Jaminagin

Tuesday night, Smiths jam.  Megan's busy and less classical so I've got to a few jams recently.  And enjoyed them immensely.  Tonight was Greg Stott with Chris Pound and Gus Henderson for a very lovely host band.  Playing several tunes by the greatest composer of the C20th, suggested Greg, only partly in jest.  I remember sitting behind Greg and Mark Sutton, perhaps James Luke, at the Burt Bacharach gig at the Royal Theatre at the National Convention Centre early Nov 2015 and being stunned by the string of lovely melodies and huge hits, so many that the Look of love, Alfie, Wives and lovers, Walk on by, I say a little prayer and the like were just dumped in one of two huge medleys.  Beautiful playing and beautiful tunes from the hosts.  Then a string of the recurring jammers, plenty of singers, Nitya on soprano, a good friend Alysa who I got to play with, perhaps an oversupply of ballads, given the singers.  I was hoping for at least one take on Giant steps, something more up, but feeling the ballads through is a challenge in itself, changing feels and intensity over time and solos.  So great fun once again, and if you are interested, follow the link below to read my report on the Burt Bacharach gig with not a little admiration for Burt's compositions.  Greg, I can only agree: perhaps not the greatest composer but a pop composition genius.

Greg Stott (guitar), Chris Pound (bass) and Gus Henderson (drums) hosted the jazz jam at Smiths.

Burt Bacharach in Canberra  /  Setlist

Seeking past times

Shortis and Simpson often appear with offsiders and this was one and it was apt, given the theme was 1966 and all that, about that key year in popular music when The Beatles released Rubber Soul and Revolver and the offsider was a member of The Seekers, the Australian folk outfit who had kept the fab four and The Monkeys at bay with hits in the US  and Britain and Australia.  The offsider himself was band bassist and singer Keith Potger who happens to live outside Canberra and close enough to John and Moya.  These may be inspirational artists but they are also local.  And this may be the past that they were singing, but it was close for many in the audience who could singalong when called for, not least me.  But then these are key songs of a key year so widely known: big names, like Dylan, the Beach Boys.  WE hear do the Seekers performing with The Beatles and Rolling Stones at the New Musical Express Poll Winners gig that year, along with Dusty Springfield, Spencer Davis, Tom Jones, The Who, Yardbirds, perhaps more.  Big!  Cream, Hendrix, The Doors, the Monkeys and Zappa were also mentioned, although not at that gig.  So this was a big year and this was our take on this story.  I can't list the tunes, but some stuck, mostly Beatles but others including our Seekers.  The Beach Boys were a response to the Beatles and we heard God only knows what I'd do without you, which Paul McCartney apparently noted as the best pop song ever.  I knew the song, not so much as a fan, but hearing it again struck me with its truly glorious melody.  Other stuff happened that year, too, decimal currency, Menzies switching to Harold Holt, the Opera House NSW Government/Jorn Utzon split that we heard recounted as The tantrum of the opera.  Nice!  And I liked the politics of another later in the night, Dangers from the Right, to the music of Strangers in the night, obviously enough.  I also loved Keith's harmony on Homeward bound, sung by his partner Elizabeth Hawkes: probably the closest I heard to the luscious tones of the Seekers.  So a joyous and informative visit to 1966, getting on to high hippy times and the Summer of love and its downfall at Altamont.  It's all history and lovely to revisit a relatively optimistic year.

John Shortis (piano, vocals) and Moya Simpson (vocals) performed 1966 and all that at Smiths with ex-Seeker Keith Potger (banjo, guitar, vocals) and Elizabeth Hawkes (vocals).

Close to home

We discovered the ACT HUB with another play just weeks before, Five lesbians eating a quiche.  The ACT HUB is located in that century-old community hall in the Causeway, next to the Kingston Railway station and home of at least one very big kangaroo we saw hopping by as we left, and it hosts a string of local theatrical presentations, seeming to be amusing and worthy and cluey.  This one was I love you, you're perfect, now change.  Again a funny title and a significant off-Broadway history of success.  It's musical theatre, so songs and a small musical accompaniment, here keys and violin, in 2 acts and with some localisation and modernisation.  The first act on forming relationships features online dating, and the second act is all the result, the relationships and weddings and children and losses but also some touching scenes of mature relationships, but it remains predominantly heterosexual.  Modernisation didn't quite reach to LGBTQI+ although there are some mentions of lesbianism as an alternative and one scene has a gay male couple hamstrung and frustrated at home with a child when an old female friend visits for some entertainment.  The cast is 6, comprising 3 men and 3 women, all playing various roles in various romantic pairings and occasional stints as other family members.  Plenty of humour, quite a lot of song, lots of good will from audience and characters alike.  In the end, it portrays something we recognise and value and fear and it does it with some sympathy, so good, in a series of vignettes rather than a single story, and that fits.  The promo says "it celebrates love in all its messy, funny and totally human glory" and "honest...awkward...familiar".  Near enough for jazz, I reckon, even if the music was very much out of music theatre.

I love you, you're perfect, now change was written by Jimmy Roberts (music) and Joe DiPietro (book, lyrics).  This series was directed by Janie Lawson and featured Amelia Andersson-Nickson, Sarah Copley, Connor McNaught, Deborah O'Toole, David Pearson and Sam Thompson (cast) at the ACT HUB with musicians Leo Amadeus (keys, MD) and Laura Lay (violin).

ROI

I'll put a spot here for Tilt Alt. gig at Molly just because I really enjoyed it.  A Thursday night, shorter but later, 9.30pm start.  The room wasn't too busy but it was responsive and I enjoyed the playing immensely.  The mystery of playing continues.  I guess I've had those 10k hours over many years, from Led Zep and Deep Purple through bop and much later classical and through piano and e-bass to double, but my practice regime is only moderate these days and confidence is key but then I have some good offsiders, James and Mark, to explore with.  In the end, it was just ~14 tunes over 2 longish sets, so there were ideas mulling to cover the time.  Whatever, a worthy outing and some satisfying (emotional) return on investment and nice to sit for a beer and chat in the break.

James Woodman (piano), Mark Levers (drums) and Eric Pozza (bass) played as Tilt Alt. at Molly.

Thursday on Wednesday

It's a different gig when Ben Hoadley plays with Ariana Odermatt, not for the music itself or the competence (both are mightily worthy) but for the tones.  Ben plays bassoon and that satisfyingly fat deep tone that merges into more reedy in the higher reaches is so satisfying and his playing is wonderful, fast, always neatly timed.  I was amused by his introduction for a Francois Devienne sonata Ebmaj that is apparently a tricky key for bassoon and a great workout for the fingers, but I always heard the fast lines as neat and correct.  There's a reason he teaches at ANAM and more and plays widely including our CSO.  As for Ariana, this time on piano rather than her normal outings on harpsichord, there were some other witticisms; suffice to say she prefers the lighter, prettier harpsichord.  Interestingly, that same piece by Devienne  may have been written for harpsichord or more likely forte-piano, being from the start of the classical period.  Otherwise, this was a unique program, Dulcie Holland, JS Bach and Telemann frequent enough, an original by Ben originally written for trombone (!), a work by Sally Whitwell with a story of having been written one morning, transmitted to Ben and learnt and recorded and returned to Sally that very day (entitled Thursday theatre), Gillian Whitehead and to end, that Francois Devienne.  I guess we can expect a less common collection of tunes from a bassoon concert, but this was particularly interesting and inclusive and historically relevant to boot.  It was not a surprise to see a phalanx of renowned local players in the audience for this Wednesday lunchtime concert, to hear Thursday theatre and more.  Very much enjoyed and very nicely played all round.

Ben Hoadley (bassoon) performed with Ariana Odermatt (piano) at Wesley.

Visions no fear

Maruki always aims for a challenge and this concert was no different.  Strangely, we started with a symphony, then ended with smaller works, smaller but still with their challenges.  Suffice to say, Tchaikovsky symphony no.4 is no lightweight outing.  Mvt.1 is all odd counts and offbeats and rapid unexpected phrases; mvt.2 is comfy, then a fast mvt.3 played all pizz is strange but attractive and inviting; mvt.4 is rabidly rapid from the very top.  Get that bow moving and you care for the notes later although you do still care for the notes.  Then a 15min break, strange given the big work as a starter, and a return to Grieg, Berlioz and Borodin, all pretty turgid at times.  The Grieg was Peer Gynt suite no.1 in full, then Berlioz March to the Scaffold from Symphonie fantastique and an end of Borodin Polovtsian dances from Prince Igor with its lovely theme that was borrowed for Stranger in paradise, the lovely film theme we all know.  I'd played it all before, but still found plenty of challenges and great joy to return.  Again, big programs, big visions and no fear; go Maruki.

Maruki Community Orchestra performed Tchaikovsky, Grieg, Berlioz and Borodin at the Lyneham HS Performing Arts Centre under Paul Hubbard (conductor).