Another thing

Antipodes was my second concert for the night. Less than a concert, really, because I only caught 2 tunes from the second set, but these were fascinating and only went to confirm the chalk and cheese difference of these styles and of the range of jazz played now. John Mackey's concert had been Coltrane, intensely spiritual, relatively simple structurally and melodically, open and interactive and improvised. Antipodes was far more ordered, written, its loose space bounded and arranged. Here there's extended unison melody, arranged structure, different sounds. The guitar was strong and driven in its solo; a synth appeared; bass and drum took solos at the end, drums playing against a riff. Not sure I caught a trumpet or sax solo in these last tunes, or from Luke on keys, but they would have earlier. The environment was different, too, of course, Hippo's noisy cocktail atmosphere, so I was envisaging as much as I was hearing. So different from JM; so much a modern take on the history; complex in composition as well as improv. They are about to record this music. Can't wait to revisit it. Maybe to hear what I didn't from a late arrival and some tech probs and Hippo's busy space.

Antipodes are Jake Baxendale (sax), Ken Allars (trumpet), Callum Allardice (guitar), Luke Sweeting (piano), Max Alduca (bass) and Aidan Lowe (drums). They played at Hippo.l

Racks

It was a regathering of old friends, fellow students at ANU and old friends of CJ, when Great rack and an empty club reverb played at Hippo: Luke from Sydney; Aidan from Berlin; Reuben and Em from Melbourne; all gigging at Hippo, another old friend. But this was not Just Friends as in jazz standards. The band's title said lots: odd and long and suggestive of electronica. Em's performance was pretty much the title, working as she did at a small desk with mixer and effects. But much more. This was modern, melismatic music, as played in clubs, for dance, I guess (not a scene I know) done by trained jazz professionals. Breakbeats and drum'n'bass and warped reggaes and hugely infectious rhythms and odd times and some contemporary jazz polyrhythms (bliss!) and insistent drum grooves that writhed and mutated but never put an accent in a wrong place and bass lines from Luke's Hammond that would be dense or sparse and move feels inconspicuously or sometimes more obviously. Then solos that didn't spell the fact, trumpet that would echo unobstrusively. Two sets; each without a break. Luke told me after that they had about ten charts but they may not have used them all as the music moved unassumingly from one tune to another. I could pick changes, but it was more joy just to sit back and take all this in. Then voice over, that rack and reverb, Em leading with chatter, or as she said, her dialogue with the audience. "Distance separates us / there ... here ... there .. here". All with impish humour. Words that spelled stories, perhaps improvised, if only to some degree. Words subject to digital effects; words merging into repeats and wordless vocals; vocals in counterpoint or extended harmony with trumpet, sometime like a two-horn frontline (although this was no Blue Note session). Words are conversation and contact: music lovers talk of music as a language but I reckon words add and connect. I strained to hear some stories. Hippo is inherently noisy and continually chatty and the sound wasn't so clear. But the music was infectious and mobile and connecting and done by these trained musicians. Not strictly jazz but jazz training allows this, at this level, stunningly, even when just a get-together. This is not a permanent band. Just old friends, on a night out, playing a rhyming storm in the home town. Fabulous!

Great rack and an empty club reverb comprised Emily Bennett (voice, live signals), Reuben Lewis (trumpet, live signals), Luke Sweeting (organ) and Aidan Lowe (drums).

Ripping up the place

I was amused at a comment about deconstructing the place. Someone had taken down a pot plant for better sightlines, then he'd responsibly replaced it at the end of the night. The jazz scene is like this. Likeable people who study complex things that pay little for arts-sake with a relaxed dress sense. Like one player who's in Canberra for his Philosophy PhD at ANU on a topic somewhere in Ethics. It's a quiet time for musos after the rush of Christmas. A few are back home to visit rellies: Aidan Lowe was back from Berlin for a time. Otherwise, it's good times and good beers and some excellent music. Hugh Barrett was filling in for Wayne Kelly; Aidan Lowe for Mark Sutton; Ben O'Loghlin was coordinator, calling in various players for the second, jam set. Ben Marston, Tom Fell, Steve Richards, some others. The tunes for the first set were less the obvious blow numbers - Blue in green, Nica's dream and the like. The jam set was more commonly known tunes, starting with Stella then Blue bossa. I got a go on Alone together then Blue Monk. The playing was excellent all round. Aidan's playing a storm, if lamenting his kit that's sat in a shed the last year (fair enough). Hugh smoothed through various harmony colours with extensions or substitutions or whatever and laid down sweet, unassuming solo lines: all the piano's role and done with great skill. Ben O'L floored me, interesting and varied, right on top of the beat and driving with a firm, full sound. Then the horns, Ben M and Tom, soloing nicely, spelling heads with ease but also harmonising melodies and accompaniments to hint at arrangements. Tom commented it's a great lineup for that (rhythm section plus sax and trumpet), but no surprise there, it's the quntessential bop-modern lineup. The last tune was a raging Rhythm changes: so much for deconstruction, this was ripping up the place in a more positive light. And there were chats and beers as jazz is. Much enjoyed. Thanks to all.

Ben O'Loghlin (bass), Hugh Barrett (piano) and Aidan Lowe (drums) were the support band for the jazz jam at Old Canberra Inn. Tom Fell (sax), Ben Marston (trumpet), Steve Richards (drums), Eric Pozza (bass) and others sat in. The OCI jazz jam is at Old Canberra Inn, every Wednesday, 6.30-9pm, free entry, good beers on tap.

Be there or be square

Wayne, Ben and Mark have got a great little gig going at the Old Canberra Inn: mid-week, very good beers and food, a comfortable early evening timeslot, a great first set by the trio, some of the best players in town, and the chance for sit-ins. It's a jazz jam in the long-serving tradition. This night was surprisingly busy in the garden outside but fairly quiet inside. Not that this is passing judgement on the music for I felt it was still well appreciated and, although the general public may not follow jazz, they can recognise commitment and chops when they see and hear it. I got there this week but I've been there too infrequently. Brendan O'Loghlin was there but didn't play this time; Julian Fung was there and did; I had a play. This week, Mark was replaced by Aidan Lowe, visiting from Berlin and playing a storm. It was great to listen and a pleasure and challenge to play with these cats. As I remember, my tunes were Alone together, a blues, Have you met Miss Jones and Stella, the last with Julian sitting in. Julian carried on with Beatrice and Out of nowhere and others. The trio had blown Rhythm changes early on, in the form of Dizzy's Salt peanuts, Afternoon in Paris (?), others. Wayne was wonderfully free all round, not least in adding twists and substitutions and vamps and endings. Ben was so firmly toned and inventive in walks, nicely crossing the neck at high positions, often bowing some lovely melodic inventions for solos and just generally sounding fat and solid and newly amplified. Aidan is showing his considerable time in Berlin: more busy, coloured and intense than ever. We're busy these days but support is needed to maintain gigs like this and this is a special one. Thanks to Wayne, Ben, Mark and the OCI for staging this gig and jam and let's hope we can maintain it, despite the depleted jazz scene.

Wayne Kelly (piano), Ben O'Loghlin (bass) and Aidan Lowe (drums) were the host band at the OCI jam. Jammers were Julian Fung (alto) and Eric Pozza (bass).

Advent

Musicians coming home to visit the family. Old ANU bands getting together to play their greatest hits. Some great jazz from musos that we hear developing further year by year, in Canberra or elsewhere. Same Hippo. Such a pleasure to be part of all this at this time. The latest was Reuben Lewis & the Snake Charmers. Reuben was back from Melbourne. Aidan for a second recent concert in recent days, was back from Berlin. Both dropping in for Christmas cheers. Both with old sparing partners, Simon and Matt, in a format they have all played frequently. Tunes by the band, Reuben and Simon, with occasional covers. Bjork Hyperballad for one. Otherwise, I recognised old favourites through the set: a groove in 3 with just 2 chords, tom-heavy drums and fingerpicking guitar accompaniment and simple but gorgeously effective melody; a rock groove with four falling chords over 16 bars; a reggae; a rural theme that reminded me of horse-riding, lazy, with A and B sections; a medium -up latin. All so nicely played. Simon holding exemplary, simple bass lines that just work. Great guitar solos from Matt and unaffected variations from Aidan and clarity of melodic purpose from Reuben. Such a pleasure. Original tunes; modern yet firmly planted in a sweep of musical history; relaxed but complex and satisfying. At Hippo for the 23rd day of Advent.

Reuben Lewis (trumpet) led the Snake Charmers at Hippo. The Snake Charmers were Matt Lustri (guitar), Simon Milman (bass) and Aidan Lowe (drums).

Enabling the indie song

These guys are all jazz trained but I had no expectation to hear Jazz. That's how things are these days. I like it like that. There's a catholicity in music and especially amongst young trained jazzers and it shows. This was Matilda Abraham with Carl Morgan and, at the last moment, as he was in town from Berlin and his other gig was called off, Aidan Lowe. I also like this like that. Jazz trained performers are, well, trained, so Aidan could get called in to do an indie-pop set with complex written syncopations, some of which he'd have to introduce, and do a perfectly capable job. But this was Matilda's show. They were mainly her originals, in a Triple-J style that I call indie or maybe experimental pop. This was underlying sequenced instrumentation and even harmonies with voice and additional keys and bass or guitar and drums overlaid for the immediacy that make live music live. Matilda's writing is personal, often venting emotions, clear in intent although I didn't catch all the lyrics. One told of annoyance after a bad party; another a feminist line against Abbott as Minister for Women; (aside: Abbott's gone so recently but I can hardly frame the ignorance of slogans and attacks on the weak that he represented - and his complete lack of self-awareness suggested by his recent claims to good government; a dangerous man beyond an idiotic manliness); another feminist song entitled Fill the sink; an intimate love song to a Monk tune (I wonder how singers can so expose themselves through the intimacy of love songs). There were some more complex tunes, some covers - The Bird and the Bee Lifespan of a fly, Nate Wood Ocean floor, Julia Holtor When the sea calls me home (nice line this: "I can't swim, it's lucidity / so clear"). There's both an evenness and honesty in the music that Matilda writes and also in the covers she selects. There were odd times and odd beats and time changes and even a few slowish disco grooves. There was some great playing in accompaniment and just one solo each from Carl and Tom Fell, who sat in for a fat bluesy solo on the final tune. Both solos were beautifully stated, superbly developed and neatly released at the end. Aidan was just stunning to take on just a task at such short notice. And Matilda spoke to us with truth and purpose and some great song-making and an even, clear voice. A poorly tuned piano was a disappointment, but she soldiered through this. I'm enamoured by the moves of well trained jazzers into popular fields, with indie like this the most authentic. This was short songs of the 3 minute variety with intelligence and purpose and deeply attractive beats and some refreshingly twisted melodies. I may stick to RN and BBC for my radio but I loved this live.

Matilda Abraham (voice, piano, compositions) led a trio with Carl Morgan (guitar, bass, keyboard bass) and Aidan Lowe (drums) at the Ainslie Arts Centre for the Confluence jazz series. Tom Fell (tenor) sat in for a solo on the final tune. BTW, Confluence Jazz returns in 2016 monthly from 14 January.

Standards and Scriabin

I thought I was hearing substitutions over chromatics in Andy Butler's playing and I chatted with him later about playing, listening and the like. He doesn't listen to tons of music; the most recent was Frank Sinatra. Most of his recent gigs have been more experimental. He mostly plays and practices classical. He mentioned Scriabin Preludes as transferable to jazz. May I was hearing Scriabin. Certainly, there was little of the right hand lines against left hand chording that is standard bop and later jazz soloing style. This was chordal, full handed style. Classical is like that. I heard block chords, a mobility with time and placement of beats, feels well behind the beat, chromaticism and chromatic movements, heavy pedalling (unusually using several pedals), some almost endless solo lines, considerable freedom in harmony. He was playing standards but bending them wildly, at least when he wasn't just spelling a beautiful balladic melody. This is all something I love: great music treated with frequent, trained abandon. Andy was playing with Simon Milman and Aidan Lowe. Simon took plenty of solos, sometimes searching for, or with the help of, the melody; not so fast but exploratory. Nice. Aidan was frequent smiles, finding ways to respond to some daring takes, quick witted, driving, sensitive and aware. Great drumming, as usual. Just standards. Set 1: How deep is the ocean, Groovin' high, I fall in love too easily (a lovely tune and not common), Slow boat to China (how cute, but perfectly effective and innocently swinging), Foggy day (at a quick pace). Then set 2: If I were a bell, I thought about you, Darn that dream, Oleo, Straight no chaser. Great to see Andy again; great to hear a string of standards played with a considerable learned transgression; great to hear a decent piano trio. If only Andy had brought his own Steinway.

Andy Butler (piano) led a trio with Simon Milman (bass) and Aidan Lowe (drums) playing standards at Smiths.

wc

I was sitting pretty much dumbfounded listening to John Mackey and watching his fingers skate over tenor keys. Quite astounding. To see it from two metres away, and hear it with that immediate acoustic clarity, is awe-inspiring. My mind wondered to that small-town concern, "world class". I don't like to use this term, but I pondered it anyway and decided: "world class" probably means quality to play with the big names and wc players pop up everywhere. The issue in outposts is that there are limited numbers of them, so limited community. Places like NYC or Berlin attract players and the community develops. To some degree, our Jazz School did that. It attracted keen and developing players and provided a string of established masters as mentors / teachers. We have yet to see the medium term outcome of changes at the ANU. It was a decimation, but I wish them well for recovery.

But getting back to the gig, it wasn't just John who had my attention. I particularly watched Aidan and Tate. Aidan was back from Berlin and I was enamoured by his ever-responsive rhythms. Tate has just finished studies but was a force of extended sequences and easy keyboard knowledge and often playful stylistics. Greg was mammoth in quick guitar lines as always, perhaps more flightly than usual. Lachlan introduces a different presence with the Bass VI. It's remarkable as a melodic take but he's also got a firm touch with sustained ostinatos that works a treat. On the night, and seemingly with little preparation for the band, John introduced a new mode that he's studying a ANU. John can expound further in his thesis, but in short it's built with pentatonics around the lydian mode (if I got it right). He calls it the Talvian mode. All mysterious and intriguing. The band played a few improvs on this tonality over a Bb pedal. Otherwise, the night was a string of stunning takes on standards: a simple blues in Db, All the things, Sophisticated lady, Footprints, Miss Jones, Tenor madness, Freedom jazz dance. These are standard blowing tunes and common at John's gigs. Just a blow outing from some of our wc players. Informal, intimate, friendly, essentially testing and exploratory and a blast. Our best musos would not be out of place at Smalls, but with small numbers, the band would be pretty repetitive after the first night or two.

John Mackey (tenor) led a quintet with Greg Stott (guitar), Tate Sheridan (piano), Lachlan Coventry (bass) and Aidan Lowe (drums) at Smith's Alternative.

A world away in Civic

Tate Sheridan was just a few hours later and a few km away, at Smiths, but this was another world. Tate was launching his CD. Again, this was a piano trio, Tate with James Luke and Aidan Lowe, but there were no standards here. The music was much more moody, more punctuated and arranged, more melodic or minimalist, rather than changes through chords. There were still solos passed between players although less obviously than in standards territory. There were passages of solo piano that led to some complex compositions. There were more ostinatos, more edgy arrangements and stops and starts, but they were playing arrangements that were prepared for a CD. There were stories and references. Final hour was a story of a 240km, month-long Mounties chase culminating in a shootout and the death of the Mad Trapper of Rat River in Northern Canada in 1932. House arrest was a punctuated medium-fast swing. Lone gunman was a ballad, mostly piano solo, but joined later by bass and drums and a wordless vocal overlay from Tate. Baile is Spanish for "to dance" and was a lively number with unison features and later solos over a quick latin groove. Grace was another ballad developing into a repeating rising phrase that Tate said sums up his time in Canberra. Please no questions is another lively swing and Run don't walk is a dedication to Gonzalo Rubalcaba. Tate's piano is developed and skilled and classically formed. James' bass is quick and clear, commonly into thumb positions and melodically phrased. Aidan sits discretely as part of the music, setting grooves with subtlety and always flexible in tone and sharp in accent. This was not a light outing, the music demanded involvement and concentration, but it was a work of seriousness played with requisite skills. Great night. Looking forward to hearing most of this in its recorded form.

Tate Sheridan (piano) launched his new CD at Smiths with James Luke (bass) and Aidan Lowe (drums).

Nick's nonet

I've been musing over why I like nonets or octets. When treated as an ensemble, these are little big bands, so why these rather than the larger formats? I've decided it's because the writing becomes so clear, the lines so crisp and the solo spots so integrated and unjarring. We were hearing each voice anyway, so when some just drop out for a different texture or a solo, there's less change, less loss, more continuity. I was not certain I could attend Nick Combe's Nonet concert at Street 3 but at the last minute, I could, and it was a thing of great pleasure. Nick is soon off to Melbourne (we've lost many recent graduates to Melbourne with smaller numbers to replace them) and he gathered his cohorts together for a recording of his charted works. We've been hearing Nick's charts over the years and this is a culmination album, using his frequent offsiders. It was a strong band and one that has a collective history even if it's somewhat spread to the winds these days. We were in the generous Street 3 space, the musicians all laid out on carpet and studio-miced, some seats and cushions for an intimate audience. The recording was just 7 tracks, but there's lots of work in these, in terms of composition and arrangements and elaborations. And interestingly, Nick has a story for each. These are not just abstract compositions, but they speak of loves and losses, buses and places and health and happiness. These are Nick's encounters or experiences so the tapestry of changes and repeats speak of real emotions. This feels real. Nicely played, too. These were solos for the studio, careful, not overextended, nicely detailed and developed.

The gig started with Love is a job from Hell. It's a work in 3 parts, starting with a slow bluesy feel in 6 with dissonance and some nifty baritone sax fills and a driving guitar solos and the tenor providing embellishments that paralleled the earlier bari lines and finishing with solo piano. Then Moira, a light 2-feel with a piano trio and brushes and swelling with horns and some lovely solos on trumpet and tenor. Then Once is enough, inspired by a TS Elliot fragment and featuring a melody that's fascinatingly spelt out on different instruments, over brushes in a count of 16, then into guitar/piano and a lush horn fill and slowly swung piano trio and what I heard as an islander melody. Then Centrelink Blues referring to queues and free money. Nick has a nice story here. Medium-up blues with spaces for solos and a beautifully unhurried and thoughtful trumpet solo. I was loving both trumpeters despite vastly different approaches. Then Shoosh, everything will be alright that tells of Nick as helpful ear with slow 4 and lovely horn swells. Then Louis' precious woman, dedicated to Louis Nowra, a complex number that speeds eventually to cacophony then instrument drop outs into solos and rim shots. And a final Lemon and honey, a quickish reggae that Nick had on his mind when sick in bed. I was struck with the understated but supremely self-assured trombone here. Then thanks and chatter. It was all more rich than I can recount here. This was a musical pleasure, but also a recording and I can only look forward to the release. Nick's developed some complex and satisfying charts and this is one memory that can be confirmed soon enough on release, probably early 2015. Buy it!

Nicholas Combe (baritone sax, composer, arranger) led his nonet in a live recording at Street 3. The band comprised Nick with Reuben Lewis (trumpet), Alex Raupach (trumpet), Tom Fell (tenor, alto sax), Valdis Thomann (trombone), Matt Lustri (guitar), Damien Slingsby (piano), Simon Milman (bass) and Aidan Lowe (drums).

Farewell

Simon Milman has hands in many pots. And it's not just that he's part of them. Someone mentioned to me at Simon's farewell event at Smith's that he will be missed, not just for his playing, but for his leadership. Simon's active; he creates things - music, combinations, events, lots of CDs - and these things range over a broad field. I've mostly caught him doing jazz things, in the jazz scene, but he's active with the Canberra Musicians Club, which is more indie and JJJ, in Afrobeat and Latin and more. I first caught him playing Ornette on acoustic bass guitar in a trio. His playing is well influenced by these sounds, so his standards take on a sophisticated, harmonically indistinct flavour. But he also plays I-V in its place, and there was a bit of apt simplicity in his playing with Nick Combe's Nonet at the farewell event. There was some of the free improv too, in a short appearance as Erebis ("Australia's number one [Japanese] free improvising Elvis"). He introduced Properties of two particles with a bowed first particle lasting 1m8s and a pizz second particle lasting 47s; micro, virtually subatomic. I missed a gig where Erebis performed macro, apparently playing an hour with Miro Bukovsky. FWIW, I preferred the second particle with some harmonic movement, but mainly diatonic with large intervals. Nice. Erebis was followed by obviously close friend Alice Cottee, voice and guitar on some interestingly constructed songs of passion and intriguingly revealing metaphors. She spoke of meetings of creatives and this fitted the part: both fascinating and, I can only guess, searingly honest. It's so often the woman with the guitar who does just this for personal matters. Then some jazz that's close to my heart: Nick Combe's nonet playing five of Nick's charts. Bluesy and Mingus-inspired; five horns out front for plenty of interesting solos and the interplay of solo and accompaniment and the enhanced richness of melodic statements. Quite blissful to my ears. They played a slower break-up song; a lighter 8-to-the-bar song of joy and running in parks; one of rolling arpeggios speaking to a poem by TS Elliot; a quieter one called Shoosh (perhaps Shh...); a final upstart blues stated last time around with charted dissonance. The solos were intelligent and searching throughout which is also a tribute to Nick's charts. Then another SM alter-ego: Coolio Desgracias appearing with Housemouse. Local rap in kimono: driving in Queanbeyan, jazz clap, local themes. Amusing, clever, rhythmically insinuating and neat with triplets, although this seemed a pretty casual performance for friends with a degree of laxity. Rap's somewhat a return to memorised epics, so it has unexpected traditional roots amongst its irony and quips. Much enjoyed. I didn't stay for the later DJ set. Simon will be much missed by wide span of the Canberra musical community but movement is life. Best of luck to Simon but he's a local, so he'll be seen again.

Simon Milman performed Erebis (bass). Alice Cottee performed solo (vocal, guitar). Nick Combe (baritone sax, compositions) led a nonet with Tom Fell (tenor), Josh Hart (trombone), Alex Raupach (trumpet), Eddie Bernasconi (trumpet), Matt Lustri (guitar), Damien Slingsby (piano), Simon Milman (bass) and Aidan Lowe (drums). Simon Milman (Coolio Desgracias) and Matt Lustri (Housemouse) rapped.

Difference that blends

Luke keeps returning with great bands. The Antipodes Quintet was the latest, at Smiths, this last week. It seems to have its genesis in Berlin, amongst the Australian jazz community there. The compositions are by Luke with perhaps a few from Jake. Aidan and Jake spent some time in Berlin and Luke visited while playing there and around in Europe and Scandinavia. Thus Antipodes was presumably on their common minds. It's a great blowing band with dense heads, occasional free and floating segments, room for solos and some great grooves. Luke's solos were always satisfying. I was fascinated how well the two horns worked together, although from very different influences. Ken was stunning with restrained legato and lyricism, blowing impressive bop-like lines, then turning all breathy and mystical. He'd mentioned before the gig how he clears his mind and just plays. It takes talent and practice to be able to do that successfully and he's obviously done his part. This was stunningly effective trumpet. Jake was more the iconoclast with truncated, detached notes, obtuse octaves contrasting with dense lines in response, more quizzical and ironic and intellectual than heart-on -shoulder emotional. These are very different players but they merged surprisingly well with harmonies both consonant and not and almost contrapuntal movements at times. Aidan was rich and full and driving, but also deep when he took a feature solo later in the night. James was sweetly toned, occasionally bowed, open and welcoming in presence and support for his colleagues.He blew a great fast bop earily on in warmup, but this was more fast unison heads and open playing against a few chords for the blows. Inventive and sympathetic and supportive. And Luke, of course, always great solos and smiling repartee, welcome support and a growing set of compositions with space to solo and various times and contorted, lightly dissonant heads. Great stuff, again.

The Antipodes Quintet comprised Luke Sweeting (piano), Jake Baxendale (alto sax), Ken Allars (trumpet), James Heazlewood-Dale (bass) and Aidan Lowe (drums).

Canberra-Gothenburg connections

Casey mentioned that the band all had Canberra connections other than Johan. I wondered if being married to Casey was a Canberra connection (obviously it is!) but you can see Casey's point. Other than Johan, the band was locally trained. But they've toured in Europe and released a CD recorded live in Krakow and they are touring here and are about to go into the studio. I am impressed that such international collaborations happen, but they do and they are common enough.

This one is Australia/Sweden with the Moirs in Gothenburg. Some tone of Scandinavia comes through in Casey's voice. And what voice! Her control, invention, flexibility are breathtaking. There's immense movement, quietness and detail here, and all manner of vocal techniques are in use, breaths, tongue clicks, pops, shushs. Mostly wordlessly, soloistically, perhaps unison as melody with Reuben's trumpet, or bouncing off Aidan's drums. But this incarnation is structured around songs with words, all poetry written by Casey herself and put to music by Casey or Reuben or Luke or Johan. Words, of course, have shared meaning, so there were love songs and tragic songs and fun songs and more. But in her way, Casey melds and bends consonants and tones for musical effect, shushing a final s or tacking a final t, consistently in any one tune. These shaped words may be harder to catch, and the lines are rhythmically jagged, but there's seriousness in thought, here, not just in music. And what a responsive band this is. Casey gave some guidance, conducting some starts and stops, but these are independently capable musicians, each getting spots to highlight their parts. I mentioned the vocals/drums segment - a unique or very rare combination - and the unison trumpet/vocals, which was satisfying if not so rare. There was also a bass/vocals passage and frequent open spaces for individual instruments - piano, of course, but also bass and mixes of bass/trumpet and the like. Luke even donned a piano accordion for the final, jokey tune, and that fit neatly with the theme, musically folksy and ironic but with serious intent. The song was entitled No : "No there is nothing new in knowing nothing / like those who know nothing new". I can only agree. There are open, free feels here, bass noises and harmonics, free jazz and new techniques. There's tradition, too, as I caught hints of quotes from the repertoire, from experience rather than intent. Grooves to settle or dissolve; solo passages that are interrupted by frenzied fills; crescendoes that grow long and almost imperceptibly; then to fall or decay, ff to pp and perhaps breeze and quizzical, sparse piano chords. There was even an end with the guys chanting under Casey's much firmer voice. It's complex music, intriguing and rich with lots of openess and clean air. Canberra and Gothenburg can both probably lay claim to open space and clean air.

There's detail and complexity here and it places considerable demands on both performers and audience, but the room was entranced. Like travel, music like this broadens a stale mind. Obviously one for the arthouse and festivals, never the clubs. Svelia is the international collaboration of Casey Moir (vocals), Johan Moir (bass), Reuben Lewis (trumpet), Luke Sweeting (piano, piano accordion) and Aidan Lowe (drums).