Out of the West

Ben Vanderwal appeared at the Festival of the Drum at Smiths, essentially leading the evening.  He's renowned and from Perth and unexpectedly accompanied by another Perthite who happened to be in town, but he revealed during the gig that he's got an early connection with Canberra.  I'll let you ask him.  I'd heard Ben several times over the years and he's a fave of mine and no way did he let us down this evening. But then he had a pretty good set of offsiders, too: Miro, John, Greg, Lachlan and that visiting Perth person, Emily Gelineau, on 5 string violin-cum-viola (the extra low string on the violin provides for the full range of the two instruments) who just happened to be passing through with Musica Viva (!).  There were tunes from several members, not least two of Miro's renowns and one from Greg as well as 3 from Ben (one with the title: Paul Motion goes to a dance hall concert) and an arrangement of Summertime and Monk Bemsha swing and interestingly, two rich groove-rich numbers from Don Cherry.  Don Cherry, that's interesting.  The final tune of the night was Mopti by Don Cherry and it just spelt the tenor of the night, deeply grooving, joyous presence, some improv cutting going on.  Emily was on violin and it's not a common jazz instrument.  She told me of her admiration for Stephane Grapelli and how she especially enjoys gypsy jazz, but she was perfectly comfortable in this grouping. There was joy and laughter here from the West to join with the chops of our more sedate Canberra presence.  Of course, Ben was inventive and supremely reliable and steady despite his wildly inventive play.  Something like his humour, perhaps.  And that final tune and the passed solos and infectious joy was just such a groovy pleasure to end the night on.  Just a stunner, in humour and stage presence as well as inventive playing.  Fabulous.

Ben Vanderwal (drums) led a band with Miroslav Bukovsky (trumpet, flugelhorn), John Mackey (tenor), Greg Stott (guitar), Lachlan Coventry (bass) and perth-side sit-in Emily Gelineau (5-string violin/viola) at Smiths. 

Do

There are various thoughts I have with our Smiths visit by Matilda and Carl.  It's a return from Berlin, so international, probably somewhat delayed by Covid.  And a tour from throughout Australia, with input from Sydney and Perth.  It's a blast from the past, as I remember Carl and Matilda as students here at the ANU.  It puts a local and informal tinge on a devastating concert.  The immense skills but also the careful expression of them, so nothing seemed showy even as it was virtuosic.  I got taken aback or just amused by some overwhelming fills or licks from Carl or Hugh or that kick-heavy thump with complexity but inevitability from Ben.  And the wonderful richness of jazz applied to emotionally-rich lyrics from Matilda's first set, and even the raunchy and one somewhat comical expletive-laden rant (humour with a cutting edge, think Carl even if Matilda sang).  That last is one for an E-symbol in Spotify.  Hard to miss!  But I dearly love this interplay of pop and jazz with the breathtaking jazz-informed solos and the words to spread further, to speak to a newer listening cohort.  I remain in awe the next morning.  Just breathtaking.

Matilda Abraham (vocals, midi) led one set with Carl Morgan (guitar, bass, vocals), Hugh Barrett (keys, synth bass) and Ben Vanderwal  (drums, midi, vocals) at Smiths.  Carl led the second set with the same players as Dodo.

Now for the dance

The intellect was satisfied and the feet were to come. Eamon Dilworth was touring Austrlaia and New Zealand playing and singing his much-loved New Orleans joy and calling on his many mates to accompany him. So this was Eamon with some of our locals: John Mackay, Brendan Clarke, Wayne Kelly and visitor already on the stand from the previous band, Ben Vanderwaal. This was joy personified but with that black melancholy that permeates the American South. First up was a joyous second lines blues, as would be played by NOLA marching bands at funerals. Then a string of frolicksome songs, Bye and bye, When I grow too old to drink, His eye on the sparrow, Just squeeze me, and the more sombre St James Infirmary or the country twangs of Jumbalaya or the story-telling original, Livin' the van life, or the upbeat Ilo Iko. All done with joyous trumpet and some capricious responsive virtuosity form John and immense steadiness from Ben and Brendan and Wayne's facetious light-heartedness on the Duke. The name says it all - Crawfish Po' Boy - spelling out huge joy amongst deep emotions, all a great mark of respect to the tradition. Huge pleasure.

Crawfish Po' Boys is led by Eamon Dilworth (trumpet, vocals) with invited guests John Mackey (tenor), Wayne Kelly (piano), Brendan Clarke (bass) and Ben Vanderwaal (drums).

Blowouts

What of a CD release by Jamie Oehlers? He's a supremely exciting tenor player, renowned for prizewinning and now just extravagantly virtuosic and writing great material. He was joined by Ben Vanderwall, a deliriously fascinating, busy, intriguing drummer, always ready to explore percusson sounds and deeply polyrhythmic when he chooses that or rabidly funky too. The other three were unknowns to me (other than Ricki Malet who I'd seen in a big band context) but they were wonderfully satisfying. Bass Zac was all deeply funky syncopations on a PB, playing with fingers or thumbs for that thumpy dub sound. Ricki was a great pleasure on some demanding heads and satisfying solos. Harry was playing Nord but it was all Rhodes tones and perhaps ring mod, absolutely the part for this sound, widely different from the abandon of Jamie but also so suitable as a contrasting style, two hands widely spread across keys, chordal left hand and richly arpeggiated right. Not music for the fainthearted, though. This was very complex and hence demanding but a huge source of pleasure. Style and preferences differ but the best stands monumental. This was fabulous. Drummer Mark commented that Ben is the best and world-worthy (the drummers were obviously awe-struck) and that the difficulty in his playing is not obvious. Not sure I agree. I was basking in drums and sax and speculative keys and deep grooves and trumpet and intrigued by the ease of it all, those grooves, those intricate rhythmic embellishments, those odd syncopations that sat so deeply, those rich, delicate phrases that came so easily but demanded such harmonic wit. What else to say when you hear such stuff. A blast.

Jamie Oehlers (tenor) led his band with Ricki Malet (trumpet), Harry Mitchell (piano), Zac Grafton (bass) and Ben Vanderwal (drums) at Smiths.

Mike and the awards

I caught Mike Nock as a performer but he's also the chair of the judging panel for the National Jazz Awards. The awards were for guitar this year and the judges were Mike with James Muller and Steve Magnusson.

Mike Nock is a senior Sydney figure noted for his support for a new generation. At Wang, his band was called Trio+2, the extra two being younger sit-ins Carl Morgan and Karl Laskowski: younger maybe but not unknown. This was unrushed, well developed modern jazz with a feel of rock grooves, often developing some power, with plenty of space for solo development: Outcast, Brett Hirst's Changeling, Perspectives, even This dude abides (written by Mike to a quip in the movie, The Big Lebowski). The rest of the trio was Brett Hirst and James Waples.

I was at Wang for the last guitar awards, and Carl Morgan, ex-ANU Jazz School and well known locally at the time, was on the shortlist. He didn't make the final that time, but he returned victorious. I only attended the final (given program clashes; I would love to have attended the heats). The final contestants were Hugh Stuckey (Adelaide, now Melbourne), Peter Koopman (NZ, now Sydney) and Carl Morgan (South Coast, as I remember, then Canberra, now Sydney). Carl played last and was a clear winner: confident, communicating, interesting and thrilling. He played Scofield's You bet,m Joe Henderson's Isotope and Coltrane's Naima (in a heavy rock-influenced take that worked). Hugh played first with a clear, traditional sounding guitar. His tunes were You're changed, Schofiled's Don't shoot the messenger and Rollin's Tenor madness. Peter played second, more driving and modern. His tunes were Larry Young Backup, Isfahan form Ellington's Far East suite and Scofield's Loose canon. Backing was from Des White and Ben Vanderwal. It's always a game to pick the winners. I've only listened to the finals a few times but never exactly matched the 1-2-3 order. This is art with subjectivity and personal preferences. Congrats to all; they are all worthy players.

Mike Nock (piano) led his trio with Brett Hirst (bass) and James Waples (drums) with visitors Carl Morgan (guitar) and Karl Laskowski (tenor). The National Jazz Awards 2014 final was for guitar and contended by Carl Morgan, Hugh Stuckey and Peter Koopman with accompaniment by Des White (bass) and Ben Vanderwal (drdums).

Getting real

A friend posted to Facebook "Shit just got real" during this gig. She was right. This was the concert of Jamie Oehlers, Steve Magnusson and Ben Vanderwal. These are peak players in the Australian jazz scene. They were visiting Canberra to launch a new CD, Paper Tiger. There was no bassist (Bassless allegations was mentioned as a possible band name, probably in jest), but anomalous lineups are common these days. Steve played some bass lines or fingerpicked and the low notes did the job. Jamie also took an accompaniment role, behind Steve's guitar solos, and this is unusual but given his skills, wonderfully effective. This was choppy music. There was just one swing, as I remember, and one ballad. This was solid even-eights drumming that had me wondering what passers-by would be discovering. Few rock drummers will play with Ben's sharpness and invention. Jamie's solo lines were ever varied. These players were all this way: profoundly knowledgeable of options and thus fresh in their choices. Steve's technique, too, was choppy. Not smooth and distorted and searing but crisp, twangy, staccato and rabidly fast and endlessly varied. I guess these guys, too, have their habits and licks, but nothing seemed too obvious. Their new CD is 15 short tunes and this performance was pretty much that. The shortest was around 90 seconds and they obviously surprised themselves when it suddenly ended. Even the longest was perhaps 7 or 8 minutes. Jamie's known to play extended solos but this was a different experience. There were originals from all members and wit around the stories to introduce them. The music may be deadly serious, but this band's got the banter. Ben ran a commentary on left communitarianism ("We're all in this together") while denying any interest in politics. Was this banter for the Canberra visit? Ben wrote A song to parallel park to and he claimed to dislike it from the start, only to let it loose on his mates. A rocking chair on a carousel (on a cruise ship in choppy seas) was a song title and a story in itself. Then there were covers: Backhand by Keith Jarrett, Word from Bird by Ornette Coleman, Slow boat to China, Hard times come again no more. This was a challenging mix of contorted or pretty melodies that are developed with immense complexity. Jamie's Lament was a lovely ballad although never too obvious. Paper tiger was rubato, experimental with loops. Slow boat is a lovely old tune but was busily embellished. Hard times was in three and played with relative simplicity. This is a peak experience for jazz in Australia, three of the most capable and inventive players together and on record. It certainly got real; the final slice of the sandwich.

Jamie Oehlers (tenor, soprano saxes), Steve Magnusson (guitar) and Ben Vanderwal (drums) launched their new CD, Paper tiger, with a gig at Smiths.

NYC meets Oz

It was Sydney for the night and the choice was Post-bop or New York. It’s annoying when you have a choice like this. I chose NYC. Mike Moreno (of Bar 55 and more) was playing guitar with some mates: Alex Boneham and Ben Vanderwal. These are amongst the best of the locals and Mike was a revelation so this was an absolute pleasure. And I got to visit a new club, Foundry 616. It was also a shorter walk and perhaps this was the decider. I can only rave about Alex and Ben. They are truly inspiring. I was amused to see Ben perusing charts as he played, throwing in little fills of considerable complexity but he’s such a capable and playful player. Alex was strong, firm, playing incredibly long intervals. This stunned me: Alex was all over this fingerboard. I guessed he was playing 10ths and 11ths and 13ths on one string: long moves, precise, in tune. Alex seems to have a closed-hand technique at times, at other -times, a perfect, neat, spread of the left hand. Either way, it’s a revelation when he plays. But it was Mike who came from the mythical NYC. He was deceptive: melodic, lyrical, then sometimes dropping into the lightest of fills and licks, clearly presented but with a modicum of echo, perhaps increasing during the night, and … and th like. This as light playing, not distorted, spelling the melodies and playing with harmonies but not too daringly. They played had just played together once. Alex mentioned that they were reading, so less comfy but it didn’t particularly look that way. This was hot. There were some originals. Ruby my dear was a favourite standard, but there was also Wayne Shorter and more. I just sat back and took in some fluent playing. Mike fingerpicked with pick under his index finger, or picked with a pinkie for stability. He dropped into discrete sweeps and florid clusters of notes that were stunning, but more notable was a breathtaking ease over the fretboard: fast but not blinding and always expressive and malleable in his phrasing. Despite only playing once together once and concentrating on charts (they were practising as I entered the club ~40 minute early), this was still nectar of the gods. Otherwise, they played Sonny Rollins Airegin, a ballad Time for love, Miles’ Miles ahead, one or two others and some originals. I noticed a common theme of vamps to end the originals: this is a guitar band, after all. A great night. Top NYC meets top Australia. Magical.

Mike Moreno (guitar) led a trio with Alex Boneham (bass) and Ben Vanderwal (drums) at Foundry 616 in Ultimo, Sydney.

A guitar band

Well, it’s a guitar band so you expect some volume and an excitable audience. We got both for James Muller at Smiths. I was not the only one who arrived early. This was James, our Aussie-International, playing with Alex Boneham and Ben Vanderwal. This is a hot trio and the room was well populated 30 minutes before start time. I arrived and they were doing a sound check, and it was loose but furious. It just got better through the night. This was the hottest chops played for fun and amusement and just a bit on edge. I noticed a few slips, inevitable with three guys going for it, and some chuckles and knowing smiles were proof. The solos passed around with some informality and they were all to die for. I was amused by the tune, Mitch, a dedication to Hendrix’ drummer, Mitch Mitchell, that started with a strangely heavy and simple beat from Ben with perfect blues guitar over, a veritable contemporary update on the best of Hendrix. And there was an authentic jazz ballad, Embraceable you, which was swung and felt a little out of place, but was a proof of the jazz heritage. James played guitar of the jazz greats, a work of stunning flexibility and interpretation. Jazz was quoted elsewhere, but with more an abandoned, rocky take. Diddums (yeah, I kid you not) was a take on Giant Steps (!) with the changes featuring in a solo in the middle, but flanked with a hot unison melody that responded to the original. Sonny Rollins’ Freedom suite First movement started the concert and it was demanding and forceful. Players at this level don’t seem to need much warm-up, but still they just got better as the night wore on. The final tune was another blues, hot and a throwaway with plenty of solos on show. James is a master. Mellifluous, inventive, fast, using mostly using pick and perhaps one finger and just occasionally fingerpicking. He had a collection of effects pedals, but nothing was flashy except the stunning playing. There was colour from the floor, but little more. Ben had the same subtle concern with tone. He’d continually change sticks or brushes or mallets, damp skins, even dull a cymbal with a clamp and he did it all amongst his urgent and wonderfully varied playing so no one missed a beat. Alex always works the strings but this was more so, hard and committed and fluent, playing the full range. I noticed lots of long paired seconds sequencing up and down the neck, jumps and thumbs and rock-infused even beats. I was close and could watch entranced at James’ fluency and inventiveness and the ease of it all. Guitar is not played hard; at this level (it should be so at any level, but often it’s not) it’s precise and controlled fingering and this was a lesson. Consonant or not, this was a display of craft at a stunning level. Firm, always fluent, occasionally fluffed because he was going for it and a bit under the weather. I tend to concentrate on one or a few players at a gig: those having a good day or with the most chops or authenticity, but I noticed I was entranced by each player as I concentrated on him. Guitar, bass, drums: all stunners. Get the drift? This was hot and I was not the only one impressed. A blow and a blowout. See them if you possibly can.

James Muller (guitar) led his trio with Alex Boneham (bass) and Ben Vanderwal (drums) at Smiths and it was a blast.

The pleasure of informed delicacy

Ben Winkelman is a delicate player. Richly detailed. His tunes display complex structures and changes. They are heavily syncopated with written lines defining rhythmic and harmonic relations of bass and piano. The solos, piano, bass or drums, appear from a vista of chordal movements and subtle repetition. His solos are similar. Exploratory but unobtrusive with rhythmic tension and symmetrical sequences and conversational embellishments.
Two originals were from an earlier period and channelled 1920s and ragtime although with a modern ironic take and historical respect. Drummer Ben V fits perfectly with all this, toying with tone and splitting and conjugating rhythm. Alex and Ben V both rode freely over the beats, implying structure and responding to it without obviously stating it. Admittedly this wasn’t always true: there were two fairly straight works with more traditional cyclic structures, and Alex was persistent and unending with the bass line on Five Odyssey, a salsa in 10 as I counted it. This was the final tune at CGS and later the intro tune for the jam at the Loft, so it’s a favourite in public. They played Monk’s Bye ya but mostly these were originals by Ben W. That early pair, Tomazo variations (?) with a ballroom melody and swing feel and diatonic harmony with heavy accents, and Maxine’s stomp, a ragtime feel about a deceased cat. The others had various odd times, like Remolacha, the beetroot song (long story), that switched back and forth between 6/8 and 4/4, all latin, or Prospects, more standard with an even rock feel, or Other way, a lovely 3/4 ballad-styled tune or the Schlep in 5/4 or Westbury with floating piano chords over slow rock drums and sparse bass. This doesn’t suggest off times but the written syncopations and the players’ styles supplied it. Ben W with his diverse tones (including a cowbell kick), constant and obtuse polyrhythms and playful articulations and splits of the beat shifting all over the tune and seldom settling. Alex with his sharp syncopations, similarly precise 16-th notes, expressive intervals and richly expressive solos that often spoke to the mainstream of jazz melody. And Ben W with his easy nature, joy in performance and finely wrought but unassuming solos over detailed and expansive tunes. It all makes for a special night of contemporary jazz at the highest level. Great stuff. Ben Winkelman (piano) returned from the US for a tour with Alex Boneham (bass) and Ben Vanderwal (drums). They played at the Canberra Grammar Gallery.

From Paris via Bermagui

I sat back awed by Alex Stuart’s band. There was some seriously hot playing here on some complex charts with odd times and contorted melodies and chunky grooves and lots of time for speedy solos. I chatted to Brendan in the break and mentioned this. He said it was a pleasure to do a few gigs in a row, as this band has done. He’d got some mp3s and charts to prepare - as is normal practice - but often there’s just one gig, maybe two, and you are struggling with more complex pieces. This band had played twice at the Wangaratta Festival, as well as Bennett’s Lane in Melbourne and Zephyr’s at Bermagui, so the music was comfortable. It was clear with the settled grooves and the eyes that weren’t stuck in the music stands. And these are such good players and this was such a decent, unusually mature, audience. I guess it’s family and friends, as both Alex and Brendan studied here in Canberra. But all four have reputations and Julien and Ben are masters that would have brought in a few others. Suffice to say it was a hot band and one I was particularly looking forward to.

The grooves were wonderfully strong. Ben is all over them, occasionally laying a beat, but otherwise idiosyncratically laying counter-rhythms, strong and hard, sometimes moving around the beat, but always so strong and fluent and easy, and with a left foot unconventionally working an extra pedal striking a cymbal or whatever. Brendan was equally fluid but also stout and solid on bass. He’s got a wonderfully formed left hand, strong with first finger pointed, playing mostly in the lower registers, but straying to thumb positions and almost above the fingerboard for one solo. But it was his right hand, fingers and arms working, that mostly impressed me and that’s where the groove comes from. There were smiles from Ben and returned chuckles from Brendan showed they were having a good time. I’ve seen Julien in more restrained situations but this was anything but. I didn’t always catch his playing from where I was sitting (I’m told he was louder on the other side of the stage) but when I did he was quite softly toned but fast although not frantic and what seemed to be mostly tonal and reliably structured. This was lyrical but at speed: very nice. Alex led from the guitar with his own compositions. There were devilishly fast heads, often against changing times and bar lengths, leading to repeating grooves, sometimes in odd times. I think I counted a 12 and an 11 and a 9 but the band was fluid and barlines were treated with apt disrespect, so it was none too obvious and often difficult to count. I thought I heard Mahavishnu in some of Alex’s accompaniment and I thought of fusion, but the heads weren’t like that. The players were all strong and all led the others at times, but I could feel Alex leading often enough from his comping seat. I didn’t particularly hear Mahavishnu in his solos although they were sometimes rabidly fast (guitars usually are). I felt this was mature and idiosyncratic and stylistically developed playing. I felt an influence of rock in chunky chord solos and effective use of repetition, but also slinky jazz guitar and what I guess were various alt or Arabic scales in both solos and composition. And a soft but lengthy echo that showed itself at the end of solos. I particularly liked the way the band members would drop out: maybe just drums and guitar, or bass and sax, then come back in, one by one, with rising excitement. And the strength of these duos were remarkable! I was taken aback at one time when I realised just how strong was a groove that was just bass and tenor: stunning strength and independence of playing. Local altoist Matt Handel sat in for a few tunes, too, so the front line got fatter in melodies and there were solos to compare and a sax summit of the two horns.

I’d expected a good night and this was more mature and settled than I’d hoped for. What good players are these, and what an impressive and well practised outing. At this level, it just takes five gigs. I shouldn’t be surprised: these guys are good. Alex Stuart (guitar, compositions) is back from Paris for a visit and touring with Julien Wilson (tenor), Brendan Clarke (bass) and Ben Vanderwal (drums). Matt Handel (alto) sat in for several tunes.