last McBride concert I went to, but the feel, the groove, and the consolidated star-power were all alike. 

Jihee Heo was, by her own admission, quite starstruck with her rhythm section - David Williams on bass and Joe Farnsworth on drums; guys she'd listened to on Cedar Walton records and the like. During one of the little talking interludes where she was discussing this, Williams jokingly interjected to tell her she was doing just fine. And he was absolutely right - this was real swinging stuff, straight out of the Oscar Peterson playbook. I believe this was also the first female-led gig I've attended while in New York, excluding the jam session hosted by Theresa Sanchez. A really diverse band, and a real connection and respect for the tradition. Good good stuff.

Friday: NY Philharmonic

I did get scammed by a ticket reseller for this one, but on the upside, I did end up with pretty good orchestra-level seats. I'm not too well-versed in this area, but the NY Philharmonic has to be one of the best in the world. Before moving onto the big piece, Shostakovich's Symphony No. 10, the orchestra played Shostakovich's "Festive Overture" and Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto, led by soloist Frank Huang. Earlier this year, I played the latter piece with Canberra's National Capital Orchestra alongside CJ Blog mastermind Eric [ https://canberrajazz.blogspot.com/2024/03/awe.html ] and it was great to hear the work being performed professionally, especially as I knew there were some particularly difficult bass soli coming up. The section moved through it like butter - bravo!

The big item was Shostakovich's Symphony No. 10, accompanied by a stop motion film, "Oh to Believe in Another World," by William Kentridge. The audio-visual experience was interesting, although I do wonder what it would have been like to have just heard the music by itself, as one's attention span can only take in so much at a time. Still, during the course of my Honours year I had the pleasure of interviewing Vince Jones, and he remarked that the future will be an audio-visual one. This was art accompanying art - art on top of more art. Too much art? Surely it can't be worse than too little art. My money's worth in any case (even if a decent chunk of what I paid went to the wrong place...).

To be continued tomorrow...

Planets and other pleasures

I haven't played too much jazz recently, but when I have it's been satisfying and hugely pleasurable.  Maybe some time away makes you hark for the steady swing.  Dunno, but my walks have been more interesting with nice voice leading and the like, so great.  This was our long-standing gig at Red Hill Primary School.  It's a visit to the past for me, having had two boys at the school, now capable professionals, and not just a year or so out.  It's history for James, too, as this was the 10th anniversary of our first gig together, here, at RHPS.  We played with sit-in drummer Somesh Putcha and he plays with another bass mate, Jeremy.  This is so Canberra jazz, actually, being a small world.  Jeremy is our man in NYC right now, and Somesh is off sometime soon after several previous visits.  World jazz is also quite a small world.  But we enjoyed some intriguing takes on standards and some very rhythmically sharp drum solos and a few of James' originals and sausage sandwiches and beers and active kids and chattering parents.  Such a good night, especially without threatening rain (we've had some very wet nights here in the past) and with some clear skies for one or two planets (Venus and Jupiter are bright in the West and East and Saturn's there too at the moment).  So all was well and much enjoyed at this always-pleasant community event. Obviously we forgot the selfie.

Tilt Trio performed at the Red Hill Primary School end-of-year gathering.  Tilt were James Woodman (piano), Eric Pozza (bass) and Somesh Putcha (drums).

Serious fun

 

When I heard of the Handel Messiah singalong, I was thrilled.  I'd attended a public choral session at Wesley church once before, but not Messiah.  I also wondered about playing bass, but the group was CSO and friends, brought together by Lindy Reksten, so perfectly capable and complete.  I'd been in the house just an hour earlier to record, so I offered to record this too.  Well, it's an interlude and interesting if not releasable, although listening back after I was surprised at just how presentable it was, despite the unrehearsed nature and the often twisty lines (I've been reading it at home the day after) and the interplay of parts.  This is a great choral work, of course.  I ended up in the small tenor/bass area trying to find my way listening to more experienced choristers around me.  We sang the choruses and just a few solo passages and the various scores had different numberings so there was some confusion.  There were a few stop-starts and chuckles when that happened but we got through and, as I said, I was surprised at the later listen while processing the audio and video recordings.  There was obvious expertise here and very capable playing and decent voices who obviously knew the parts better than me and could spell the intervals and harmonies that the vocal parts demand.   And there are some fabulous songs to sing, not just Allelujia.  This is a great work for a reason.  My read at home after had a melodic theme moving through degrees of the scale, so very clever.  And the one felt to be on the three at times, but that's a baroque thing, I feel.  I'm sure I've seen or counted that before.  So the batteries lasted the longer session and the players impressed mightily, not least Dave's bass just near me, and John's jovial leadership brought a few laughs.  After 90 minutes or so, we retired for supper with plenty of joy and some amusement.  What a great outing, being amongst it all rather than watching on, even if I personally wished I'd prepared just a little. But that's Christmas for you.

Lindy Reksten gathered musicians and singers for an open singalong to Handel Messiah at Wesley.

Many happy returns

It was just a few weeks ago that I'd heard Kompactus at a Wesley Wednesday lunchtime session.  It was obviously a prep for their end-of-year concert, also at Wesley, but seeing it again was no loss.  I'd been entranced the first time enjoyed it massively again.  The one main difference was the accompaniment - this time: there was none.  I prefer a choir singing a capella, so no issue there.  There were one or two additions to the repertoire, six Joshua Shank Colour madrigals rather than two, an original by chorister Jesse Hill, a second tune by MD Olivia Swift, maybe one or two other changes.  And I've written similar comments in my notes, strong and certain dynamics, washes of harmonic colour, interweaving lines and the like.  I was amused that Olivia had checked the technical correctness of one song, Comet, with the resident astrophysicist and was fascinated by the melding of Eric Whitaker Sleep with Olivia Swift Sleepless.  It worked a treat.  Enough to say I enjoyed this one immensely like the last.  What a lovely and capable choir.

Kompactus Youth Choir performed at Wesley under MD Olivia Swift (conductor).

Our man in NYC 3

CJ Intern's NYC Adventures Part 3: Lion Songs and Lion Kings, or Does This Emmet Guy Need Any More Internet Exposure?

By Jeremy Tsuei

Whew, we're two-thirds through. It's been a whirl - and there's a lot more to go. On the music front, I've had two out of what will now be six bass lessons - one with Neal Caine and one with Matt Penman, with Joseph Lepore, John Benitez, and some followup lessons on the horizon. I've also been to plenty of gigs...

Thursday: David Gibson Quartet

Another Smalls jam, this time featuring the trombone-led David Gibson quartet. Tight band and sound - Gibson mentioned that, unlike a lot of Smalls groups, these guys were a 'real' band (i.e. that they played together and rehearsed together, and weren't just together on that night on call). This one was fun, and we went well into the night. My intention was to get home earlier compared to the last late jam I went to, but that didn't end up happening...

Friday: The Lion King

Of course, I had to do the NYC tourist thing and get some cheap(er) last minute Broadway tickets. But hey - when in New York, do New York things, right?

The Lion King was one of the first - if not the first - musicals I saw, and I'm now well entrenched in Canberra's community musical theatre scene, so there's that. It's also where I learnt what an 'hour' was as a kid, after we arrived early to the theatre and were told we'd have to wait an hour. The Lion King, the film, is also one of those films that seems almost untouchable for me - certainly, I don't really get how someone could say that they dislike it. The recent remake can promptly be forgotten though...

Which is partly why seeing this musical was so good, especially after 20 years of growth and that cultural conversation of what The Lion King is and what it means. Unlike the recent CGI remake, the musical is unabashed in its use of artifice, and proudly displays its reliance on stage-craft - big puppets, colourful costumes, people pretending to be animals. The result is something that's much more abstract than either of the films, and a product which is able to pull so much more richly from ancient and contemporary theatre genealogy, including its South African heritage, Greek theatre, possibly a bit of Balinese theatre, and of course Shakespeare and modern Broadway. This is maximalist theatre in many ways (the puppets are incredible!), but minimalist too in the simplicity of its story, and its agreement with the audience to acknowledge that, yes we are at the theatre, yes we are watching artifice, yes we're watching a story about talking and singing animals, but through all that, and because of all, that there is something deeply and commonly human. For all the reasons I mentioned above I'm biased, but I gotta say - I shed the odd tear at a few points.

Saturday: Ornithology double bill

Two gigs at the adjoining Ornithology clubs tonight, including a late night jam. I didn't catch the name of the first, a sax/bass/drums trio who were playing in the Cafe Ornithology, but they were by far the most experimental group I'd seen so far - very Ornette-like in how upfront the saxophonist was. Angular and brutalist harmonic structures, with a lot of freedom sans a piano or guitar to provide chords.

Next was the Juanga Lakunza quintet, who played long, conversational tunes with a healthy dose of Latin and Afro-Cuban influences. I got to meet Oscar Perez (piano) and John Benitez (bass) afterwards - all really humble musicians who were really open with sharing their experiences and how they inform their artistry. Benitez in particular was using a full-sized double bass which just spoke and filled the room. This gig evolved into the late-night Jazz Dialogue Open Jam, and I made the rookie mistake of playing a song I didn't know - there were no hard feelings, but it was definitely a lesson well learnt...

Sunday: Ryo Sasaki with Bill Crow and Steve Little

Talk about jazz royalty! Bill Crow and Steve Little are legends - and apparently have been playing together since 1955! Neither were wearied with age, with quick tempos and strong tones on full display throughout the whole gig. Nothing especially complicated - but you could tell that their souls were just so intimately connected to the music they were sharing.  

I got to meet Bill, who's turning 97 in September, and he was a darl. I also got to play behind him when he went up to sing! What a treat - I'm still reeling from the fact that that happened. What a strange thing that can probably only happen in settings like this - veterans and new learners sharing the stage and creating music together on the spur of the moment. There is something about jazz and about these jam session formats which goes beyond countries, languages, ages, identities, and origins - a connectedness which I think we all wish we could get more of. 

Tuesday: Kenny Wessel and Emmet Cohen Trio 

Big gigs tonight. Kenny Wessel is one of the teachers at the Manhattan School of Music, and along with his rhythm section, he exhibited such a confident tone and command of the instrument, along with a real sense of lyricism and creativity. From Cole Porter, to some of his originals, to some Keith Jarrett, the collection of tunes was incredibly tasteful. 

Emmet Cohen Trio - what more needs to be said?

Well, first off, they're not like how they are online. Somehow, they're more. A friend of mine before I went off on this trip commented how he wasn't such a fan of Cohen's. To that I have to say - just listen to what these guys are doing. There is so much connection and respect for the jazz tradition, and the chops and connectedness are on full display. You get the sense that Emmett is a student and knows he's a student - standing on the shoulders of giants and all - but he's mastered being a student. The Ahmad Jamal comparisons have, of course, already been made.

These guys - bassist Phil Norris and drummer Kyle Poole along with him - went through songs, feels, sections with seeming ease. There was a 20-minute or so medley which stitched together several songs which just captivated. Emmet described the music as one of extremes - extremes of loud and soft, fast and slow, sensitive and intense - with the drive to find every gradient in between. That's a bold claim to make when classical music exists, but these guys sure went for it. A real expressive ride for the musicians and the audience - just this insatiable commitment to make art, and put it together at the highest standard (seemingly without breaking a sweat, of course). And we got some Christmas tunes with guest trumpeter and vocalist Benny Benack at the end too!.

Other stuff!

Of course, it's not all been music - I've attached some photos of the beautiful hiking country around New York City and surrounds too for some breathing room.

And we'll need this breathing room, because we're going to need to hold space for the last week of my trip here. Lessons and gigs galore - we're definitely not easing up as we reach the finish line. 

But for the meantime - Jeremy the CJ Intern signing out...

Birthday

This was Geoff's Jazz at Smiths and it was a special celebration, of the wonder of the long-standing band Wanderlust, and also the long-standing trumpeter who brought it together around 35 years ago in Sydney, Miroslav Bukovsky.  Anyone who knows Miro loves him so this was a special event.  And Wanderlust is such a perfect name for the music they play.  The tunes virtually were all by Wanderlust, often by Miro himself, and they were expansive, with only 9 tunes over two sets totalling about 2 hours.   So there was time to explore, another aspect of good travel.  But most obvious were the tunes themselves that spoke of a wide world, one samba in 3, one mambo, one from Burundi, one speaking to South Africa and Nelson Mandela, a final one just called Peace please, which speaks to all time and very much to now.  There was one cover, astonishingly called Wanderlust by Duke Ellington, a far more relaxed, luxuriant tune with nothing like the exploratory quest of this band, but still superbly lovely, as Ellington just is.  The band was superb, of course, understated, easily spoken, intriguing in harmony and melody, and settling into the most immersive grooves.  Which reminds me of a discovery I made listening to Miro's compositions, that trumpeters play melody so beautifully and thus write lovely melodies.  I guess it's related to the harmonic series that's the nature of technique on brass.  If not recorded already (surely it must be!) I reckon there's a PhD in that.  So this was all good nature, a party surrounded by admirers and friends and wonderful good will.  It's a memory for the ages from a band lasting ages.  Dry wit and so much joy.  Happy birthday for Miro's 80th and long may Wanderlust and the wanderlust remain.

Wanderlust performed at Smiths for Geoff's Jazz and Miro's 90th birthday.  Wanderlust are Miroslav Bukovsky (trumpet, flugelhorn), John Mackey (tenor), Alister Spence (piano, keyboards), Jeremy Sawkins (guitar), Fabian Hevia (percussion) and Lachlan Coventry (bass, guitar) with guest Tom Fell (baritone, soprano saxes).  They were joined by Alex Raupach (trumpet) and Richard Johnson (bass clarinet) for some final tunes.

Run down to Christmas

The final concert of the year in the Wesley Wednesday lunchtime series is always the Wesley Scholars.  I'm not sure how it's run, but it's obviously an opportunity for some talented performers to get some extra training.  It's quite common to see these faces performing in various other groups around town.  I once saw Ellery String Quartet at Government House, no less, and they are comprised of scholars from this year's bunch.  First and last up was a vocal quartet comprising members of Kompactus and others.  They sang two carols in Swedish or other and later a few in English.  Amusingly, I'll be home for Christmas as in Dean Martin, jazz with classical awareness - very lithe and beautifully done - and Deck the halls in 7/8, no less.  I liked, too, that they took some lines as pairings of voices making the sources of pitches much easier to catch.  The Soprano is easy to identify but the other parts can be more lost in the mix.  Then Ellery Quartet with a very lively arrangement of three tunes by the Danish String Quartet and a few carols including one with cello pizz all the world like a jazz walk.  The tinges in my ears of other countries' folk music suggested connections and maybe migrations around the world.  Then a duo of violin and cello playing three movements from a Boccherini sonata, older and frequently joyous and danceable in the styles of that era.  A lively, lovely, carol-heavy last concert of the year from Evie, Pippa, Martin, Jesse, Brad, Anika, Chloe, Tanya and Gabriel.

The Wesley Scholars performed the final Wednesday lunchtime concert of the year at Wesley.  The Vocal quartet comprised Evie Osbourne, Pippa Newman, Martin Magill and Jesse Hill.  The Ellery String Quartet comprised Brad Tham and Anika Chan (violins), Pippa Newman (viola) and Chloe Law (cello).  The duo comprised Tanya Boag (violin) and Gabriel Fromyhr (cello).