Astonishments

There was something very Japanese about Mitsuru Tabata and Shoji Hano performed at Smiths, single minded, committed, excellent, but also connected in joy.  It's not an image we think of but it's what I saw well enough in Japan when there for a few weeks.  Very busy so that's a first image, distant, private, but not that way really.  I chatted with Mitsuru and he was friendly, welcoming, perhaps given a pic of a Tokyo club with free improv.  So what of it?  I was amused to find a cast of many older but also younger for this outing that no one knew but promised a blast.  It was a blast!  I was initially confounded, it being hard on, unrelenting, atonal, noisy improv, effects on guitar and loops and hard hitting unrelenting drums.  How does this fit with other loves, orchestral, choral, bebop and the rest?  Nothing of that order, but perhaps not absolute improv: I guessed some shouts may have signified changes, but they had both been shouting and the end of the first number (~35mins) came neatly given Bevan's clock viewed form the stage, and the request for another that then lasted neatly to 15 mins and the gig's end-time, and there were chords that suggested song (just maybe) at the start of this second tune. So maybe (very slightly) more ordered than I noticed.  But a string of different eccentric sounds and styles if not obviously structured, plenty of pick influence from guitar and those driving drums beyond beats, effects and effort and abandon all round.  Pretty loud too.  I was initially perplexed but finally captivated.  So much fun, too, to see how they managed the crowd for a long cheering finale and plenty of smiles and expressed captivation.  We all love the Japanese and there was much love for Mitsuru and Shoji at Smiths that night.

Mitsuru Tabata (guitar) and Shoji Hano (drums) performed at Smiths on tour from Japan.

In our veins

I heard only hours later on BBC World Service a passing comment that there are more punk bands and the like now than in the '70s/'80s when it all happened and also that those old punks are still pogoing.  It was something like that for band and audience when Fowl Weather Vein played at Smiths for a very mixed-aged audience who enjoyed all this immensely.  Their spiel talks of post-punk, post-blues, post-whatever and sea shanties and spaghetti westerns.  All manner of presumably originals, solid bass and unassuming keys, driving drums, choppy guitar and outlandish vocals (and pouncing vocalist) as is the way and as we love it.  I liked it lots.  Fun to revisit the era, even if I'd shied away into bebop pretty much when it first arrived.  It was Dylan who sang wisely "Ah, but I was so much older then / I’m younger than that now" (Back pages / Bob Dylan, 1964).

Sydney group Fowl Weather Vein support Mitsuru Tabata and Shoji Hano at Smiths.  AI advises FWV are Paul Simpson (vocals), Paul Berwick (guitar), Keith Claringbold (bass), Paul Timmins (keys) and Mark Nicholson (drums).

Dalla Sicilia

We don't hear music like this too often, meaning authentic performers from Sicily or otherwise, but we did this night, upstairs, in the bar, at Smiths.  It was a small gathering, Fabio and Barbara were travelling and performing in various cities, with daughter Adele who sat in for the final song.  And they performed quite a mix, what with Fabio on classical guitar playing solo music of Spain and more and Barbara joining in for a string of songs from Naples (Napoli) and Sicily (Sicilia) and more too.  They mentioned that Neopolitan song was more serious (was that the exact description?) but at least one was a luscious film tune (Torna a Surriento).  We were struggling with language, F&B with English, me with my Italian, helpfully there was a Chilean with Italian and lots more.  We can travel anywhere and default to English and it's handy, but a limiting thing, I feel, curbing our opportunities to enter a culture.  But song works regardless and there were plenty of lively, dancey tunes sung in Italian, perhaps in some local dialect, not sure.  This was a night of closeness to a famed local culture from 12,000km away.  Many thanks and ciao to Fabio and Barbara and Adele.

Fabio Barbagallo (guitar, vocals) and Barbara Intagliata (vocals, tambourine) performed at Smiths and Adele (vocals) sat in for the final song.

Miro and Miles

Miro returned for Geoff at Smiths and we got what we love, his tuneful glorious tunes, his fabulous players, his good understated good cheer and this time there were extras.  Firstly up a second set with a dedication to Miles to celebrate the anniversary of Miles' birthday (26 May 1926) playing All blues and Blue in green and Footprints, presumably celebrating Wayne Shorter and Miles' second great quintet, and another I missed.  The first set were famed and much loved tunes from Miro, Mumbo Jumbo, Bronte Cafe, Delicatessence, and one introduction from the pianist, Sophie Min.  I've raved many times about Miro, James, John, Fabian, James but not heard Sophie although I'd heard tell of her as a new piano teacher at the ANUSOM.  So great to catch her and she was great!  Hugely mellifluous in harmonic movements, dissonant or consonant, moving intervals or steps, right hand lines with the left hand chord or perhaps not, forceful and driving statements, moving colours and challenging note relations, wonderfully playing off and to John, Miro, James.  It was her first outing with Miro and obviously well received by all.  Hear her on Bandcamp and elsewhere with her orchestra, solo or in groups with the likes of Helen Svoboda, Phil Trelour, James Sherlock.  And looking forward to some local outings.

Miroslav Bukovsky (trumpet, flugelhorn) led a sextet at Smiths for Geoff's Jazz with James Greening (trombone), John Mackey (tenor sax), Sophie Min (piano), James Luke (bass) and Fabian Hevia (drums).

Kingslanders

We heard a few CSO Kingsland Fellows before but not a feast of them as in this concert: flute, violin, trombone, accompanied by piano.  It is a good thing to see our local symphony orchestra offering this positions, it being an opportunity to develop and test yourself, I guess, amongst the pros (or part-time pros here in our modestly funded Canberra SO.  The theme was Ladies and gentlemen of French romanticism and the program cover was the flag-carrying Liberty leading the people.  Revolution=romanticism?  Close enough.  The composers were Chaminade, Saint-Saens, Farrenc and Guilmant, pretty much around late 1800s.  The performers were Amanda Tao on flute playing Saint-Saens; Jacob Aziz on violin; Jessica Hall on trombone; Hilda Visser Scott on piano for a solo Chaminade, then accompaniment.  Nicely played and well enjoyed all, and some challenging reading for Hilda.

Amanda Tao (flute), Jacob Aziz (violin) and Jessica Hall (trombone) are CSO 2026 Kingsland Fellows.  They played at Wesley with accompaniment by Hilda Visser Scott (piano).

Jampacked

I got to the latest Smiths jam and it was a string of varied players of various levels but as always a love of the art.  Many were local I'd seen at this session, but there were also new people with various instruments, not least singers.  This incarnation was led with inspiring bass playing and inviting stage management by Ben O'Loghlin.  Several names I've mentioned before at these jams, not least Mic, Oliver, Mark, Simon H, Jeremy.  I was interested in Simon Milman on guitar and how he didn't just run chords but moved over harmonic structures.  Oliver was something like that too, and Mic lithe and flowing over the tune while Simon Halabi was more evident, rhythmic and historically engaged. As for Ben, you could see his mind working to recover and interpret each tune, unfazed and great memory.  All interesting.  But I'll highlight Flynn Marcus.  I've seen him at events and heard him sometime back, but this was the most recent outing that I've taken in and I was floored.  Lovely, lovely tone, expressive plays on melody and the song with occasional explosive runs, perhaps scalar, perhaps dissonant, perhaps pentatonics, and a presence that supported players and easily took on a leadership role.  I guess he has easy access to training and his gear is good and obviously well setup, but a very fine player already.  As for me, I couldn't handle the heavy house bass, but had a go on fretless e-bass later and struck some very tricky post-bop I'd heard but never played, so an exercise not done too well but enjoyed none-the-less.  Thanks to all.

Ancients don't go cheap

I'd been to some live or recorded presentations to ABC radio and they were interesting but essentially just a chance to see what you hear on radio, although there were live questions.  This was a chat for a podcast, perhaps a video podcast, and the first of this group's (HistoryHit) first international tour.  This was the podcast The Ancients, hosted as An evening with Tristan Hughes as the Canberra Theatre.  It was two hours with an interval ~20 minutes.  TH came on first up, walking around the stage ~20mins, telling us of the business and pics of an early meeting and his 600+ episodes, and that this was a first tour and Canberra was the first location, and that they chat of everything from Rise of Rome to whatever and it seemed TH had a particular interest in Alexander the Great for he got mentioned several times.  We were told the topic today was the Rise of Rome.  Then a welcome to ... (I missed the name and it's missing in the Canberra Theatre program page along with the topic), a jovial and lively and informed academic from NZ. Then the connection to The Odyssey and later Romulus & Remus and then the string of kings.  The topic was interesting and the chatter informed, from my impression, interestingly including topics of some academic contestation and there were some pics projected, although I would have liked to see more.  I lived in Rome for several years yonks back and might have recognised the items they mentioned if pictured.  Then interval and a return and more Rome chatter and some questions, not live but sent via QR code, and applause and a fairly quiet departure by a large audience, not full house but ~80% (Canberra Theatre seats 1,239 thus ~1,000).  I left having enjoyed it well enough and wondering if it will become another podcast (I fully expect it will).  And surprised there were so many people interested in "the Ancients" especially given no topic on the Canberra Theatre promotional page, but then this is Canberra, and prepared to pay $49-$109 + transaction fee.  Now for some freebies online ... oh, no, make that $114.99 AUD/yr to stream from HistoryHit.com; maybe free with ads on YouTube?

Tristan Hughes (podcaster) led a conversation for The Ancients podcast with ... (NZ Ancient History academic?) at Canbera Theatre.

Bassic matters

Two outings had me contemplating bass playing.  First up was a duo gig with James at Gundog Estate, playing a few hours and chatting with some of the visitors and staff.  The sound was so soft. I thought we were hardly hearable yet we were asked to turn down, but we were playing just feet from a table of ten.  The low volume was a pleasure and an opportunity to hear so softly, to contemplate melody and solos and passing ideas, to then talk of matters of performance, so this was wonderful and enjoyed and we played well on some James originals and a string of luscious standards.  Standards can be so beautiful and touching in an open, theatrical way, with fascinating intervals and lovely chordal movements and even opportunities to dirty things up with some dissonance.  A musical pleasure.

Outing no.2 was a three bass get together with Juliet and Jeremy before Jeremy's move to NYC to study bass.  It was a chat on technique from basic to advanced, cycles of arpeggios to upper octave pentatonics, exercises and training resources, mostly lesson-like with a string of interesting quotes (Jeremy is great on meeting renowned players and has fascinating quotes to share) and then a short spot of sharing instruments and jamming together.  Three basses with Juliet's Adam sitting in on piano for a bit.

It all may seem a bit incestuous, as are discussions in orchestral sections within and between sections (eg, basses often talk to basses and somewhat to cellos) but it is such a valuable self-led lesson experience.

James Woodman (piano) and Eric Pozza (bass) performed at the Wine cellar at Gundog Estate in Gundaroo.  Jeremy Tsuei, Juliet Flook and Eric Pozza (basses) talked and played bass, sometimes with Adam Hilhorst (piano).

Not Zimmerman

There were so many ways that this was an unusual Canberra Symphony Orchestra outing.  We walked in to find no printed programs, but a QR code with a link to CSO program for the year and the program for this concert.  Walking to our seats we find almost no one we recognised: this seemed a new group, different, perhaps younger and that's OK.  It was a full house or close enough: film music is popular and this was the music of Hans Zimmer, composer of Interstellar and Lion King and Pirates of the Caribbean and Dune and Gladiator.  And Driving Miss Daisy.  And a string of films I didn't know, Kung Fu Panda and Holiday and Thin red line and more.  Even those I knew of I mostly hadn't seen.  But I had played some Zimmer along with other film composers at an NCO concert and enjoyed the whole but he was not one I most admired.  Then it was a big orchestra, ~80, and had a rhythm (section) of guitar, e-bass and drums.  Strange that, with Chris and Nick from the jazz scene and Dave, normally from the CSO bass section, on e-guitar.  They didn't play too much: mostly Nick on drums, occasionally Chris, occasionally Dave, but he did have a standout, they might say solo, somewhere, with a repeating line with sustained, distorted guitar.  Standard metal tone if not so exciting.  Also four double basses, btw.  And a cello taking the part of and sounding often quite similar to a Chinese Erhu, especially up the neck, and voices in another piece that I guessed came from unison flutes and violins/violas although later someone suggested synths from one of two keyboard players.  Then later still an actual woman singer, first up wordless, then I think later with words, but not too sure.  And demonstrations by the orchestra of things, like how a very known song was slowed and made sparser of become the soundtrack.  And all this with commentary that I thought I had read in the program, from two fellow influencers from Melbourne, one a jazz musician the other an academic who is known to friends, about the films and Zimmer and scoring and that he'd appeared in the backline of The Buggles for Video killed the radio star (worthy involvement there!) in both the first and last episodes of MTV.  Did I mention the smoke machine?  And those crescendos and repeated simple lines, and how someone said of film composition that the amateurs use three notes and pros just 2.  Zimmer certainly used few notes and certainly dragged immense dynamic changes from them, sometimes from choice of instruments, and again those repeated four notes (too many?) that I remember the high strings all played, together, incessantly if powerfully.  You felt the emotional intensity.  So too from the light show, and the smoke machines.  The Zimmer man, not Dylan.

Canberra Symphony Orchestra performed music of Hans Zimmer under Nicholas Buc (conductor) with commentary from Andrew Pogson and Dan Golding and song from Cassandra Seidemann (mezzo-soprano) and a rhythm section of David Flynn (guitar), Chris Pound (bass guitar) and Nicholas McBride (drum kit).

Egg

Renowned local theatre critic, Peter Wilkins, described it as an "eggcelent production" and I must agree.  I missed some of the gags, it being quick and witty and we weren't too close, but the story of the annual quiche breakfast of the Susan B. Anthony Society for the Sisters of Gertrude Stein meeting in whatever community hall with five leaders / members up front and the audience as part of the action was a strange and welcoming and joyous outing despite the dropping of a nuclear bomb and the need to remain indoors for 4 years and the accidental door issue at one time.  But there were also self-relevations, some unexpected, and challenging alternatives to save the world from nuclear annihilation and all round hilarity and consternation and love for quiches and their and others' eggs.  Great fun hinting at issues and fears that we should be better ready to deal with today, this being way past 1956 and the bomb and the Cold War.  I can see why this won a NY Fringe award.  One thing, though.  We all got labels with women's names.  Megan found her middle name and I did too, but mine was the traditional male spelling.  A very minor and somewhat amusing slip up in a wonderful outing.

Jarrad West (director) led Everyman (?) Theatre in 5 Lesbians eating a quiche at the ACT Hub, the 100yo Causeway Hall.  The cast was Crystal Mahon (Lulie Stanwyck), Steph Roberts (Wren Robin), Meaghan Stewart (Veronica ‘Vern’ Schultz), Sian Harrington (Ginny Cadbury) and Ylaria Rogers (Dale Prist).

Wind for weapon

It may not be the way that soldiers battle with woodwinds but it would be a better world.  This day our ADFA colleagues were playing at Wesley as they do a few times a year and they had woodwinds in their hands, so Sax and Clarinet quartets and a mixed Wind quartet and one duo of oboe with (dare I say, not wind) piano.  And the whole was a wonderful outing.  The compositions were sometimes lesser known, too, so the Sax quartet (soprano, alto, tenor, baritone) played two Andante and scherzo by Bozza, then that duet playing Poulenc from his oboe sonata, Clarinets with Saint-Saens Dance Macabre and a lively and ingenious work by Jean Francais, another lesser known to me, 3 movements of his Wind Quintet no.1 by the Wind Quintet of flute, oboe, bassoon, (French) horn and clarinet.  The woodwinds must enjoy their time away from the larger ensemble; I certainly do.  The tones are different out from full outings that I hear with strings, or perhaps they play with rhythm section and brass.  Those sinuous, flappy tones are blissful and often difficult to play and they have my admiration and pleasure when I record them and the repertoire is often different.  Always looking forward to the ADFA band making an appearance.

Woodwinds from the Band of the Royal Military College (Duntroon) played Bozza, Poulenc, Sain-Saens and Francais at Wesley.  The two named players of the program were Keelie McKenzie (oboie) and Nam Tran (piano) playing the Poulenc Oboe sonata, movement 1, Elegie.

Love and war

This is a theme that's around with the new film of The Odyssey but it's nothing new.  Two of our major classical music groups combined to do a program on this very topic, Guerrieri et Amorosi, Warriors and lovers, highlighting madrigals by Barbara Strozzi and Claudio Monteverdi, two major composers in mid/late-1600s Venice, Monteverdi older than Strozzi but both prolific and renowned, if Barbara is lesser so these days.  And a few instrumental pieces by Apeiron in respite by GB Vitali and Scarlatti.  Madrigals were written for solo voices, one for each part, and MD Dan Walker highlighted the challenge of this fluid music for a choir and Oriana did a wonderful presentation to my ears, capably accompanied by our renowned locals Apeiron Baroque as a quintet.  The themes suggest a more martial awareness by CM with an amorous sinfonia exploding into martial music, love portrayed as a literal disaster although later Cupid being praised rather than Mars.  Maybe because this Eighth Book of Madrigals is dedicated to the newly crowned Holy Roman Emperor.  Other the other hand, I note a sweetly sung song about an Athenian Maiden raped by the King of Thrace (lyrics by BS's father), a song on affections of the mind (Yearning, desire...) and an argument over sources of joy which resolved to a single kiss.  But this is just a sampler and my notes are just a borrowing from the program anyway.  But the song, the accompaniment, the vocals solos were a thing of great pleasure.  Again a warmly received concert and a full hose at Wesley for an imposing musical pairing.

Oriana Chorale was accompanied by Apeiron Baroque at Wesley with a program of madrigals by Claudio Monteverdi and Barbara Strozzi.  Oriana Chorale was conducted by Dan Walker (MD) with sometimes soloists Ali Hardy and Jade McFaul (sopranos), Oliver Bruhl, Cody Christopher and David Faraker (tenors) and Patrick Baker, Neil Bulleid and Joshua Dunne (basses).  Apeiron Baroque comprised John Ma and Brad Tham (violins), Marie Searles (harpsichord), Anton Baba (cello) and James Holland (theorbo).

Gospel and groove

Luke Sweeting was in town again with his Soul-Gospel band, a project of Luke and singer Eliza Kate, playing in the Street Theatre with the full 12-piece outfit and great sound and a string of original tunes amongst covers.  The theme is not my thing, but the music is and it was a blowout and the originals were every bit as good as those covers.  Busy chords, interesting melodies, great harmonies, funky or variously driving grooves embellished with a string of bass solos and solos from the other instruments, piano, not too many from guitar although one biggie, a few of each horn (two tenors an trumpet), some spots where the trio of backing singers took front lines, perhaps swapping lines with Eliza, perhaps with each other.  The balance was strong on bass and drums and Eliza's voice, choppy guitar and piano when it appears and the other voices and horns, perhaps less so for the organ which was discernable but soft, like piano much of the time.  The groove was the work of bass, drums and guitar, not unsurprisingly. I was amused by Luke standing to use a diminutive keyboard and hearing an effective clavinet or Rhodes; O brave new world / That has such [tech] in't.  Thus with the Hammond, of course, being these days shrunk to a keyboard.  I loved the grooves, the occasional odd timed bass lines, the effective bass and drum underlay.  Just lovely.  And those harmonies, not overbearing but rich and responsive, sitting over the powered and lively voice of Eliza who spelled every song of the evening except maybe one, a good 90+ minutes of solid, radio-length songs and just a few expanded with various solos, with her expressive voice and wide range and inviting presence of posture and movement and joy.  They quote a love of northern soul and there's a range of soul and gospel musics but what they do is a blast.  So much enjoyed.  Heard in a raked theatre setting but just threatening the dance floor.

Majesty Rising performed at the Street Theatre.  MR is a 12-piece soul-gospel band led by Eliza Kate (vocals) and Luke Sweeting (piano, MD) with a lineup of vox, 3xbacking vox, 3xhorns (2xtenor, tpt), piano, organ, guitar, bass, drums.

Not 10 but 20

I was intrigued by the idea of four-handed piano.  I had heard it before, rarely, but this was up close and I was recording and the pianists were two Italians on their first tour to Australia.  Of course there are four hands instead of two, 20 fingers instead of 10, so I could hear bigger sounds, more dense chords, moving melodies in different octaves, but also one finger can only play one note, so that's another rule.  It's still a piano so that percussive tone but it is distinctly bigger in sound and complexity.  They performers were Duo Mimesi, Federico treble and Gioia bass, but at least once an arm crossed when Gioia was playing full handed chords in the mid range and Federico reached over her busy arms.  And of course the repertoire, too, is different, even if the composers are similar.  In this case, Schubert variations and Lebenssturme, a Poulenc sonata and two dances from Rachmaninov and two Brahms walzes for an encore.  This is not light music and played with certainty and a ghostly togetherness.  It was interesting to see how they commenced a piece, one looking to the other or glances at hands, and to note that Gioia worked the pedal.  They held their spots on the piano, although they spoke later of playing each other's parts and swapping on other pieces.  But for this repertoire this was the share.  This was a big sound with dense writing and forthright performance.  Impressive and complex and not for the feint-hearted.  And so great to meet some travelling musicians, especially from Rome.  Lots to chat about.

Duo Mimesi performed four-handed piano at Wesley.  DM are Federico Bucaioni and Gioia Barbera (piano).

Blues crews

Ah it is fun to grab the JB and tail it down to the Canberra Blues Society jam session on a Sunday arvo and have a nice simple blues blow with that loud and clear backline.  The host band this day was Wally & Eric Crew and they are long termers in the CBS and authentic in their renditions and voices so a great pleasure.  The first item I encountered the CBS was yonks back at a venue near the Manuka Oval, was it the first location of the Eastlakes Club?  Then Tuggers, Austrian Club, Spanish Club, perhaps more, and now the Harmonie German Club with a decent hall and wonderful gear.  I'm revisiting recently.  My blow band just came together literally minutes before we went on stage.  Vox, 2 x guit, bass, drums.  Just three tunes, loud, D blues, A blues, an original with instructions: E, don't play the third. Well I played maj and min thirds in chromatic runs and b7 of course and it was a blast.  Again, noisy.  Aaron on vox, I missed the other names but drums was an ex-Army Band Euphonium player.  Big smiles.  Then a string of bands with familiar faces, some of whom I'd played with.  Once again no pic of my jam band.  Just one excellent German beer (dunkel) on tap and I had to leave before the end, but I came away with a smile on my face.  It's not complex music but it does have its style and authenticity and can merge into rock and it is fun.

Wally & Eric Crew were the host band at the Canberra Blues Society jam session at Harmonie German Club.  W&EC comprise John Van Buuren (guitar, vocal), Steve Hartnett (harmonica, vocal), Brian O’Rourke (bass) and Jonathan Jones (drums).