SoundOut 2025-2

Then Zosha Warpena from USA playing hardanger d'amore.  This caused quite a thrill, both for the performance, sometimes drone-like or rhythmic developing from a 3-feel, all with overlaid vocals, and the instrument.  We weren't alone in being perplexed by the instrument.  Hardanger is a Norwegian viola with 9 strings (read Wikipedia), four played and 5 resonant strung underneath or through the neck, a flat fingerboard lending itself to double stops, gut strings and baroque-like convex bow.  Quite lovely and something quite new to the room.  Zosha told me she's studied classical violin but did her masters on the hardanger and the vocals were something of her invention.  Quite lovely.  Then a session with piano, soprano sax, drums, trumpet/flugelhorn and cello.    Hubbub pianist Frederic Blondy was enthusiastic and creative and essentially led this performance to my ears.  Italian soprano saxist Gianni Mimmo was fabulously expressive in fluid, harmonically clear and penetrating response in somewhat like bop-styled chordal movements and cellist Peggy Lee of Canada/Melbourne strongly parallelled and supported the piano with obviously well-trained ostinato and other rhythmic patterns.  Miro listened and inserted himself several times with busy and apt jazz-like phrasings and Sydney drummer Hayley Chan was reserved primarily on cymbals. 

Zosha Warpeha (hardanger d'amore, vocals, USA) performed solo.  Federic Blondy (piano, France) performed with Gianni Mimmo (soprano, Italy), Peggy Lee (cello), Miroslav Bukovsky (trumpet, flugelhorn) and Hayley Chan (drums).

SoundOut 2025-1

There are 4 SoundOut sessions and 3 workshops, but it's a busy weekend so I can just get to one session.  Unfortunate, as it's a big year with a slew of internationals, even a whole band from France, as well as our locals and others.  My session was no.3, Saturday evening.  I walked in to hear a rising clamour from tenor, alto, soprano saxes, guitar and drums while visual artist Locust Jones made black on white painting against a wall, sometimes with his nose.   Several of these musicians were from Hubbub, that French group, along with an Italian soprano saxist and SoundOut director Richard Johnson.  LJ also had a series of large-scaled politically-themed painting in the main gallery and they were fascinating.  Then Great Waitress+ with clarinet, piano and accordion. I felt this was strongly led by Magda Mayes, Berlin pianist, with apt harmonies from Laura Altman on clarinet and a light wash of colour and presence from Monica Brooks on accordion.

Locust Jones (visual artist) performed visual arts with musical accopaniment from Jean-Luc Guionnet (alto, France), Gianni Mimmo (soprano, Italy), Jean-Sebastien Mariage (?, guitar, France), Edward Perraud (drums, France) and Richard John son (tenor).  Great Waitress+ comprised Laura Altman (clarinet), Monica Brooks (accordion) and Magda Mayas (piano, Berlin). 

Bigs and littles

Callum Allardice appeared upstairs at Smiths, in McGregor Hall, in quartet format.  Interestingly, his merch was essentially two albums: one of this very quartet playing this format in this concert and this music  and the other a much bigger outing called his Cinematic Light Orchestra, comprising the band with significant orchestral accompaniment, strings, horns, all written and arranged by Callum.  I was impressed both ways.  Some of the tunes from the large ensemble were played on the night by the quartet and this was significant.  Callum writes his music and it's rich and evocative and can expand to the millions but is served perfectly well by a quartet, at least one that's receptive and aware and with musical maturity to respond.  Callum lays down most melodies with a clear, perhaps distorted or delayed but uncluttered tone, perhaps call and response in the melody, certainly interesting and complex, followed by solos to explore but respond to the essence of the melody.  Luke is rich in response too, but such differently toned on piano, and perhaps more open to expansive interpretations.  This is essentially the rhythm section of the orchestral outing, and they were to die for.  Tom quite simply spelling varied rhythms for immense ensemble stability if with lovely, neck long arpeggiations to fill and engaging if uncomplicated thumb position solos spelling the tune with a lovely respectful response, providing admirable firmness for Hikurangi to let fly often enough on drums.  It's a common theme for firmness and bustle to coexist between bass and drums.  In the end, I took the quartet CD given it's a better representation of the gig on the night but the two display the capability of Callum and his writing, despite his Berlin experience (as him about that!).   A hugely rich and satisfying set of tunes and capable expression by the band.  This was the first of their east coast tour, so catch them if you can.

Callum Allardice (guitar, composition) led a quartet with Luke Sweeting (piano), Tom Botting (bass) and Hikurangi Schaverien-Kaa (drums) upstairs at Smiths.