Varied paths

These gigs are monthly at Smiths and I'd known of them but only just got to one despite my interest in the concept.  They are called Byways, meaning paths, varied, alternative, whatever, but also travel, discovery.  And not just a jazz trio with invited guests, which is fascinating enough, but also vinyl, records / LPs and all that implies, with reference of varying degrees to the invitee who also proposes the repertoire for set 2, after a shortish set 1 with the trio and, at least on this night, mostly their originals.  So opportunities and discoveries all round.  Ben told me they also get together for a rehearsal with the guest, so this is not just a standards run through.  The trio was Ben, Chris and Nick, trumpet, bass and drums.  This night the invitee was Mike Price, well known in local jazz circles, once head of the Jazz School and his repertoire was John Abercrombie and related, tunes he'd written or recorded, Waltz new, You speak my language, Spring song, and Forrest flower, Kind folk and Invitation, if I got caught the titles.  The first set was originals, I think all by Ben, Blues for Don, Two step, Stumpy and Breath, again if I got it right.  Ben's set got quite odd in times, so my counts were often awry; I chatted with Ben about that later.  Little swing, but good dotted rhythms that sat beautifully with Chris and Nick, and 7s, 4s and the rest, but with phrasings that caught me out at least on one tune.  Suffice to say Nick was subtle in his lovely elaborations and Chris was delicious in his phrasing and embellishments, widely across the neck and up and down and into thumb positions.  Over this was Ben with humane phrasing (here's me thinking AI contrasts!), expressive and malleable, and later Mike swift and clear while coloured with reverb and/or delay as this the way with this period of guitar, spelling melodies and solos and responsive, elaborated chords.  All this is in the intimate bar space upstairs at Smiths for an appreciative audience.  Great stuff.  And I hear these Thursdays are likely to expand to weekly, with Byways continuing monthly and other regular outings led by some significant local players.

Byways was at Smiths Bar upstairs with regular performers Ben Marston (trumpet), Chris Pound (bass) and Nick McBride (drums) and guest Mike Price (guitar).

More movies

I had just played a concert entitled Movie magic with NCO on Sunday and the following Wednesday I record a gig called Hollywood with three of the members of NCO, all three notable woodwind players.  Strange that, but I'm learning that film music can be very satisfying and complex and worthy.  This was Aeolus Trio - flute, clarinet and bassoon; Jodie, Lis and David - playing a string of memorable tunes from movie soundtracks and turning this into a trivia outing.  So after each tune David would seek answers - what's the title, film, date, perhaps stars and other trivia.  We all know these tunes, often songs with lyrics, but we don't always recognise the source.  And to top this off, in place of a tune list, the program just offered spaces to complete - Item 1..., Item 2..., and so on.  Amusing.  Films and titles included Magnificent seven, As time goes by / Casablanca, two from Wizard of Oz, Hatari, Sound of Music, Moon river / Breakfast at Tiffany's, Thoroughly modern Millie, Chocolat, and more, with What's new pussycat as an encore.  Suffice to say, fabulous compositions (including two by my pop hero Burt Bacharach), deeply satisfying tunes, nicely arranged for the wind trio variously by the Jodie, Lis and David, good playing and huge fun.  What's not to like.  I could come around to film music and to trivia, if I just tried a little.

Aeolus Trio performed film music and associated trivia at Wesley.  Aeolus comprises Jodie Petrov (flute, piccolo, alto), Lis Hoorweg (clarinet) and David  Whitbread (bassoon).

Jamalong jamasong

Another jam session and some of the same faces and some not.  When I arrived, Leisa Keen and Steve Richards were on stage and a choir was assembling, the Woden Voices, SATB in a fairly small package of 7 women and three men.  They sang some very satisfying tunes - Opus 1, Nice'n'easy - with a lively swing and crisp vocals.  Then a few choir singers having a go as soloists, Leisa moving to the acoustic grand and Peter and Nitya joining in.  Then more.  I had a go later, with Alysa, Simon and others.  Fun.  I had previously found the house double bass wanting, but it's now got a pickup and the action is adjusted and I enjoyed the outing on an acoustic bass rather than electric, despite the indulgent speed possible on the e-bs.  Nice and thanks to Nigel, Beth and whoever may have adjusted the bridge.

Leisa Keen (piano) with Steve Richards (drums) led and backed the Woden Voices choir at Smiths McGregor Hall.

Musical magic of movies

Thus NCO finished its year, with another popular outing, this time of movie music.  This was not trivial stuff (mostly) or, if trivial, madly entertaining.  There was Beethoven Symph no.7 mvt.2, so famous and well used in cinema, as are the other classics, from Khachaturian Spartacus and the delicious Elgar Nimrod.  Then challenging film musics of John Williams, Max Richter, Klaus Badelt, for films including ET, 007, Jurassic Park, Pirates of the Caribbean, and some plain fun-cum-larks from Kpop, Chicken run and the likes.  It had been a fairly limited rehearsal run and I'd missed a few weeks in Adelaide but it worked out perfectly well.  Then dinner at Kingo Pub but I was otherwise engaged, and Chrissie and next year's NCO 45th anniversary.  Great to be a part of such an organisation of such combined seriousness and plain fun.  Thanks Louis, Martin, the Committee, my fellow bassists and all!

National Capital Orchestra performed Movie magic at Snow Concert Hall under Louis Sharpe (MD, conductor).  Bottom enders were Juliet Flook, Roger Grime, Jennifer Groom, Greg Perkins and Eric Pozza (bass).

Many happy returns

Number Junky returned to Smiths, this time upstairs, and I was entranced by their performance as I was the previous time I heard them, 2 years back.  Again, all those complex counts and melodies that interpret chords but don't define them to the ears so obviously, although chords there are and they do appear occasionally.  This is despite Kristian's left hand that's often formed as a chord or Zac's left hand again formed in that double bass pattern covering all four strings - tonic, third, flat or natural seventh, perhaps fourth or flat fifth - chords again in evidence but solos expressed gently as melodies not extravagant bop lines (which I also love, of course; just not their style) with intervals and phrasing for lovely outings.  Zac told me of his love of Charlie Haden; it fits.  And Peter's inconspicuous grooves that interact and respond to his partners, subtly and with lovely colour, but deliciously also follow and even define grooves, if almost covertly.  They played the tunes from their third album, Convergence, recently released.  Most originals are by Kristian, with one by Zac, two standards significantly modified in arrangements by Kristian (Milestones / John Lewis, Stella) and two tunes by Danish composer Carl Nielsen, suffice to say no.66 and no.246, again arranged by Kristian.  These remain consistent with the complexity and purity of the originals, complex and subtle and satisfying.  Sadly I missed their afternoon ANUSOM workshops both times.  They must have been doozies!

Number Junky performed upstairs in McGregor Hall at Smiths.  NJ are Kristian Borring (guitar), Zac Grafton (bass) and Peter Evans (drums).

Stormy seas and becalmed regions

There are a series of choral outings coming up this Christmas and Verdi Requiem by Canberra Symphony Orchestra was our most recent.  Basically the program was just Verdi.  There was an introduction with a solo horn offstage playing a commission composed by Liza Lim, called Dianna, evoking the Australian bush and Magpie sounds but it was very short, perhaps one minute.  Then CSO with CSO chorus and four solo singers and this big work, Verdi Messa da Requiem, of 7 movements.  Big as in almost 2 hours; turbulent as in a repeated loud segment, initially from Dies irae, that suggested to me a floundering ship in a stormy ocean; then switching through voice and orchestra, somewhat lacking in orchestral movement to my ears, singers with minor accompaniment.  Stormy seas and becalmed regions.  I expose myself, but I didn't particularly respond to the work.  The playing was perfectly good.  I noticed the basses had some chillingly demanding lines and they pulled them off with aplomb.  I liked the performances; all were impressive: voices and choir, accompaniment and sectional plays, nicely done.  But that image of a floundering ship stays with me, and those long passages of solo song with minimal accompaniment.  The alternative of Mozart's Dies irae doesn't help.  Maybe I should have followed the words - Verdi is renowned for opera, after all - but his Requiem mass just didn't do it for me.

Canberra Symphony Orchestra performed Verdi Requiem at Llewellyn Hall under Jessica Cottis (conductor) with the CSO Chorus and soloists Helena Dux (soprano), Deborah Humble (mezzo-soprano), Paul O'Neill (tenor) and Warwick Fyfe (bass). 

New names for old

John Ma and Marie Searles were at Wesley for a lunchtime concert and I never think other than I want to be there.  They are infectious, inventive or at least exploratory with their programming, and the play great! (Excuse the poor grammar but it fits here).  We were told that they wouldn't be playing the Bach (Sonata for viola da gamba, Gmaj BWV1027) which was in the printed program, not because they don't like Bach, but they don't love some Bach and this was one.  Instead we had a Graupner Ciaccone and a Fumeron Rondo.  Graupner with his connection to Bach and Fumeron as a rare female composer of the baroque days.  Then on through EJ de la Guerre, another early French woman composer, associated with the court of Louis XIV, an early composer of cantatas and a gifted improviser, and Schop with a melody borrowed form John Dowland.  Then the major work, a violin sonata by Michele Mascitti recounting the story of Psyche, a beautiful Royal daughter who Cupid falls in love with, despite the jealousy of his mother Venus.  They wrote stories in those days!  In the end, they split, reunite and marry.  Odd or at least unexpected.  But note the little known baroque composers, one work of which John had collected online from the Biblioteque Nationale de France.  Baroque is like that, and John and Marie are local, trained, Euro-experienced, informative and inviting participants.  Once again, they did not disappoint.

John Ma (violin) and Marie Searles (harpsichord) performed at Wesley.

An unexpected opportunity

It was with some excitement that I caught this gig.  Aziza had performed at the Melbourne International Jazz Festival and were bypassing Canberra, as they do, but not Adelaide and I happened to be in town.  Great!  Dave Holland, Chris Potter, Lionel Loueke, Eric Harland!  I'd seen them all before but not in this precise format, and let's face it, I am a bassist so Dave Holland with his 3 albums with Miles and more is significant.  And Chris Potter is a blast.  And they were playing at Her Majesty's, renovated over recent years but I hadn't visited since the '70s.  I remember Her Maj visits for Jan Akerman and Focus, Stan Getz, my third time seeing the musical Hair (after London and Sydney), probably more. In those days the original third tier of seating, the Gods, had been removed.  Now it's restored, the sound and lighting is great, the feel is comfy.  Given limited space, the foyers are now smaller and the bars and loos are oddly removed, but OK, but the feel inside the performance space is surprisingly intimate.  Just four guys on stage, and me located above the stalls and under the overhanging Gods, but it was good and even felt quite intimate.  So how was the band?  I both was filled with admiration and somewhat unexcited.  The playing was great and the tunes were supremely complex with unison passages abounding, all odd times and difficult counts.  In some ways they were just so good you didn't feel the difficulty.  Chris Potter is just a master, twisting lines but never losing the effect or the emotion, ever solid and reliable, despite mammoth outings on tenor and bass clarinet.  There were plenty of solo-solos by all, too, perhaps mostly for each composer's tune.  So Dave Holland introduced a few, Lionel Loueke perhaps another 2, Eric Harland and Chris Potter too.  Dave Holland was surprisingly steady and ordered, but that's his style.  Again, not stunning outings but effective and supportive, dotted rhythms, perhaps not one walk other than as a little fill, but ever varied in lines, interesting scalar note choices varying pitch and colours but only limited time in the thumb positions.  But again, always solid and reliable.  Great tone, too, little bottom end, plenty of middle, always clear and present.  Apparently Spirocore and Underwood and more (from Google AI): interestingly historic.  Lionel Loueke was intriguing with voice and guitar, quite unusual to my ear in soloing and wonderfully leading in chordal accompaniment.  I was most pleased earlier on with some exploratory chords to which Chris responded wonderfully effectively.  But his tone seemed somewhat ill-defined to me, perhaps given my location.  I didn't follow Eric Harland too closely, but then heard some sparse intrusive metallic hits from the right side of the PA that reminded me to listen.  Delicious, responsive, talkative playing and several lovely solos over ostinatos (which I like).  I read John Shand (Sydney Morning Herald, 30 Oct 2026, p.17) today reviewing the Sydney gig and he spoke of double snares, double hi-hats and double floor toms sitting on the floor and of an "everchanging nature of his kit".  And of "collaborative genius".  Interestingly, I heard from some local musos in the know that he'd been using cymbals from a local Adelaide maker.  Just confirmation.  We heard the names of most or all tunes and the composer, all members composing something of the ~8 tunes on the night, to play a 1hr45m set: obviously well timed given the end spot on 9.30pm.  I looked up Aziza later on Spotify and they seem to have just one album with just these tunes so presumably they were touring this album.  I look forward to revisiting the clever and competent writing and performance, although it's never like the live outing.  It's strange how such immensely capable musicians can leave you just excited but not so much overwhelmed.  I think because they are just so, so good and maybe also that I am leaning to voice and lyrics and despite Lionel Loueke's voice, I doubt there were lyrics to chase up.  Maybe there are; I will investigate.  But that Chris Potter plays another devastating line just becomes an expectation and that Dave Holland plays those everchanging, unpretentious and totally fitting bass parts is just what you come to expect.  Strange that!

Aziza performed at Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide.  Aziza comprises Dave Holland (bass), Chris Potter (tenor, bass clarinet), Lionel Loueke (guitar, vocals) and Eric Harland (drums).

History with an H

I'm always on the lookout for musical events wherever I venture to, and this was a doozy.  I've heard historically aware concerts with various techniques and instruments but this spanned a millennium of European music, with a string of firsts highlighted and a cupboard full of instruments, including some I'd never heard of.  The gig was called Music of the middle Ages 400 to 1500; the performing ensemble was the Magpie consort, presented by the 60-yo Mount Lofty Music Club in the venerable stone of Norton Summit and the very apt St John's Anglican Church; the costumes and instruments were expected and even an Aussie Magpie puppet was welcome.  There was considerable work in development of this program, so we heard post-Hopy Roman Empire C5th Armenian music, through Byzantium, past Gregorian chant, from single part melodies to two-parts (~900CE), three (~1,200CE) and four-parts (~1,400CE), demonstrated in song and instruments, a borrowed hurdy gurdy plus rebec, crumhorn and cornemuse, psaltery, kantele and more common harp, recorders, oud, finger cymbals and percussion, early bagpipes, perhaps more?  And of course, voice, presumably the source of all this, three female, one male, variously combined and in those particularly styles, obvious especially in the earliest days of simple melody and drones then developing to the complexity of parts and harmony and even parts with different words.  There must have been huge work in development of such a program, finding some of the earliest surviving written music (Mesrop Mashrops 362-440), the earliest known surviving music of a female composer (St Kassia 810?-85?), early English, the famed polymath Hildegard von Bingen, the Crusades, France and early polyphony (Perotin), the Camino to Santiago de Compostella and Cantigas de santa Maria, Richard the Lionheart, a female troubadour Beatrice Comtesa di Dia, then interval and another half.  Too much to write.  All done with awareness of the eras, I guess as far as we so far know, good voices and apt, often fairly simple instrumentation.  I particularly loved the voices, perhaps male singing an instrumental-like low part and those female voices soaring, especially one soprano of note.  The Magpies have performed at festivals in Europe and plan to tour again soon enough.  I can understand given their commitment and research and performance and clear love for the eras.  A history lesson as much as a pleasure, as both it was.

Magpie Consort comprised (from left in the pics) Kenneth Pope, Anna Pope, Emma Horwood and Eleanor Pope.  MC performed at St John's Anglican Church in Norton Summit for the Mount Lofty Music Club.

Transferrals

It's a massive weekend of jazz in Canberra but I'm off in Adelaide for family matters, but Quentin Angus and MSFS was on tour and performing at Adelaide University just the day before their Canberra gig.  Great.  In Scott Theatre, ~150 in attendance with plenty of free seats to move around.  First up, sitting in the first row to see details; later, near the mixer to hear the PA and mix more.  And it was a fascinating outing.  A rhythm section of guitar, 6-string e-bass and drums, with male rapper, female singer and two female backing vocals.  It was this mix that I found so inviting, the whole in two halves.  First half was a series of tunes, one or maybe two from each performer.  So some instrumentals, rap and vocals, piano and vocals, a rhythm section trio and the like.  The second half was their album that they (other then the invited local backing singers, I guess) were releasing on this tour, with vinyls at the entrance.  A fabulous idea, again a mix of tunes from instrumentals to raps to songs, this time with one solo tune from each of guitar, bass and drums, labelled as intros to other songs, most interesting for the electronics, loops and the like, especially on bass.  And this was a mix of place, of origin, of culture, of current residence, so the album was apparently developed in various studios at various times.  It's a wonder what our systems now allow.  And I loved the sound of rap with those three female voices, as I love voices, although I missed most lyrics which are the essence of song but seldom too recognisable in live music.  If I got it right, the locations were Adelaide Hills>NYC for Quentin; LA for Zoe; Nigeria>NZ for Mazbou Q; Japan>NYC for Moto; NYC for drummer Kenneth; Adelaide for background singers Clara and Jasmine.  Another surprise was the extent of musical backgrounds of the players, from classical orchestras to musicals to big bands and the strings of names they had played with although NYC and its jazz training can be like that.  I loved the music, felt drenched with lithe or funky 16-note bass, effective and understated guitar that defined the role of leader, solid, absolutely definitional drumming, rap with its odd times and presumably political expression (although more jovially, with audience involvement in this case; what fun), lovely expressive song from LA and gentle and apt BG vox.  Not just jazz, which I liked, but an expression of intelligent, contemporary music with a huge range of ideas and interpretations and great chops.  It's not for nothing that pic of two guys with me in the front row mimicking drums.

Quentin Angus (guitar, band leader) led his partners MSFS (band player initials) at Adelaide University for their album (Time cycles) release tour.  MSFS are Zoe Sparks (vocals), Mazbou Q (rap vocals), Moto Fukushima (6-string e-bass) and Kenneth Salters (drums).  Joining them in Adelaide were Clara Ferguson (backing vocals, piano) and Jasmine Hall (backing vocals).

ANUSOM not SCUNA

I've had to explain SCUNA to a few people over recent days and maybe the abbreviation ANUSOM is much the same, but I haven't done it.  [BTW, another difference: SCUNA is an acronym; ANUSOM is an initialism). Anyway, this was the annual fund raiser concert for the ANSOM (ANU School of Music) jazz school with the jazz orchestra led by Con Campbell and a small ensemble led by James Luke and the whole introduced by Greg Stott.  The numbers weren't so large this time, but there are various gigs coming up, not least the Jazz Orch with the Classical Orch in Llewellyn soon.  The orchestra was lovely and loud, playing complex arrangements of Central Park North, Body & soul, Ya gotta try and Malaguena.  Con led 5 saxes (bari, 2xalto, 2xtenor), 6 brass (3xtpt, 3xtrom) and a rhythm section of piano, guitar, bass and drums.  All pretty standard and thrilling in this format, noisy and complex and satisfying as this music is.  The small ensemble was James with Josh (guit), Caleb (keys) and Oscar (drums).  Notably they played two originals, one each from Oscar and Caleb, both really impressive, and a few standards, Stomping at the Savoy, Triste and a take on Sweet and lovely with considerable arranging.  If I heard right they had retitled this as Tweet and lovely, but probably not...  A nice outing but sadly for too few supporters.

The ANU Jazz Orchestra and a small ensemble performed in the Band Room at the ANUSOM.

Palace or chamber

I think it was Hampton Court Palace where Henry VIII strolled in while we were in the room.  But then it was not the real Henry VIII and the room didn't lend itself to intimate music anyway, like that was played in chamber.  I think of such things when I hear harpsichord and a solo instrument, or here, voice.  Ariana was playing with alto Teresa, starting with Couperin on solo harpsichord then Cesu and Vivaldi, again solo harpsichord by Zipoli then Giacomelli, Conti and Handel to finish.  The composers are very Italian or European, other than Handel with his connections with England, and the lyrics were appropriately operatically despairing, of love, delight, dreams, despising, ignited flames, tyrants and the like; and amusingly the aria from the Princess-courtesan declaring love for her idolised long-lost prince who has fainted from her rage.  This era was not so simple.  Anyway, a lovely outing of period music and operatic emotions and a little amusement for our overly confident era.

Ariana Odermatt (harpsichord) soloed and accompanied Teresa Block (nee Wojcik, mezzo soprano) at Wesley.

Uni larks

It was another opportunity to play some great music with a choir and I loved it as always.  These choir spots are short on rehearsals, perhaps one for the musicians then a get-together with the choir and the performance, usually with a good run of a capella singing.  And how I love choirs, given my contention that the voice is the most intimate and emotive of human musical sounds.  But in addition, this was SCUNA with the University lark of their title, SCUNA.  I explained it to several people on the weekend, best not to do it here.  Suffice to say, it amuses me and others.  The concert was a playoff of JS Bach vs GF Handel, with compositional pairings and cheers measured for intensity (rough dBs) by the host known only as Leo Amadeus.  SCUNA performed some seriously great music and apparently it always does.  Our Camerata played just 4 of 15 tunes, but they were to die for: Zadock the priest, Magnificat Dmaj, Jesu Joy of man's desiring and Hallelujah chorus.  Otherwise the choir sang works of genius from Messiah, Donna nobis pacem and Paul Simon Bridge over troubled water to end (said to be influenced by one or other composer, but Wikipedia identifies a gospel song by the Swan Silvertones).  This was all directed and conducted and occasional sung with by Veronica with keyboard accompaniment from Anthony Smith and occasionally flutes and the Camerata.  All held together by a jovial and inviting commentary-cum-introduction-and-scoring by Leo Amadeus in apt costume.  Not sure of Leo's non-stage name: I can only guess.  In all, a great pleasure in a restored but seemingly unchanged ANU University House Great Hall under artwork of Leonard French and all recorded by Tim Lamble.

SCUNA (ANU Choral Society) performed works of Bach and Handel at the ANU with the SCUNA Camerata, under Veronica Thwaites-Brown (conductor, MD) with accompaniment from Anthony Smith (piano) and running commentary by Leo Amadeus (MC) and audio recorded by Tim Lamble.

Many happy returns

It can be quite intriguing watching young players as they develop over the years.  Thus it is with Charles Huang.  This concert featured Schubert impromptu Abmaj, two Chopin Etudes, op.25 no.3 and no.5, the longer and more developed 3 and the unexpectedly short 5, and Beethoven Sonata no.3 Cmin, early, in four movements and dedicated to Haydn, and lengthy, lasting ~25mins.  The Schubert impromptu and Beethoven were easily recognised but the two Chopin etudes less so, at least to me.  And Charles impresses as expected, given his history or piano competitions and Eisteddfods.  Congratulations and thanks to Charles and his piano teacher father, Jinbo.

Charles Huang (piano) performed at Wesley.

Travels and memories

I associate saxes with jazz rather than classical, but I was taken by the Andromeda Sax Quartet that played at Wesley.  I was recording and I had recorded them before and the theme of the concert, Mass transit, seemed pretty pedestrian (well, not on foot, but you get the idea) but it was anything but.  So we heard a string of cities imaged by composers in their youthful ramblings, Cordoba, Sarajevo, Koln and Addis Ababa from Guillermo Lago and Lisboa, Casablanca, Alger and Retour from Pedro Iturralde, and a view of the worlds from Irish composer Emma O'Halloran after a move to Miami, picturing the city of night life and ocean.  These are not particularly known composers showing the adventurousness of the Quartet and the rarity of the sax quartet format, probably/perhaps both.  The format is Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Baritone saxes, so a neat choral-like structure and related somewhat to the much more common string quartet.  They added a piano for the second half of the show which included the concert's namesake, Mass transit.  This was originally written for string quartet and piano and arranged for this format: very successfully even if the piano was lost amongst some loud horns (excuse the jazz-ism).  This particularly interested me, given it was a memory of the composer's, Sam Wu's, memories of public transport in Shanghai, metro, gardens, train announcements and the rhythms of motion.  It was particularly interesting for me as we'd been in Shanghai just weeks before and travelled the 300kpm, 7min maglev trip to the airport which appears as mvt.3 Airport express.  So it was close to home but also loud and insistent and adventurous and wonderfully capable.  Chatting with the group afterwards, I heard of workshops and friendships with the masters of the classical sax world.  I guess this is a pretty small community and well known within its own world: something that strings or even woodwinds and the rest might not know.  Whatever, this was a fabulously interesting outing, loud, skilled, mature and responsive and open to all manner of new classical and related musics, from jazz-like grooves from bari and tenor through pretty 30's-like big bands to C20th classics.  Catch them if you can.

Andromeda Sax Quartet comprises Paige Gullifer (soprano), Ryan Piccione (alto), Henry Docker (tenor) and Sam Dong (baritone) and Catherine Li (piano) joined them for the second half of the performance.