Interlude no.1 Jazz

In the middle of recording CIMF was a jazz recording and despite the immense satisfaction of classical virtuosity, it was a welcome change.  Michael J Brady had invited me to record his trio's visit to the Drill Hall, on tour to promote their recent album.  They'd managed a session in the ArtSound studio and this was also being documented, with video and audio.  Support was our own Ueber Gang led by Liv Uebergang.  I could only praise the name.  First up Liv, proud to be playing a first performance gig after very many bar gigs.  Expansive in her guitar playing sounding richly of effects, perhaps chorus or echo or both maybe more, she led on a series of classic modern jazz tunes and a few originals with offsiders Harrison Whalan and Sean Kirk.  Some nice, extensive solos from Harrison and a few from Sean but also a presence and structure to the band, not least to locate Liv chatting to the crowd.  This was like a performance not a simple gig and it showed.  Then MJB in guitar trio format with Oscar Peterson and Alex Inman-Hislop.  This was original music, neat and adventurous but remaining very welcoming and lyrical, not overly jazzy, but expansive around other styles, indie or folkish melodic, often quiet and meditative then into gentle grooves and unpretentious solos over a freely interpretive rhythmic backing.  Really quite lovely and considered.  So quite a difference but equally a gig of satisfaction.

Michael J Brady (guitar) led a trio with Oscar Peterson (bass) and Alex Inman-Hislop (drums) at the Drill Hall Gallery.  They were supported by Ueber Gang featuring Liv Uebergang (guitar), Harrison Whalan (bass) and Sean Kirk (drums).

For the faint-of-heart, Not

I was chatting with trumpet Tom after the gig and I commented on how complex and difficult was this music and he suggested it had taken them 3 years to master it.  That floored me.  The recording makes it seem demanding but fairly relaxed.  The tour and this gig just opened the complexity and difficulty for all to see.  So it was not music for the faint-hearted in the audience let alone in the band but the skills and chops and cleverness and commitment were skyhigh and that was evident.  I think the compositions are by pianist and leader Wilbur, presumably with input over those years from the others.  Certainly, he talked on the ABCRN Music Show of tunes that had welcomed a floating intro and that would have been in the development stage.  I sat in awe at every one of the players as they performed this complex, busy or airy, ever intellectual and demanding music.  This was not an easy outing for band or audience.  Early on, I tried to follow, count, investigate, understand but it was best and most satisfying when I just closed eyes and took it in.  It was all complex in a musical sense, but evident enough in an emotional sense.  Every instrument was virtuosic, often surprisingly generous and responsive to others, perhaps the alto and trumpets in synch or in competition or the piano defining the changes with that phat Moog bass or that immense sharpness from the kit or those lovely talkative interactions again between horns.  And always the odd times, the dissonant and jumpy melodies.  But also always the sharp and correct playing on something not at all easy.   Not for the faint-hearted.    Listen to the album and go to the gig and try to dissect it first up, perhaps, or just close your eyes and partake.  Just don't expect an easy ride!

Wildfire played Smiths on their self-titled album-launch tour.  Wildfire are Wilbur Whitta (piano, synth bass), Tom Avgenicos (trumpet), Jack Stoneham (alto), Alex Inman-Hislop (drums).

Trumpeters' melodies glow

I don't know what it is but trumpeters seem to write great melody.  I guess it's a function of the instrument and the fingering and the harmonic sequence that underlies it all.  I walked up to the Orange Con to hear Underwards given that Hillary Geddes was playing with them.  In the end I was stunned by the compostions by leader and trumpeter Ellen Kirkwood, intrigued by the bass lines and effects and hugely impressed by both Hillary and drummer Alex. All odd times and strange, heavily effected, composed bass lines, unexpected divisions and mellifluous distortions against glorious clearly spelled beautiful trumpet melodies.  This was space and dynamics but always with a purpose.  The purpose was nature or indigenous history or more; always with reason and true emotion.  Deeply sensitive, intellectually inquisitive, modern and of today.  I don't like to be too demeaning of traditions (I love them) but I also like honest searching and development and this seemed just that.  Breaking the jazz coma.  Do I need to say I was mightily impressed and deeply affected even as the bass was deeply effected.

Underwards are Ellen Kirkwood (trumpet), Hillary Geddes (guitar), Nick Henderson (bass, synths) and Alex Inman-Hislop (drums).

OWJF2022-3

I'd expected more experimentalism from Amy Viola.  Yes, there was crossover, but a classical/roots/folk thing with vocals, quotes from Bach (first cello suite), I guess effects on the floors and even some guitar-like strumming, covers of Radiohead (interestingly another who came to pop from the classical training) and even covers of covers.  Amusingly she claimed a composition was perhaps the saddest Christmas song since Joni Mitchell.  Given the cold outside and the Christmas in July thing, it was close enough both ways.  And I'd also expected solo, but no, she was accompanied by drums and e-bass but I didn't find names anywhere.  It was good, interesting, earthy, just unexpected.  I expected a solo set with looping, but just goes to show.  Go with the flow.  She was good and a student of friends of mine, it turns out.  I am increasingly discovering musical connections to this town.

I couldn't even pronouce JAHL HESHI so again I was somewhat non-plussed to find a pretty straightforward modern jazz quartet.  I realise now that they are all initials but it had me flummoxed.  Tender and thoughtful tenor sax, intelligent and sometimes unexpected piano with delicious and well practised sequences,  nicely present and clear bass again with an extension, and Alex Inman-Hislop again on drums, an instant favourite after recent Hilary Geddes gigs.  Attractive and thoughtful modern jazz and nothing at all like what I'd expected!

Amy Viola and JAHL HESHI played at the inaugural Orange Winter Jazz Festival.  Amy Viola (viola) performed with drums and e-bass.  JAHL HESHI comprised Harry Sutherland (piano), Lachy Hamilton (tenor), Jacques Emery (bass) and Alex Inman-Hislop (drums).

OWJF2022-1

It's the premiere OWJF (Orange Winter Jazz Festival and I'm there, not for day 1, the more sparse Friday, but for Saturday and Sunday.  This is also the weekend of the Merimbula JF I rememebr, Queens Birthday weekend - the clash surprises me as there aren't so many JFs - but there are only so many long weekends.  Strangely the Monday is being left empty.  The chance is there for future events.  And it's colder than I remember Merimbula, from a cold spell and presumably from a country town far from the sea.  Colder than Canberra!   Happily, the weekend was relatively free for me and there were a string of bands which I'd sadly missed in Canberra so I'm here.  Orange is a 3.5 hours drive from Canberra, past the fish museum. 

I arrive in time for a rerun of Hilary Geddes Quartet.  The tunes were as I'd heard a week before at the Street, similarly intriguing and well played, if not so intimate given the space.  I had another go at counting one tune and decided on 7 but it also went into 8s and 6s then I got lost.  Col Hoorweg commented he avoided the counting.  Sensible!  But again some intriguing playing.  I missed a real piano this time, but bass sounded great and max laid some nice solos.  The acoustics didn't suit drums quite as well as the previous gig, but again Alex is a star of sharp, incisive and somewhat sparse playing and I love this.  And we for another of Hilary's blaring rocky solos that again I love and I think i understood the song of late sleeper next to highway better this time.  So a satisfying start.  Interestingly, I will hear Hilary in many guises during the day.  She is seriously versatile.  If antyhing, that may be a theme of this festival, seeing several basses with extensions, a classical implement not used in jazz and not used here.

Then to Phil Slater's Dark Pattern.  Dark Pattern was the work not the grouping.  Truly incisive and deep playing but dark it was.  This is, of course, one of the senior and renowned collections of musos here this weekend.  These are not the young tykes making names, but the seasoned and experienced performers.  Revered. and they easily deserved it.  I thought Miles from before the jazz rock, all thoughtful and sparse and gorgeously beautifully toned trumpet with careful harmonies and multiphonics from Matt Keagan beside him and Brett Hirst and Matt McMahon and Simon barker, all renowned for seriousness and virtuosity.  It raised a theme in my mind about mature players, what they do in later years.  It was to be with me with The World and The catholics later.  This was a concert of glorious tone, continuous playing (the tunes ran into each other, attacca), chart reading, thought and depth and satisfaction but, I thought, not too much joy.  And so be it.  Maybe just telling the story of our times...

Hilary Geddes Quartet performed and Phil Slater played Dark Pattern at the inaugural Orange Winter Jazz Festival. Hilary Geddes (guitar) performed with Matthew Harris (piano), Max Alduca (bass) and Alex Inman-Hislop (drums).  Dark Pattern was performed by Phil Slater (trumpet), Matt Keegan (saxophones), Brett Hirst (bass), Matt McMahon (piano) and Simon Barker (drums).

Next gen?

This night felt different.  Obviously for the music, but not sure why otherwise.   I thought next gen, but it's not just age.  It was fresh and I enjoyed it immensely.  It was two women leaders presenting their albums.  First up was Hilary Geddes and her quartet out of Sydney.  It started with changly guitar strums, moving through diverse and almost unrelated rhythms, then into sharp but sparse drums, their rhythms present but not too obviously stated, then into a melody of sorts on bowed bass, sometimes with unison piano, soundscapes in G (key is my guess from the bass fingering).  That was written for a street in Bremen, near the conservatorium, where Hilary was studying.  Then more, very different, perhaps with solos for all at various times.  Some were obvious and standard enough, including a genuine blow guitar solo in the last piece, but that was the one up-walk-feel.  Otherwise, plenty of bowed bass amongst the fingered including solos in each and bowed tailpieces and the like, some delicious piano counterpoint-cum-accompaniment, sharp and elusive drumming to die for, more tunes with Bremen references and some odd times that had me flumoxed.  Perhaps they were changeable; one 6-6-4 seemed to change all over.  I think that Bill Frisell touch, but he's never touched me, but then it took a little time for Hilary to do so, too.  At least half a tune!  Great stuff.  Then a second act at Street Three.  This was Claire Cross from Melbourne.  Claire, e-bassist and composer, sitting and leading a larger team including even viola and cello, mostly scored although she spoke after of leaving space for thematic improv by players.  This was much calmer, ordered, meditative, but again intensive and expansive.  The piece was created through a Melbourne International Jazz Festival program and recorded with many of the same players, although at least drums and cello had just sat in that day.  The drumming, although shared with Hilary, was far more restrained, Claire's bass was all fingerpicked chords and just a few fingerstyle passages, the strings added colour and the trombone and alto broke out into lovely solos every so often, but this remained a discreet work.  So different from Hilary's but again intriguing.  So quite a night.  Somewhat a revelation, really.  Hear their albums online: Hilary Geddes Parkside on Spotify; Claire Cross Into light on Bandcamp.

Hilary Geddes (guitar) led her quartet with Max Alduca (bass), Matt Harris (piano) and Alex Inman-Hislop (drums).  Claire Cross (e-bass) led her ensemble with Harry Cook (piano), Alex Inman-Hislop (drums), Jordan Murray (trombine), Flora Carbo (alto sax, bass clarinet), Biddy Connor (viola) and Eleanor Streatfeild (cello).  Both groups performed at Street Theatre Three.   PS, sorry for the pics!  Best I could do under the circumstances...