New faces

There was a time when I knew all the faces at the Jazz School.   They used to have plenty of events in the band room for smaller groups and the three large ensembles Recording Ensemble, Big Band and Commercial Band, and various gigs for smaller bands including staff and occasional visitors doing workshops.  Then there were the ructions and I also did more playing, jazz and classical, so was less available.  But I was surprised how many new faces there were at the Jazz and Contemporary Ensembles concert in the Band Room.  New faces and new names and a few that I knew from Molly or Smiths.  Nice to see.  Nice to hear, too.  There were five groups under the auspices of various staffers, Con, Lachlan (x2), John and the Recording Ensemble under Miro and John, ranging in size from 7-14 and in experience, 2 x 1st year, 2 x 3rd year and the Recording Ensemble which I assume is open by audition.  I enjoyed it throughout the ranges but obviously the groups get more adventurous and practiced with more years.  I also liked that there was so much inviting music and such a surfeit of vocals and harmonies.  The first group had concentrated on Joe Henderson and there was a lovely Lush life with the words to elucidate the heartache of the music.  Lyrics can be a key to me.  Then the next with several Stevie Wonder tunes, opening with the inevitable Sir Duke with three-part female harmonies, and then a few deeper ballads and a final Isn't she lovely.  The second ballad was Softy (as in the morning sunrise) in a deep 5/4 groove. Then the third group opening with There will never be another you with paired female vocals the finishing with an odd but intriguingly slow rendition of Well you needn't.  OI think it was this one that spoke of the soloistic approach, not too bull-at-gate but more considered.  Then the fourth with Invitation and Wayne Shorter.  And finally what must be the feature of the night, the Recording Ensemble playing a funky Les McCann Compared to what and finishing with a thrilling take on Joshua Redman Jazz crimes of many harmonies and challenging, changing melodies.  What a thrill to go out on!  I'd recognised various faces, Pete and Mereki and Elisha and Aidan and Oliver and Oliver and Jamie and perhaps some others and saw new notable faces and basses.  Several Fenders of course and a Melbourne mini double and a Stingray and a lovely fretless and Peter's unique Ibanez.  He'd told me he was playing a 7-string but no way I expected the Ibanez creation that he played, incorporating 3-string fretless with 4-string fretted.  It was the Ibanex Ashula SRAS7: only from Ibanez.  Fascinating.  So much enjoyed with new faces and a few other discoveries.

The Jazz and Contemporary Ensembles concert was in the Band Room at ANU and featured 5 bands and students of various years along with the Recording Ensemble.  My apologies to any I missed in the pics.

Many happy returns

There was a time with three large ensembles at the Jazz School.  Now there are two, or at least at the Friends concert we heard two, and they were wonderful, inventive, capable groups and a huge pleasure to revisit.  Why am I so excited?  Because small bands are wonderful but relatively easy to create; big bands, jazz orchestras and the like are difficult.  They require charts and practice and interplay at a different level and they return a complex, integrated sound at best.  The bands were the ANU Jazz Orchestra and the ANU Recording Ensemble.  They are mostly made up of ANUSOM students but also open to non-SOM ANU students.  Greg Stott is musical director for the Orchestra; Miro Bukovsky for the Recording Ensemble.  The Jazz Orchestra is a more standard format.  I find a Jazz Orch to be more modern and exploratory in its charts, but essentially the format is much the same as a traditional big band: rhythm section and colours from saxes, troms and trumpets.  Perhaps a singer.  Miro's recording ensemble is a return to its previous purpose as a group that creates and performs its own music.  We heard three member-created originals from six tunes from them on the night.  The Recorders format was different though, more a product of membership, I guess: rhythm section with percussion and two (acoustic and electric) pianos, three/four horns up front, guitar and two singers.  So they were different groups with different players and a few stars in each.  I was taken by a few players, but don't take this as a full list: Jeremy was a blast on bass, highlighted by a double bass solo on Jaco's Chicken; Mereki, George and Fergus all impressed on saxes; Elliot on the Steinway; Koebi on voice; Rory on trumpet; humourously cocky Olivia on guitar.  Others too, but I missed some names.   Great to hear some words, too, from Koebi and Imogen on Mingus' uber-standard Goodbye porkpie hat, I think using Joni Mitchell's lyrics.  It reminded me of reading Mingus' autobiography so far back.  The book was Beneath the underdog; one line of lyrics was "They put him in an underdog position."  I will never forget that Mingus wrote so little of just the music in that book, but he dropped in one passage that something happened at the time he was practising 8 hours pd.  Words do impart further meaning.  As for the three original compositions from George, Ryan and Fergus (did I get that right?), they were impressive in any company.  So, great to see the large ensembles coming back and a huge pleasure to be in the Band Room for such a gig.

The ANU Jazz Orchestra and the ANU Recording Ensemble performed in the Big Band room at the ANU School of Music for the Friends of the ANUSOM.

Return of the Recorders

I was mightily pleased to get an invitation to a concert to welcome back the Recording Ensemble to ANOSOM.  There was once a time when the Jazz School had a Big band, a Commercial Ensemble and a Recording Ensemble.  This concert featured the Recording Ensemble for its first outing in the 2023 format and the Jazz Orchestra.  Leader Greg Stott mentioned the murky distinction of Big band / Jazz Orchestra and it's an interesting discussion but JO it is given the style of music it plays.  But first the RE.  It's smaller, just rhythm section and a small horn section.  They played several Wanderlust tunes and more and leader Miro sat in.  Not quite a slick as the JO yet, but the format is good and I welcome the arrival and look forward to more composition.  As I remember, the original tended to write its own music for recording.  It's an interesting and challenging concept.  Then the JO.  They started with a tune by Jenna Cave called For Miro.  Jenna was a student at the time of the three ensembles and is now leading the Divergence JO in Sydney.  Then a contrafact on Ray Charles with Wayne Kelly sitting in, Stella with El Osborne soloing on violin, Now's the time with Bird's solo played in harmony by the front line saxes, Sophisticated lady and Chick Corea Spain to warm us up for the end of the session.  This all happened in Athenaeum, the large ticket room and bar below Llewellyn Hall.  Then, to finish, a small band named the Tiny Jazz Collective played in the old Wig and Pen room.  TJC featured four players from the larger bands, Mereki Leten, Michael Larsen-Collins, Olivia Uebergang and Dan Simmons playing some older tunes modernised; an interesting challenge and nicely done.  Greg had hinted that this Friday Night Jazz Club may recur, so good to see the larger bands back and also, possibly, more jazz events at the ANUSOM.  After all, what is jazz without performance?

The ANU Recording Ensemble and ANU Jazz Orchestra performed at the Athenaeum at ANU followed by a small band in the old Wig and Pen room.  The Tiny Jazz Collective comprised Mereki Leten (soprano sax), Michael Larsen-Collins (this time bass), Olivia Uebergang (guitar) and Dan Simmons (drums).  

OWJF2022-10

Emma Pask was a big name in the big room, the Holy Trinity Church.  Nice singing of standards and musical theatre songs, Here there and everywhere, They say it's wonderful and the like.  Classy and popular, if not so much for a more adventurous audience.  No names of accompanists in the program, but she played with piano, Phil Stack (bass) and drums.

Then some locals for this Canberran, the ANU School of Music Recording Ensemble.  Before its "restructure", the School once had a Commercial Ensemble, a Recording Ensemble and a Big Band and they played for the public regularly.  Miro ran the Recording Ensemble.  Members would write material then perform it.  The approach is the same but with John Mackey as leader/director.  This was a hot band, perhaps too hot and racing at times, too excitable, but seriously impressive playing and complex interesting tunes.  Apparently they will be recording and touring in future.  I was impressed.  Again no names in the program but working with John Mackey.

Then another quick visit to the Vampires.  I was wondering if they were that much more confident than the previous night.  I missed the start and couldn't tell, but again, I love these tunes and these grooves.

Then another big name, again in the unbalanced Holy Trinity Church, was Asteroid Ecosystem.  Now this was interesting.  They had visited Canberra and I'd missed them so they were one  reason for attendance at this festival.  It's an odd combination and apparently one that came out of a recording.  Ed Kuepper was the lead guitarist of The Saints and other post-punk and grunge groups; not jazz.  Alister explained that he'd recorded a string of albums with guests, the Alister Spence trio was one and thus this band.  Well, what was it?  A strange mix of improv set to charts and eclectic guitaristic tones and various noise and grooves and bass lines.  I didn't think the venue's acoustics did it justice and after how many bands in two days I wasn't up to it.  But there were some seriously good players here.

Emma Pask, ANU School of Music Recording Ensemble, The Vampires and Asteroid Ecosystem played at the inaugural Orange Winter Jazz Festival.  Emma Pask had Phil Stack on bass.  Asteroid Ecosystem comprised Alister Spence (piano), Lloyd Swanton (bass), Toby Hall (drums) and Ed Kuepper (guitar, electronics).

Turossing it (Moruya 2011/4)

All three large ANU ensembles were in the Moruya program. I missed the Big Band, but I caught the Commercial and Recordings Ensembles. The Commercials were funky, loud, exciting as ever. I particularly noticed screaming guitar solos by Daniel Kim that were more formed and less extreme than when I’d heard him recently at Hippo, a hot slap bass solo from Jordan Tarento and a really lovely latin groove with drum solo featuring drummer Luke Keanan-Brown with Eric Ajaye on e-percussion, amongst various horn and key solos and Liam Budge’s singing. The Recording Ensemble was led by Matt Handel in the absence of Miro. I was surprised to see two double basses standing at the back, but they didn’t play together. This is a vehicle for members’ composition experiments, and there were a few, but also several of Miro’s tunes for Wanderlust or 10 Part Invention which are all wonderfully insistent and memorable tunes. The ANU Commercial Ensemble were Liam Budge (vocals), Ax Long (trumpet), Callum Gracie (trumpet), Matt Handel (alto), Tye Langford (tenor), Rachel Cummings (trombone), Josh Hart (trombone), Callum Stewart (piano), Daniel Kim (guitar), Jordan Tarento (bass) and Luke Keanan-Brown (drums). The ANU Recording Ensemble were James Moorehouse (clarinet), Matt Handel (alto), Joe McEvily (alto), Stephanie Jones (flute, alto), Miles O‘Connell (tenor), Thomas Fawcett (tenor), Tye Langford (baritone sax), Alex Raupach (trumpet), Reuben Lewis (trumpet), Ax Long (trumpet), Josh Hart (trombone), Valdis Thomann (trombone), Daniel Kim (guitar), Andy Butler (piano), Jared Plane (bass), Alec Coulson (bass), Aidan Lowe drums).

Kade Brown is a young local South Coast pianist. I remember him from last year. I thought that this year he seemed more confident and steady. He plays hard biting 60s modern jazz, Footprints and the like, with power and commitment. It must be hard to run such a band in a small town, but the trio shared a common intensity. Bassist Steve was rather individual with his 5-string double bass and the deep resonance of a classic EV TL bin, and I liked Ken’s drum solo. Kade Brown (piano) played with Steve Clark (bass) and Ken Vatcher (drums).

Just to finish, I have one more family outfit out of the Jazz School: More or Leske. How I love that name! It’s a band formed from two members of the Leske family, Claire and Katrina Leske, to play originals with a hard bop influence. More or Leske are Claire Leske (trumpet), Katrina Leske (marimba), Jared Plane (bass) and Sam McNair (drums).

My JU2010 / 2

The ANU Recording Ensemble is a favourite of mine and I was excited that they could perform. It’s not always easy to get such a large ensemble together. They had to squeeze on the Lowe/Milman stage (so named because drummer Aidan Lowe and bassist Simon Milman played virtually every set on this stage). I missed most of this set, but what snippets I heard seemed more minimalist and expressionist than I had heard from them before.

Utopia Collective was to feature excellent Sydney bassist, Jonathon Zwartz, but a software glitch at Virgin Blue ticketing detained him. Eric Ajaye sat in and did an excellent job, of course. I was to observe later just how different were the styles of these two wonderful bassists. Possibly because of the changed bass seat, Utopia played a more standards-based set than usual, although with its funky fusion soul always on show. This is steaming, ecstatic, extroverted music played by a supremely competent set of players: long solos, screaming guitars, speed and unapologetic excitement. Great playing and great fun.

Mates and JU committee members featured in Kooky Fandango. Cam Smith and Courtney Stark were on the committee for JU2009, and Cam was on again this year. This is a collection of mates (Sarah Nielsen sitting in for this performance) playing gentle funky tunes with a touch of blues, and interestingly without a chordal instrument other than Peter Barta’s 6-string bass. An unusual and gently funky approach.

It’s inevitable that you can’t catch everything when there are multiple stages. I caught just a few bars of Alex Raupach’s band, enough for a pic, but I remember them from an ArtSound broadcast. The outfit is a vehicle for Alex’s lyrical originals, where brass is wonderfully matched to Rachael Thoms’ lyric soprano voice.

In the meantime, a few school bands appeared on the Blackboard stage. Here are a few pics.

It’s getting later in the day by now, and we are starting to see some of the visitors. Firstly, the Hauptmann Trio. Zoe, Ben and James Hauptmann are well known in Sydney and equally known here in Canberra as local products. They are very well respected in various fields, but often seem to exude a feel of rock or blues or country that has obviously informed their playing. It’s an attractive and infectious sound. Here, in the family trio, Ben seemed to lead with his guitar defining so much of the melody and feel and providing the patter on stage. But the grooves were strong and steady (there’s an authority in the grooves from both Zoe and James) and Ben’s playing was looped and effected and his solos were rock hard and overdrive-screaming. I have enough rock background to love such indulgence! And the choice of Moon River for one of their reworkings was memorable. It’s such a lovely, sentimental tune.

As Famous as the Moon appeared without drums for this incarnation, playing as a trio of tenor, guitar and bass guitar. AFATM is perhaps the premier smooth jazz outfit around Canberra. I’ve played a few gigs with them and enjoyed them immensely. This outfit is so mature and easy going and liquid and well versed. This is one for the cocktail hours: smooth but in no way lacking in purpose or beauty or seriousness.

Moruya 2009, bis

More from the Air Raid at Moruya Jazz Festival.

Fourth Degree Byrnes is Neveen Byrne’s platform for original tunes. She plays with several of the mature players from the school. I only caught one short tune from the band this day. It was their last piece: a moody original with keyboard and guitar solos and gave and weighty melody overlaid by Neveen on tenor. Intense and interesting stuff; I wish I’d heard more. Neveen Byrnes (tenor) played with Andy Campbell (guitar), Andy Butler (piano) and Hugh Deacon (drums).

I also just caught a snippet of Matilda Abraham’s Quintet (festivals are for socialising, too). It’s an impressive group of players, although a few seemed less prominent this year. This outing was pretty much heads down in concentration, although was leavened by Matilda’s singing and some of her original songs. Matilda Abraham (vocals) led a quintet with Andy Butler (piano), Carl Morgan (guitar), Chris Pound (bass) and Aidan Lowe (drums).

Chris and Aidan reappeared with the Recording Ensemble. I really enjoyed this performance. It was lively, engaged with the audience and the band was obviously having a great time. The Recording Ensemble plays original music and arrangements by its members like Reuben Lewis’s arrangement of a Zappa tune and Nick Combe’s Shhh…. I was particularly taken by Luke Sweeting’s composition Sound canvas. I’d listened to the modern remake of Gill Evans, Re-Birth of the Cool, on the drive down to Moruya, and I felt it was reminiscent of the charts, with voice leading and harmonies and melodic organisation harking to that era. The ANU Big Band was also at Moruya and I missed them, but I didn’t miss the ANU Commercial Ensemble. Big, bright, brassy, funky, cocky. All those things, and danceable and lively too. The large ensembles are always highlights.

The ANU faculty was also represented. Two sets struck me as calm, controlled and from the mind. Mike Price (guitar) led his trio with Eric Ajaye (bass) and Col Hoorweg (drums). Mike plays some originals but also re-envisioned standards, with admirable and very cool interpretations. This is thoughtful and intellectual fare, not for the dancefloor, but for savouring some perceptive soloing. Matt Thompson (keyboards) led an organ trio in another controlled and minimalist performance. This was left hand organ lines, revisioned and leisurely bebop, slow but melodically challenging right hand lines. John Wilton (drums) accompanied, along with Max Williams (tenor) who matched with lines where every note felt individually selected.

Just one corner of one school

It was Universities Open Day today. No. 2 son visited ANU, but I just lurked at the Music School (which is also ANU, of course). There were masses of events there. I caught much of the jazz, and just touched the classical. It’s invigorating to realise just how much was available. This is just one university (although a renowned one), and I was overwhelmed with just one corner of one school. We live in such a time of richness, if only people will go out and find it. Here’s just a quick visit. Excuse the pics, but I dropped my normal camera today, and I’m back to a very, very basic model for the interim.

I caught all three of the large jazz ensembles: Recording Ensemble, Commercial Band and Big Band. The BB was an earlier jazz style, less challenging and a bit less exciting than the others, perhaps more of a training ensemble with newer students (although there’s a batch of mature students there too) but entertaining. The Recording Ensemble features original compositions by members. This is interesting and often blissful with varied tempos and rich harmonies and complex orchestrations. Interesting also for the double drum seats that are featuring this year. The Commercials are the funky outfit: lively, exciting, variety. They have some student arrangements, but mainly professional-level charts from the best arrangers. This is hot and sweaty grooves and just plain fun.

The Open Days also feature workshops by faculty. I missed the bass & drums workshop this year, but managed the piano trio workshop. Actually, this was a first performance of a new trio of Matt Thompson (piano), Eric Ajaye (bass) and Mark Sutton (drums) with some chats and Q&As between tunes. It’s in its very earliest days, but it’s quite a cerebral outfit. Eric spoke of refraining from dropping into swing. Mark talked of playing colours rather than his normal grooves. I imagine it’s especially demanding with eminently swingable tunes like Nardis, Solar and All the things you are. On the other hand, I felt this cool was Matt’s natural approach (given the limited times I’ve hear him play). Matt was sparse, single note right hand solos developing into considerable melodic complexity, and few, or long delayed, chords. Mark expressed some discomfort maintaining this colours role, feeling a desire to drop into something more clearly swung. Eric seemed to enjoy it, with bass chord comping, or repeated rapid accompaniment riffs, or solos alone or in conjunction with the others. It will be interesting to watch developments here.

I actually got drawn away from this trio by the siren song of a soprano wafting from Llewellyn Hall. Some highly pitched, plaintive, vibratoed notes with orchestral backing, and I was Odysseus unbound. Typical of sirens, though, the soprano had departed by the time I got there. The replacement was a good humoured rehearsal of the ANUSM Orchestra playing Bizet. They were playing a bouncing waltz as I entered, and some booming chords a little later. There were so many players on stage, so informal. In fact, the brass players seemed quite underemployed as they counted out the bars until they came in again. (I wondered if the Productivity Commission would see this as unproductive, inefficient? Probably not. I expect they attend). It was a lovely interlude, and evidence that there’s life beyond jazz.

But back to jazz, and John Mackey’s improvisation masterclass. It was more a chat and workshop, and an awareness-raiser for anyone who was considering the commitment that is jazz. John enjoys his practice, and it shows in great technique, incredible fluidity and huge tone. John takes a rational approach to learning the instrument, in order to “forget it all and just play” (Charlie Parker). Indications of his approach: any four notes can be played (without repeating a note) in 24 patterns; there are thousands of scales, but his students should practice 276 scales every day (23 scales in 12 keys); transcriptions are essential and his students are required to learn their chosen solos in 6 keys (he used to expect 12 keys, but he’s relented!). You get the message. He demonstrated several times: playing solos against an Aebersold recording of Have you met Miss Jones; later playing a transcribed solo, then playing the same, identical solo. A few quotes will give the feel: “If you have to think about the notes in a chord sequence, it’s over”, “Perfect your craft”, “Practice slowly all the time”. John represents intellect and commitment combined to support true and expansive expression: always inspiring.

I also visited the ANUSM Recording studio and mixing/mastering suite. Nevin Stines had recorded a Jazz School band earlier, and was doing a rough mix. Great gear, wonderful chatter about recording matters, and some hugely clear recorded sounds in the studio. Lastly, I caught John Burgess playing a solo EUB (Electric Upright Bass) set in the ANUSM Level 5 Café. This was loops and delays and tunes including Stella by starlight. Solo bass – nice one.

Annualities

A string of things happen in music on an annual basis: festivals, recitals, Christmas bookings, Wedding season. One that I watch religiously is the coming out concert for the Jazz School’s large ensembles each year. There are three at the school: Recording and Commercial Ensembles and the Big Band. Two of three open the performance season with a gig around this time. This year, Miro’s Recording Ensemble and Eric’s Commercial Ensemble played for the debutante gig.

It was a major coming out this year as there seems to have been a generational change with a string of new faces and a few of the older, wiser stalwarts. New, too, were the repertoires, especially for the Recording Ensemble. They are as much a compositional as a performance vehicle, so it always impresses me when we hear new and complex works, and doubly so when the composition skills are spread throughout the band. There was no letup this year. Nick Combes provided two tunes: Ssh…, a pensive ballad, and Once is enough, another gentle and thoughtful piece using rich chords and honest melody. Reuben penned a modern fusion piece which was eminently good for blowing, and Alex Raupach presented a different style scored for a much smaller ensemble (flugelhorn, alto, tenor, trombone, guitar, bass) and led by Alex on flugelhorn. I have a thing about the piano as the king of all instruments, and Luke Sweeting’s “Sound canvas” just confirmed the piano as an orchestra in a box. Miro introduced the tune as the hardest the Ensemble had played, and I’d accept that. Rich, complex harmonies and varied voicings, syncopated unison lines on unexpected and changing combinations of instruments, plenty of counterpoint, all against a falling harmonic movement, with dynamics and sweet harmonies and a clear Gil Evans influence. Great work. They finished with Frank Zappa’s Cruising for purpose, with a threatening intro, a challenging bass line for Chris Pound and an appropriately overdriven Zappa-esque guitar solo by Andy Campbell. Typical, wonderful Zappa sleaze. Also for mention are Rachael Thoms for her expressive vocals, Hugh Deacon and Aidan Lowe on twin drums (that’s a challenge), and good horn solos from several players that I’ve not particularly noted, Max Williams and others.

The Commercial Ensemble followed. This is a smaller, tighter, funkier outfit presenting charts and some original arrangements, but not committed to composing like the Recording Ensemble. These are hot charts, slap bass, 16th note grooves, hints of Letterman and variety TV. Short, hard hitting, exciting. You can just imagine the band called to a sudden halt as some comedian or presenter takes centre stage and waves his over-paid arm. These are the test pilots of musicians. Their charts were demanding and professional, arranged by the likes of Bert Ligon, Bill Liston, Matt Harris, Vince Mendoza and Marcus Miller/Dave Sanborn. There were two reconceptions of well known tunes, Footprints and Round midnight, and some originals. Round midnight especially displayed some demanding harmonies that stretched the front line. Marcus Miller’s tune was heavy drums and slap bass (no surprise) with a slow, bluesy melody. Stevie played the blues was a Texas shuffle by Bert Ligon, obviously dedicated to Stevie Ray Vaughan. Andy had big shoes to fill here, but grabbed the spotlight admirably with authority and a just that hint of guitarist arrogance (as he should!). This is the fun set, leaving you rocking in your chair. Funk as a staple of modern life.

So, the first outing of the new generation of these two large and satisfying ensembles. Catch them as they play around Canberra over the coming months. Luxuriate in the funk, the lush chords, and the sheer fun of a large ensemble. Great stuff.

The Recording Ensemble comprised Rachael Thoms (vocals), Alex Raupach, Alex Ross and Reuben Lewis (trumpets), Josh Hart (trombone), Andrew Fedorovich and Stephanie Badman (alto), Max Williams and Neveen Byrnes (tenor), Nick Combe (baritone sax), Andy Campbell (guitar), Hugh Deacon and Aidan Lowe (drums), Chris Pound (bass), Luke Sweeting (piano) and was led by Miroslav Bukovsky. The Commercial Ensemble comprised Rachel Thoms (vocals), Alex Raupach (trumpet, flugelhorn), Reuben Lewis (trumpet, cornet), Josh Hart (trombone), Oisin Smith-Coburn (tenor), Jo Lloyd (tenor), Andy Campbell (guitar), “Huge” Hugh Deacon (drums), Raf Jerjen (bass), Olivia Henderson (piano) and was led by Eric Ajaye.