Two up

After 200 performers on stage for Beethoven's Ninth, Smiths is a small outing. But even this gig had two bands, totalling 6 performers. The first band up were ANUSOM friends appearing under yet another name. This time it was A Town Called Panic. Panic, be worried. This was Brendan K-T, Ben Forte and Hayden Fritzlaff who play challenging indie music of their time. They did also play My favourite things, only just recognisable in this arrangement using hip-hop beats from J-Dilla. Brendan appears a musical director cum leader here, speaking to audience and introducing tunes from his school days (Bon Iver) and Aphex Twin and two tunes from LA bassist Thundercat. Plenty of power and chops and some stunner bass solos on current popular but interesting charts. I like this thing.

Next up was On Se Perde comprising a pairing of composers, William Flowers and Stephen Wilson, with drummer Malcolm Newland sitting in. This was a much milder outing, lower volume, mostly original funky or laid back syncopation or jazzy or rocky and with a few more obvious takes on standards, Scott La Faro Gloria's step and Jobim Wave. Most tunes had bass and piano solos, piano was variously acoustic and Nord, just one drum solo on the final tune. They appeared to relax towards the end and perhaps their liveliest tune was the final funk encore, but a tune towards the end, inspired by Fyshwick on a hot day, built to a nice driving 2-feel groove.

So, two bands over and still just 9pm. It's an unusual time for a jazz gig, 7-9pm Thursdays at Smiths, but nicely relaxed for an early night. Strange but easy.

A Town Called Panic comprised Brendan Keller-Tuberg (bass), Ben Forte (guitar) and Hayden Fritzlaff (drums). On Se Perde comprised William Flowers (bass), Stephen Wilson (piano) and Malcolm Newland (drums).

Songs of love and despair

Rose Costi and Ben Forte performed in the late morning, for the U3A Jazz Appreciation group, in a smallish room in a club around Canberra, and it was a delicate pleasure. Just voice and guitar; no drum machine or electronics. Good solid time feel but pretty sparse for the single note solos. Nice for clarity and lyrics and a duo fellowship. Rose's gentle and thoughtful voice helped, too. No screams, much delicacy, only a few more forced lines. The tunes lent themselves to this, too. Ballads from the standards repertoire. Some were joyous or lively, like Sqeeze me don't tease me or East of the Sun west of the Moon of I hear music or How deep the ocean. Quite a few love songs, unsurprisingly. Some latin, Gentle rain, No more blues. Two sleepy people is just a huge pleasure; Don't explain is Billy Holliday at her more desperate - that one touched home. This was a lovely little concert for a quiet and appreciative and pretty knowledgeable group. Glad I got the invitation, and thanks to Rose and Ben for the great pleasure.

Rose Costi (vocals) and Ben Forte (guitar) performed songs as an unaccompanied duo for teh U3A JAG.

Sixteenths

It's a fling back to a comfy past to hear Hugo Lee's band playing funky 16ths-note patterns. This is '70s funk as I remember it, before a descent into its pop-disco incarnation (which was itself entertaining enough if lighter and perhaps less pretentious). I haven't heard that same insistent bass, the odd rhythms, the infectious moves for ages. I was trying to transcribe a rhythm as I listened and realised how difficult it can be. It all fell out when I counted in 8 rather than 4: it was the odd leading 16th notes that caught me out. So the bass was key; interestingly Jack on a 6-string Ibanez for some funky solos, too. Then over this, a melody from Hugo's alto and calm, at times almost meditative, but sharp, snappy drums and edgy guitar chords that would sometimes move to solo with unassuming swirling effects, perhaps accompanied by another of the '70s innovations, an EWI, a synth controlled by wind and sax-like keys but sounding, this time, all the world like an organ. All a throwback in some ways, but satisfying and brought to date by current-gen players. Not just that. There were two originals by Hugo, one rock solid, one another funk outing. And a few standards. Ladybird done quickly but otherwise straightforwardly, and Caravan rearranged for time and hits and double-time walks. And a Kenny Garrett (as we were reminded, not Kenny G) tune to end. I enjoyed it all, grooved with the 16th notes, expecially drooled over the superbly neat and apt drums. Another great little lunchtime outing at the Ainslie Arts Centre.

Hugo Lee (alto, EWI) led his band with Ben Forte (guitar), Jack Schwenke (bass) and Alec Brinsmead (drums) at the Ainslie Arts Centre.

To two greats

Mingus and (Joni) Mitchell. Both greats of their fields and friends who wrote for each other and recorded together. The ANU Jazz Collective presented a concert to give due recognition to these two. They played a series of tunes from each and two originals influenced by them. Rhythm section, four horns, vocals. The Mingus tunes: Haitian fight song, Fable of Faubus, Goodbye pork pie hat; the Joni Mitchell songs: River, Both sides now, and the lyrics she added to Mingus' Goodbye pork pie hat; the two originals, Collective jazz by Brendan Keller-Tuberg and Fields by Andree Thompson. I could easily feel the relationship to Mingus in Brendan's composition given the switches to double time, the bass features and drum hits and collective improv and blues melodies. Brendan did a good take on Mingus throughout in his playing, too. Fields was more open, odd timed, perhaps more Joni-contemplative. I loved the ensemble sound of the four horns throughout: trumpet, trombone, tenor and alto saxes: nicely intoned and some decent solos. Rose Costi took the vocal role and did the Joni songs with considerable panache and involvement. One listener reported tears (Both sides now, I think) and another said she was close to it. I didn't quite feel this, and I was uncomfortable with the slow pace on River, but the singing was very impressive. I could not but love a concert dedicated to these two masters: bluesy, earthy and true. A great pleasure.

The ANU Jazz Collective presented a program called Mingus meets Joni at the Band Room. Performers were Rose Costi (vocals), Anthony Cotter (trumpet), Jack Schwenke (trombone), Hugo Lee (alto), Andre Thompson (tenor), Ben Forte (guitar), Brendan Keller-Tuberg (bass), Alec Brinsmead (drums) and Johannes Luebbers (piano).