Best way to end the term 1

I only catch The Phoenix and TAFE when I see something of particular interest but I usually enjoy it when I do. The music course at Canberra Institute Of Technology (CIT) had an end-of-year concert where the faculty played with students performing mostly original tunes by the students. My mate mike is doing some composition studies and he was presenting two tunes. Mike’s were more complex, filmic sounding tunes. One lovely ballad, Soliloquy, that we’ve played in Gossips, and a complex structured piece in 7/4 with various time changes. The rest of the night was not like that. It was more rock and blues and pop, which I can only enjoy, and then the ending. More on that later.

So who were the performers? The faculty was a great little band. I’m sure the rehearsals would not have been extensive. I know that they had just a short time with Mike’s tunes and they were obviously the most complex and Greg was preparing by reading through dots in the break. Many of the other tunes were the daily grind for players with this experience and they were played with eminently solid grooves, plenty of colour and some great solos. James Luke was solid and wonderfully authoritative and often playful on a 6-string Modulus bass with classic SWR/4x10 presence. This was a delightfully varied performance of chords, slaps, pops, thumbs, fingerfunk over 24-frets and six strings but always with an unrelenting groove in mind. Dan McLean was fabulous on trumpet. He used mute on one ballad and a rotary-valved flugelhorn on another, but it was mostly hugely blues-inflected, growly trumpet. This was really strong playing in an idiom that doesn’t see lots of trumpet. Third year student AJ (Adrian Tonkovicz) was on drums and was also eminently solid and steady with a punchy amplified kick, as is called for in a rock/blues style, although he could have let loose a bit more for my jazz-atuned ears. I found both Troy Hambly and Greg Stott were taking a back-line rhythmic role, or at least were not loud and out front and centre, but both blew the audience away with fast and furious solos when they let go. Troy impressed me as musical director / conductor with the dynamics and coordination he imparted, a common role for pianists, and played some great rhythmic two-handed solos out of the R&B songbook. Greg is a stunner with sweeps and fast screaming guitar and there was some of this, although mostly he was playing more cleanly with a bluesy approach. Either way, terrific and exciting guitar playing. He also filled rhythmic duties on a cajun rhythm box at times although this was not too prominent amongst the other players.

The faculty band from the CIT Music School was Troy Hambly (keyboard), James Luke (bass), Dan McLean (trumpet, flugelhorn), Greg Stott (guitar) and third year student AJ (Adrian Tonkovicz, drums)

Best way to end the term 2

Danni Paryce started the show by singing a version of Cry me a river with a notably strong voice. Belinda Whyte sang two tunes with offsiders. A James Morrison soul tune called You give me something, and her original called Rise above. Her voice was nicely even and controlled and I enjoyed the sweet harmonies from Ruth then Lauree. Maddie Smeltink presented a totally different style, a quizzical old-style swing original about a modern day temptress called All about Eve. I must admire her for her for being so catholic in her tastes. Alex Cowell presented a very attractive original balled. Alex is the daughter of well-known local blues singer, Judy Pierce, so I’m not surprised that she showed such maturity and presence. By the end of the night, she’d sung numerous other tunes with confidence and real enjoyment for her and the dancing audience. Entertainment is much more than just musical skill and Alex carried it over with considerable panache. Ruth O’Brien sang Winter blues with a nicely authentic bluesy feel. Lauree Stuart sang another original ballad called Perfect, and Mike Walsh led his fusion original that reminded me of Corea and gave space for some nice indulgent solos from the band and beaming smiles from Mike.

The second set started with two originals by Mike Dooley. Mike is a seasoned player and it showed in the richness of composition, his leadership on the bandstand and his capable horn-like right hand solo lines. Miles away was a moody 7/4 with plenty of changes and Soliloquy was a lovely ballad. It was no surprise to me when Troy Hambly introduced Mike as not seeming like a student. Maggie Jeffs sang Fatts Waller’s Ain’t misbehavin’ as a rocky 12/8 and Gershwin’s Summertime with obvious and attractive Amy Whitehouse influences. The band then played a gentle and pretty original instrumental number by Lauree called Swan waltz. How interesting that a singer writes an instrumental. Simon Weaving sang a working class singer-songwriter tune, and Alex returned to present an original song by drummer AJ, although with apologies for not learning and performing the middle rap due to gender issues. Wouldn’t be alone there. The formal program ended with Simon returning to sing Ian Dury’s Hit me with your rhythm stick with that hugely funky bass line.

Then it was on for one and all for a long, unplanned medley of funk and rock and disco and good times. This really was a blast: dancing in the aisles, requests and passing of mics, lots of good muso memory and a few searches for chords and riffs, punchy fingerfunk bass, Mitch Canas amongst other visitors, rotating singers and harmonies and tons of smiles and laughter and joshing all round. What tunes? The intense funk of Rhythm stick started it, then over the next 30 minutes or so I noted Play that funky music, Superstition, Purple haze, Californication, Beat it!, My Sharona, Groove is in the heart, Sex machine and perhaps another half dozen. All pulled out of the hat or called as requests. Not too obscure, but nicely done at no notice. So? Great night, impressive playing and much fun. Just as the end of term should be.

Students and faculty from the CIT Music School included Danni Paryce, Maddie Smeltink, Alex Cowell, Ruth O’Brien, Lauree Stuart and Maggie Jeffs (singers), Adrian Tonkovicz (drums) and Mike Walsh (guitar). Mitch Canas (vocals) sat in.

Something happy

So said the bass player: “Please can you write something happy”. And Peta Gammie wrote a lovely jazz-influenced ballad that swung lightly and with pathos rather than joy. But this was the only tune I heard that I recognised as jazz. Not that that’s a problem. She’s a good composer of soul or rock or funk songs on very personal issues of love and its consequences (if with a twist, like morning and non-morning partners living together). And Peta can carry the style off, with a strong mid-range voice that she uses capably and with evident and satisfying jazz-trained precision in pitch and note values. It was a friendly and sometimes amusing concert, if just a little nervous. The high heels that found the hole in the floor were an unexpected surprise. The relief felt by travellers returning home was evident in comments on the Aussie pronunciation of water (d for t)and the audience’s understanding of her patter between songs. Peta’s been in Geneva for the last 6 or 7 years, but comes from around Kiama and studied at the Jazz School here in Canberra, so this concert was somewhat a gathering of friends. The band was fitting, too. Mark beating such apt, flailing grooves and fills. Jason laying down busy, finger-funk bass lines with that middy, woody Warwick tone into a man-sized bass rig. Greg mostly strumming light, funk styles on strat but letting go for some devastating guitar solos culminating in sequences and sweeps. Ya have to love it! John leading on melody and soloing with some bluesy lines, but then insinuating sophisticated dissonances into busy grooves. And Luke on edgy Nord piano tones sweeping over the keyboard, and just one time at the end, introducing organ (I wished I’d heard more of this).

But it was more than just a concert. CIT is a training ground for video and audio engineers, as well as musicians and the music business. So we had a mega production, with big PA, big lights, big screens. I loved the sound of the PA, running well below its capacity and totally unstressed. I didn’t always like the mixing. I found it sometimes too edgy and cluttered and unbalanced for my ears, but I’m the backseat driver here. Mixing is harder than it looks. I enjoyed the video. It gave a different view of some things, and I found myself watching it several times, even with the live act only metres away. But one thing was disconcerting: there was a slight but noticeable delay between the PA sounds and the projected video. I know they delay sound for speakers at different distances from stage at big stadium gigs. That wouldn’t have been feasible here, where we were seeing the life performer just metres away, but it was strange to observe.

Peta’s songs were all originals, other than one Elvis Costello tune, I want you. Annabelle Jones sat in with acoustic guitar and nice harmonies for one tune. Utopia Collective played the first set, with their highly capable fusion, finishing with a tune John had introduced to the band only 5 minutes before. As I remember, it had a rock groove, a busy but constant bassline, one or few chords, a devilish melody that John must have known, and otherwise five very capable musos who pulled it off with ease (if a few nerves).

I enjoyed the night, enjoyed the sound and the experience, and especially enjoyed Peta’s soulful music and personal lyrics with such a capable backing band. Peta Gammie (vocals) sang with the Utopia Collective. The Utopia Collective is Greg Stott (guitar), John Mackey (tenor), Luke Sweeting (keyboard), Jason Varlet (bass), Mark Sutton (drums).