Jaminagin

Tuesday night, Smiths jam.  Megan's busy and less classical so I've got to a few jams recently.  And enjoyed them immensely.  Tonight was Greg Stott with Chris Pound and Gus Henderson for a very lovely host band.  Playing several tunes by the greatest composer of the C20th, suggested Greg, only partly in jest.  I remember sitting behind Greg and Mark Sutton, perhaps James Luke, at the Burt Bacharach gig at the Royal Theatre at the National Convention Centre early Nov 2015 and being stunned by the string of lovely melodies and huge hits, so many that the Look of love, Alfie, Wives and lovers, Walk on by, I say a little prayer and the like were just dumped in one of two huge medleys.  Beautiful playing and beautiful tunes from the hosts.  Then a string of the recurring jammers, plenty of singers, Nitya on soprano, a good friend Alysa who I got to play with, perhaps an oversupply of ballads, given the singers.  I was hoping for at least one take on Giant steps, something more up, but feeling the ballads through is a challenge in itself, changing feels and intensity over time and solos.  So great fun once again, and if you are interested, follow the link below to read my report on the Burt Bacharach gig with not a little admiration for Burt's compositions.  Greg, I can only agree: perhaps not the greatest composer but a pop composition genius.

Greg Stott (guitar), Chris Pound (bass) and Gus Henderson (drums) hosted the jazz jam at Smiths.

Burt Bacharach in Canberra  /  Setlist

Not Zimmerman

There were so many ways that this was an unusual Canberra Symphony Orchestra outing.  We walked in to find no printed programs, but a QR code with a link to CSO program for the year and the program for this concert.  Walking to our seats we find almost no one we recognised: this seemed a new group, different, perhaps younger and that's OK.  It was a full house or close enough: film music is popular and this was the music of Hans Zimmer, composer of Interstellar and Lion King and Pirates of the Caribbean and Dune and Gladiator.  And Driving Miss Daisy.  And a string of films I didn't know, Kung Fu Panda and Holiday and Thin red line and more.  Even those I knew of I mostly hadn't seen.  But I had played some Zimmer along with other film composers at an NCO concert and enjoyed the whole but he was not one I most admired.  Then it was a big orchestra, ~80, and had a rhythm (section) of guitar, e-bass and drums.  Strange that, with Chris and Nick from the jazz scene and Dave, normally from the CSO bass section, on e-guitar.  They didn't play too much: mostly Nick on drums, occasionally Chris, occasionally Dave, but he did have a standout, they might say solo, somewhere, with a repeating line with sustained, distorted guitar.  Standard metal tone if not so exciting.  Also four double basses, btw.  And a cello taking the part of and sounding often quite similar to a Chinese Erhu, especially up the neck, and voices in another piece that I guessed came from unison flutes and violins/violas although later someone suggested synths from one of two keyboard players.  Then later still an actual woman singer, first up wordless, then I think later with words, but not too sure.  And demonstrations by the orchestra of things, like how a very known song was slowed and made sparser of become the soundtrack.  And all this with commentary that I thought I had read in the program, from two fellow influencers from Melbourne, one a jazz musician the other an academic who is known to friends, about the films and Zimmer and scoring and that he'd appeared in the backline of The Buggles for Video killed the radio star (worthy involvement there!) in both the first and last episodes of MTV.  Did I mention the smoke machine?  And those crescendos and repeated simple lines, and how someone said of film composition that the amateurs use three notes and pros just 2.  Zimmer certainly used few notes and certainly dragged immense dynamic changes from them, sometimes from choice of instruments, and again those repeated four notes (too many?) that I remember the high strings all played, together, incessantly if powerfully.  You felt the emotional intensity.  So too from the light show, and the smoke machines.  The Zimmer man, not Dylan.

Canberra Symphony Orchestra performed music of Hans Zimmer under Nicholas Buc (conductor) with commentary from Andrew Pogson and Dan Golding and song from Cassandra Seidemann (mezzo-soprano) and a rhythm section of David Flynn (guitar), Chris Pound (bass guitar) and Nicholas McBride (drum kit).

Songs of lament and reflection

They advise The Elegy Project is "a contemporary chamber music ensemble blending classical, jazz and folk".  It's strange, yes, but beautiful and deeply satisfying.  Think a vocal dectet (a nonet on this day) singing Megan Washington or Lonely woman by Horace Silver and Leonard Feather, or a solo pianist playing Rachmaninov or Chopin's famous Funeral march then joined by the choir, or Joni Mitchell Both sides now, a key song of the '70s, played by a jazz quartet (on this day a trio of piano, bass, vocals).  This is a new group, directed on the day by Kimberley Steele with a string of renowned locals.  It's not a small chamber group given 13 names are listed, but a fascinatingly broadminded and exploratory combination.  Full marks for the mix of musics.  And there were some seriously satisfying performances, too.  Kimberley on solo classical piano and voice; Rachael on jazz vocals, deeply effective and emotive, and also joining in the choir; Chris just that fabulous bassist that he is, but then picking up a Telecaster to back the choir on one tune; Micah impressively spelling tunes and improvising, unhurried and purposeful, on a much nicer piano than I'd heard him on recently.  And the choir, some lovely voices, well intoned on some challenging and well arranged harmonies.  Gus is the drummer to come and he can only add.  I was taken deeply by this concert, the breadth and emotional expression of it all.  Fabulous and still very new.  If you read this post promptly, perhaps you can catch them at Wesley 3pm Sat 13 or All Saints 3pm Sun 14 June.

The Elegy Project performed at Wesley and comprise Kimberley Steele (piano, musical director), Chris Pound (bass, guitar, synth, director), Rachael Thoms (vocalist), Micah Knight (piano), Angus Henderson-Mack (Gus Henderson, drums), Emma Griffiths (soprano), Petta Lindsay and Neille Williams (altos), Oliver Bruhl and Cody Christopher (tenors), Martin Magill, Lachlan Rankin and Daniel Westbury (basses).

Good Friday Alt.

It was fairly quiet in town when we went to Molly, it being Good Friday, I thought.  But we are none too religious a society these days and Molly was alive.  Even buzzing more when Tom Fell's quartet opened with a take on Green Dolphin Street, with Chris Pound playing emphatic chords from the first beats of the A section.  Tom on tenor spelling out the melody then a lovely, inventive solo with a goodly share of dissonance over more driving grooves from Nick McBride and Damien Slingsby.  Tom took a solo that I could only love for its firmness but also fleet inserts and Damien solid and chordal, perhaps less than bop flightiness, and occasional solos from Nick through the night, but always driving, powerful grooves and insistent fills.  Do I need say I was very taken by this.  Then on through In a mellow tone, something sounding Shorterish that Tom later identified as One for BM, a track from his new album, Mantra, and Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum which is by Wayne Shorter and the bouncy Cold Duck time to finish the first set.  In the meantime, we had a few beers, watched the locals, admired the band to the hilt, me remembering Tom from years back and marvelling at his expressive fluency and dissonance of today.  We only stayed for the first set but it was a doozy.  Now to have another listen to  Mantra, Tom's first album, bought and signed for my shelf by Tom.  Chase it up.  It's this same band other than Steve Barry on piano.

Tom Fell (soprano, tenor saxes) led a quartet with Damien Slingsby (piano), Chris Pound (bass) and Nick McBride (drums) at Molly on Good Friday night.

Another Tuesday, venue 2

It's Tuesday night so if venue 1 is Smiths then venue 2 is Molly.  Of course Molly is the unmarked timber door in the lane just behind Smiths and up the stairs on Tuesday night is a string of some of the best local jazz you will hear in this town.  And tonight was a doozie: Tom Fell leading a trio with Chris Pound and Nick McBride.  I came in at the end of the second set but there was a third, and it was a hard biting outing.  Tom was all movement and involvement and a pretty free concept of soloing over the chords with occasional hints at the melody and sometimes relaxedly standing as a head is passed back to him and always fascinating and adventurous.   He was playing a storm as leader and this trio supports it.  Chris was superbly fluent, quick and solid, rather than flighty, wonderfully clear throughout the range and well into thumb positions, and just inventive with his conceptualisations.  I think of Alone together as my song, but he floored me with his take on it.  Nick would solo in fours or more open formats and always sharp and correct and interesting.  These were just standards, but fascinating as modern takes on standards can be, if not always are.  I came in to a sax solo that I recognised from a few melody snippets as Have you met Miss Jones.  Then a break and a return for a final set with Take the A train, a blues, Alone together and another standard.  I've played them all even if I can't recall all the titles.  But this was exciting, busy, outgoing yet inviting, noisy and adventurous.  Just a great band playing standards with joy and chops.  Fabulous.

Tom Fell (tenor) led a trio playing standards with Chris Pound (bass) and Nick McBride (drums) at Molly.

Many happy returns

I got to the National Press Club especially  for Mike Price, given he was a major member of the local jazz scene a few years back but he's been off in Qld for some time.  In Cairns for 8 years, he told me.  But then I realised Nick was a Canberran who'd returned after years in Macau and Chris had been a decade or so in Cyprus (?) so they are all returnees.  Fascinating.  As was their playing.  The NPC gig is pretty relaxed, but there was plenty of controlled energy in this one.  Mike's clean, swift, chordal styled guitar moving through various dissonances and chromaticisms but also just telling the harmony as it is, or spelling the lovely melody of some standard.  They were standards, played comfortably up-tempo, with solos for all, fours for Nick, often with a tagged ending for a little more guitar solo.  All nice.  Clean, capable, certain jazz, guitarist styled.  Is there bebop here?  It doesn't quite feel it but maybe it just doesn't sound it without a horn.  Certainly the lines and improvs were bop-styled.  Whatever, this was wonderfully capable and expressive.  Chris' bass was a lesson for me, up or across the neck, quick and broken syncopated lines over walks, nice thumb positions playing and a fairly common but effective hand formation that I must revisit.  Nick's drums are the essence of stable, but can explode given half a chance.  Mike was deceptively clean and correct, more tone than improv, revealing for me far more depth and adventurousness with my eyes closed.  The presence was standard jazz club with Mike calling a tune and Chris grabbing for his iReal Pro or similar: casual presence and serious performance (or maybe causal performance with serious preparation).  As I like it.  Travel has done us all good.

Mike Price (guitar) led a trio with Chris Pound (bass) and Nick McBride (drums) at the National Press Club.

Transposition

It could be 55 Bar, as least it could have been 55 Bar a few years back when it was still open and Sean Wayland was known to play there.  This is the 55 Bar next to the famed Stonewall Inn on Christopher St in NYC and just near W4th St where we once stayed and a few steps from Smalls and Village Vanguard and Blue Note.  Those were the days.  But this was Smiths and Sean Wayland was in town playing with an old sparing buddy Nick McBride and Chris Pound who gigged with him on a visit to NYC.  And it was a madly ecstatic outing.  There was some fully understandable wariness from the offisders for some quick syncopated tunes and the reading therewith.  That immensely witty and busy songwriting that's accompanied by a prog rock synth presence and Moog fatness and gloriously melodic solos.  This is a music of speed and humour and virtuosity of an outgoing nature with perhaps a few soulfully embellished vocals speaking of shortened humdingers (Dinger) or wedding gigs (Club sandwiches)  or homemade synths (G2X Daisy) or failed promises of the Net (Shitformation superhighway) or modulations of some sort (Fried chicken modulations, or locally, Chick roll...) or a cover or two (Men at Work Overkill, Mondo Rock Cruel world) or even a solo ballad (We'll get through).  All with virtuosic fluency and glorious synth tonality and some degree of trepidation in Chris' eyes.  But Chris was funky and impressively on cue in some madly syncopated reads and just a blowout otherwise, and Nick was driving and exemplary and, well, our ex-Sydney NYC- resident of 25 years was just a blast as leader and keyboardist and tone-searching melodist.  Just wow.  A fabulous, infectious, overwhelming outing, in Civic, at 4pm in the afternoon.  Just a blast.  And I heard someone complain that they played a cover.  I couldn't get that.

Sean Wayland (keys) led a trio with Chris Pound (bass) and Nick McBride (drums) at Smiths.

A small and worthy outing

Herbert's @ Evatt is a little venue but it's had some amazing performers over recent months.  I finally got there if only for the final set.  This gig was the expert local trio of Lachlan, Chris and Nick, a rhythm section that we see often recently and always a huge pleasure with guest Mark Ginsburg.  I hadn't seen Mark for some time but the addition of his sax just lifted things with the addition of tone and the interplay of parts.  So a small venue with some great acts but a big presentation from the band.  We chatted with the players over their lunch and heard the final set, just a few common standards played with real panache.  I loved Chris' light and flight fingerwork; Nick is just as swift and wonderfully expressive; Lachlan always quick and melodic uniquely playing with a thumb pick and at least two other plucking fingers. Then over the top, the sweet tenor tone and telling solos.  It all ended too quickly, but Mark had to get back to Sydney, for a concert of Jimmy Webb in Angel Place.  JW is, of course, one of the great songwriters of ~70s, having started with Motown, no less.  Mark was advising me of JW's 10 easy pieces album and praising the voicings.  I could only remember my recent rediscovery of the JW song Galveston and its theme and rhyming haunts me daily.  So a small and worthy outing.  Herbert's suggests to book for lunches, but we could get a beer and sit outside and listen.  But Herbert's is small with a big musical heart on Sunday arvos.

Mark Ginsburg (tenor) played with Lachlan Coventry (guitar), Chris Pound (bass) and Nick McBride (drums)  at Herbert's at Evatt.

Zone calls

Sean Coffin visited Smiths to play with the locals.  He's touring with the band name Zoning laws referring to his improvisation method, Flow zoning, that he's writing up into a PhD.  I found it a fascinating contrast after a similar lineup the previous night under John Mackay, another sax star although quite different in style.  Not sure I can express the differences too well, but John seemed more fluid, fast and mellifluous while Sean was loud, powerful and choppy.  Both were impressive performers at a very high level but obviously style-wise diverse.  I asked Sean about his method.  If I got it right, it's seven x five note cells that can be applied variously to chords and tonalities and made more complex and varied with a range of technical modifications and embellishments.  Best to await his PhD release, but I enjoyed the determined, abrasive, potent soloing.  The band played just 7 tunes, so were generous with improvs all round.  The tunes were all from the standards repertoire, but a note suggested his technique lead to compositions, so I guess that complexity is held for his regular band.  But this local pickup band was no slouch.  Interestingly, I overheard one person suggesting that Sean should tour with this band.  Certainly they were impressive.  Nick McBride was long known to Sean; Chris Pound and Lachlan Coventry were more recent contacts.  They all blew a storm and all took significant, extensive solo spots and defined their time with aplomb and improvisational interest.  I particularly followed Chris, of course, and was floored by a few particularly expansive solos.  He can play changes neatly and with interest and variation but those solos often reach to the heights, using big intervals and chordal-like hand shapes and one just stopped me with a quick descending harmonic pattern to die for.  Nick and Lachlan were pretty good too(!)  So was Sean, as I said.  So I enjoyed this gig.  The 7 tunes that spanned the two sets were Sonnymoon for 2, Stablemates, Darn that dream, Milestones (old), Alone together, Invitation and You don't know what love is.  So some personal, less common choices, but all in the fake books.  Sean ended by commenting on how jazz can be created with people who just meet.  I doubt he's ever played with this combination but you wouldn't know.  Just another fabulous intellectual jazz treat.

Sean Coffin (tenor) led Zoning Laws standards ensemble at Smiths with Lachlan Coventry (guitar), Chris Pound (bass) and Nick McBride (drums).

Melody

We bassists have too little awareness of melody.  Even our awareness of chords is limited other than as movements and intervals, say, compared to a pianist who plays the colours.   It's understandable.  Our role is rhythm and we can play whole gigs with just a chord chart and it's common with many (primarily) single note instruments.  Nonetheless, melody and those chordal colours are central to well written music and Burt Bacharach is a key example in C20th popular music and I was astounded yet again at Smiths this night.  Greg Stott was leading a group playing the music of BB.  I was late, given some confusion over the starting time, but what I heard had me almost in tears.  Admittedly, it's music of my lifetime and that's of relevance, but the complexity and sheer inevitability of the tunes, their plays with time and abbreviated bars, their glorious unexpected colours and beautiful while self-evident melodies overwhelmed me.  The band was good too!  Great even.  Chris with a Beatle bass with pick and occasional finger style, thumping apt rhythms and grooves and plenty of expressive solos.  Nick a wonder on steady and determined beats that exploded with sharp fills.  Greg just shredding with his quick and neat guitar, and some delightful jazz solo takes on a few tunes.  El had a new 5-string e-violin that had me thinking viola until I heard of the low C string.  Her solos were expressive and right, but she stunned me with neat and glove-fitting fills, expertly played over Burt's captivating chords and melodies that just asked for such treatment in good hands.  And Liam who put the words, sometimes queried in our different world, of love and loss.  Anyone who had a heart had to be touched by his fluid jazz interpretations.  But the love, or the look of it, was filling the hearts at Smiths.  Not that it was a young crowd: this was of an era.  I mostly missed the first set, coming in on an instrumental Look of love (as I remember) then a break.  Then That's what friends are for, Wives and lovers, Alfie, Walk on by, Close to you, What the world needs now is love.  Just one of those would crown the work of virtually any songwriter.  Truly a master amongst  Lennon/McCartney, Dylan, Carole King, Joni Mitchell and the like.  But this was just some tunes.  I remember seeing Greg at the BB gig at the Royal Theatre here in Canberra in Oct 2015.  Just look at his playlist for that concert and fell the awe.  Given Burt's and the Greg's band, this was the concert I was most awaiting this year and I was not disappointed.

Greg Stott (guitar), Chris Pound (bass), Nick McBride (drums), Llewellyn Osborne (violin) and Liam Budge (vocals) performed music of Burt Bacharach at Smiths.

BB setlist Oct 2015

Awe all around

Wayne Shorter was obviously a formative artist for Con Campbell and Alex Raupach and they'd been planning a performance of his album Speak no evil for some time.  When WS died, aged 89, on 2 March 2023, it took on a special relevance.  Con's quintet comprised Con and Alex with Wayne Kelly, Chris Pound and Nick McBride.  It's a star-studded Canberra lineup but apt for this music, playing Wayne, Freddie Hubbard, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Elvin Jones.  But the start was also fascinating.  An original for the quintet by Alex, then a trio of trios.  Chris and Nick with Alex then with Con for two tunes by another uber-creative Thelonious Monk (Evidence, Friday the 13th), then a trio with Wayne playing a WK original.  Quite a different tune to end a shortish first set, in expectation of the album replay.  Then the album straight through in order.  Delightful syncopation on bass, extended flourishes on piano not least through chords, just fascinating chordal, often chromatic, movements with extensions spelling the flow, unique structures like 32-bars that were anything but AABA and 9 bar sections and the rest, all manner of colours in the writing.  And those indicative solos over, from Wayne and also more regular from Freddie.  I followed the chords from iRealPro and was fascinated by all this, and somewhat confused.  I'd played chords like this but never quite investigated these changes and the harmonic roles of these alterations.  This is deserving; worthy of investigation even at a kitchen table.  By the end I was quite awed by the source material but also by the local interpretation.  Just stunning all round.  The night ended pretty early and several went off to Molly for the jam session.  I started up the stairs, but the raucous sounds seemed at some conflict with what I'd heard, so I deferred, passing Nick on his way in.  Wow.  I still feel the awe.

Con Campbell (tenor), Alex Raupach (trumpet), Wayne Kelly (piano), Chris Pound (bass) and Nick McBride (drums) performed Wayne Shorter's album Speak no evil at Smiths for Geoff Page's Jazz series.

Elastics

The name was a little odd and to some degree so was the music.  Richard suggested Swamp jazz for a style.  And this mix of guitars and violin made for memories of Mahavishnu from tone if not from style.  Two crisp guitars, again of quite different sound and style.  Lachlan was hard and sharp, uneffected, with short bends suggesting heavy strings.  Dylan played lighter, fingers gentle and delicate and with softer tone, perhaps reverb, or chorus given his Roland jazz chorus amp.  Then that unusual instrument for jazz or later styles, the violin.  That was spacious with reverb and tight and fast with chops.  We wondered why there's not more violin in modern musics.   It's a great tone and there are tons of well trained players if not necessarily players with understanding of the styles.  Certainly El has solo chops but also an awareness of the context and accompaniment.  Lovely.  Arpeggiated sequences and scalar flourishes and all manner of bowed effects were common, but also tenderness as in her lullaby composition.  As for the back line, as a bassist I much admire Chris, his aptness and ease along with fierce chops when that's called on and that insistent while soft tone, and Gus on drums was tight and expressive.   We heard several guitarist tunes, from John Abercrombie and Pat Metheny, and a few originals, demanding or relaxed, always played with respect and understanding.  And this is just the opening band for the night?  Looking good.

Elastic Molasses comprised  Lachlan Coventry and Dylan Slater (guitars), Llewellyn Osborne (violin), Chris Pound (bass) and Gus Henderson (drums).  EM played at Smiths.

End of eight

It's the end of a series.  A series of eight concerts with invited players from interstate, run by Alex Raupach Verity Lane.  I've got to the last three only, but enjoyed them immensely.  Let's hope the series reappears.  It reminds me a days a decade back when musicians and bands toured though Canberra, Syd>Melb or vice versa, with workshops at the ANUSOM.  Good days.  These were great concerts.  This last night was pianist Wilbur Whitta, again one with Canberra connections but also a Masters from the Royal School of Music, just beside the Royal Albert Hall, that Albert Hall in London.  Impressive as was his playing.  He teamed with Chris Pound and Micah Heathwood for the night, and a few tunes to finish with Alex and Tom Fell.  We caught the second set only, with a bopper then a few possible originals, then a longing trumpet tune, and possibly a Miles of late'70s vintage and a finish on a rarer standard, You stepped out of a dream.  I found Wilbur as expansive, lightly phrased but complex, rich in substitutions and dissonances.  Lovely.  Chris again solid and richly toned but exploratory.  Micah busy and driving and forceful.  A worthy end to a challenging series.

Wilbur Whitta (piano) led a trio with Chris Pound (bass) and Micah Heathwood (drums) at Verity Lane.  Alex Raupach (trumpet) and Tom Fell (tenor) sat in for a few tunes. 

Waves on sand

I got to Verity Lane for another of Alex Raupach's 8-evening series, sadly coming to an end soon.  Each show includes a visiting or feature artist with the house band, but this was a doozy.  It was called Waves on Sand, the title of a piece written for this event by Alex, was located in a quiet room out the back and featured 3 visitors, just not 1.  And worthy visitors they were.  Chloe Kim is a renowned drummer in numerous ensembles and student/associate of Simon Barker; a member of one of her bands and also from Sydney, Harley Coleman, came on guitar; Melbourne-based trumpeter Ashley Ballatt, with a string of plays with international renowns, Terri-Lynne Carrington, Linda Oh,  Dave Douglas and Vijay Iyer no less.  The locals were Chris Pound and Tom Fell, both local experts.  Actually, both Chloe and Ashley had history at the ANU at the time of the SOM ructions, so some local presence.   So a promising program.  The concert was a series of tunes, written by all members, including Chris and Tom and Alex, of various styles, even touching one with a country-ish opening for one particularly beautiful ballad, Yellow pink to blue by Sandcastles Chloe/Harley band partner, Hinano Fuisaki.  But most was not like that.  There was glorious, calm, slow, chordal grooves with occasional movements in pitch, signalled by a leader, or frantic free, or totally solo drums or guitar, or drums or guitar solos in context, guitar lightly picked but quick, a most glorious bass tone that both Harley and I were praising Chris for, or glorious sitting three part harmonised notes from tenor, trumpet and bass, moving in small intervals down on instruction, but improvised on harmony, and throughout a gorgeously pure trumpet tone, and Chloe's rhythmic excursions and occasional space.  All with performers physically coming and going for different pieces, and with a quiet and responsive audience.  The listening location fitted and the purpose was well served with some stunning floating, and just occasionally ecstatic, music.  What a pleasure.

Chloe Kim (drums), Harley Coleman (guitar), Ashley Ballatt (trumpet), Tom Fell (tenor, soprano saxes) and Chris Pound (bass) performed at Verity Lane for Alex Raupach's Louis Louis series.

What borders

I'd seen Hilary Geddes a few times before so I'm not sure why I was so surprised and impressed by her at Verity Lane the other night.  She was the guest, leading the band, mostly playing standards, perhaps one of two of her originals, playing with the house band, Chris Pound and Mark Sutton.  And John Mackey and Alex Raupach who sat in  later in the night.  Her presence was a clear influence, with abstruse solo lines and deliciously dissonant chords which twisted and distorted the backing, so what might be a standard solo just needed to be altered to fit.  Just what those were, I wasn't always too sure.  And she was such an influence despite a relatively low volume.  I thought too low, so sometimes a bit lost, but maybe that's another of her influences that made for a different music.  It all brought out strong, rudimentals-oriented drumming from Mark which is something I love to hear.  And Chris with a wonderfully strong, upper-mid-rich tone, quick lines, plenty of chordally aware playing through the range was a dream, even if he sometimes seemed a little reticent in the context, even while he was playing a storm with glorious tonality to my ears.  John responded too, although the colours and sheer speed of his cellular playing was an overwhelming storm of its own.  Alex was more lyrical as trumpets often are, but again explosive at times.  But that harmonic colour and abstruse soloing did it for me.  I spoke with guitar Greg after and we were musing over where the influences were from, from jazz but also from rock band exploits that Hilary indulges in.  I increasingly admire work across boundaries, within music and further afield, so I remain hugely impressed if a little perplexed about the whole, this night of standards in a noisy bar with a most intriguing new player.

Hilary Geddes (guitar) visited Verity Lane to play with the House Band comprising Chris Pound (bass) and Mark Sutton (drums).  John Mackey (tenor) and Alex Raupach (trumpet) also sat in.

Unlocked

ACT is perhaps the most Covid-vaccinated population in the world (as they are saying) so it's not unexpected that we'd be opening up, and we are.  My first outing to a music venue was for commendable locals, the Greg Stott Trio, at National Press Club.  They played standards and latins and perhaps pop in jazz styles (we heard Eleanor Rigby) and they were just inspirational!  Greg is fluid and swift and inventive; Mark is our local drum gem, stunning me with an open sounding solo of such exhilarating and intellectually satisfying polyrhythms as to drool over.  Bass was Chris Pound on electric.  Chris was once a star student but I haven't heard him for years.  He bio says he's played in USA, England, Poland, Cyprus and Ireland since graduating from ANUSOM in 2009 but obviously now returned to Canberra.  Again, neatly expressive and melodic in solos, not flashy but satisfying.  The lineup at NPC is always impressive and this trio nothing less.  It gets an extra mark given the lack of live playing for a while.  We just caught one set, but mature and capable and wonderfully sharp playing.  Not NYC but it may as well be.

Greg Stott (guitar) led his trio with Chris Pound (bass) and Mark Sutton (drums) at the National Press Club.

Release

Liam Budge launched his CD last night. We were at the Abbey, with its earthy timber and imposing organ and arrayed PA and an impressive audience for a Sunday night. But still this was intimate.
Liam’s voice is plaintive and neatly controlled and often improvisational and here it was wonderfully close and present. The balance suited; voice and emotions and words matter here. The tense rhythm section under Liam was melodically restrained, but vehement like a compressed spring. This was powerful and emotive stuff, and it’s just the thing for a jazz vocalist. There’s been a reflowering of jazz vocalists in recent years, including several who are huge commercial successes. Most are female, but there are males too. The difficulty must be to retain authenticity in the commercial scene. Liam is certainly doing that. This is entertaining and intimate and thus sellable, but it’s more. There’s meaning is his words and originality in his arrangements and improvisations. He sang scat and it worked and not just as a period piece. This was effective, dissolving into echo and other effects – particularly impressive at a live concert. This was tradition and jazz chops but it was moulded with a Gen-Y ear. The tunes were a mix of originals and covers. The feels just sat ready to explode. I’m listening to his Bye bye blackbird on CD now. It’s a great song but not usually one for modern ears, but I’d heard it before at the Loft and it’s a killer. It sits, aroused but with a restrained surface, Chris’ bass holding things, Tim’s drums full of energy and sharps taps and rolls, Luke’s piano bouncy in chords and lithe in solos. This was the feel of the band. Not loud; controlled and careful but tense under the skin. This is black and white, film noir, suspense and longing. There will never be another you was similarly rearranged by Liam and Luke. Here’s it’s all medium-up swing and smooth trumpet but head and tailed with an accented, interrupted melody that retells the original then drops into a canny, hip vamp. These are common standards but manicured for an audience of lounge or tea room or grand stage. Liam’s intro to Stop this Trane was amusing. It’s his response to a John Mackey class in Giant steps and it’s well clear of Coltrane changes. Farewell was a slow ballad, bass solo, unison voice and flugelhorn; “we will begin, for you, to turn to”. San Diego serenade was a Tom Waits cover and an unexpected touch of light Californian rock with a pleasing jazz structure. Bettina was for his girlfriend, a ballad of touch and candlelight, intimate and quiet, accompanied by just bass and flugelhorn. They didn’t play This could be the start of something big, although it’s a jazz standard, but this concert may have been. Luke’s got amiability and feel and jazz chops and for singer’s it’s a world of opportunity. I’ll be watching and I’ve got a signed copy of his first CD. Break a leg, Liam. Liam Budge (vocals) led a band with Luke Sweeting (Rhodes, piano, organ), Ken Allars (trumpet), Chris Pound (bass) and Tim Firth (drums). Tom Sly (flugelhorn, trumpet) sat in for two songs.

We only caught two final songs from the opening act, Jess Pollard and Steve Barry. This is a Sydney pair, singer and keys, with some witty lyrics, curt phrasing and a delicious tremolo that wheedles its way into the high notes. Not enough to report on but I wish we’d heard more. Jess Pollard (vocals) paired with Steve Barry (Rhodes).

The cycle of musical life

I was most surprised by the maturity when the Luke Sweeting Sextet played at the Loft. I shouldn’t have been. I’ve seen all these guys before and watched them over time do plenty of impressive gigs. But here there was a composition unity and voice that spoke to me beyond just solos. They are about to record a CD so I suppose they are well practiced (even if I caught a few bloopers) but it was beyond this. Luke’s voice has impressed me since I first noticed him playing in a large ensemble gig perhaps 5 years back. I asked him then how long he’d been playing, and was a bit taken back at his short history in jazz, perhaps a year or so. Then his compositional voice also impressed with that ensemble a year or two later. These guys are all strong as individuals but here I was most impressed how they are melded as a glorious unit with those three horns, sweet and melodious and dynamically controlled, upfront and Chris’ easily syncopated bass and Aidan’s gently stated but driving drums enlivened with Luke’s own syncopations and ostinatos. This format – several harmonising horns as sextet or thereabouts - and this music, talks to jazz that I love. The deep grooves introduced with lyrical melodies spoken with the cleanest of horn harmonies, and of course the individualist statements of the solos. (I don’t know the exact quote, but) Mingus once said that his band had to effectively perform his charts, but their solos were their own business. I hear that here too. There’s an ease with the charts: they are well understood and interpreted, the harmonies are clear and the syncopations feel right. Then the solos are extensions of the personalities of each player. Matt hit first with authority and structure and fluidity and inventiveness that stunned. It’s not just for Matt’s playing, but I’m feeling more for the higher range of the alto these days, and in my listening it seems to be more common. Reuben is fast and furious and ecstatic but carries a droll presence on stage. Max is softer in tone and more restrained in performance and a fascinating penchant for intervallic soloing. Luke covered the waterfront. Blistering runs of tonal play; rich counterpoint between hands; dissonant chordal soloing; ostinatos and comping and even synth-like swelling chords on his suitcase Rhodes. As I find with the best of music, there was intense busy-ness here, but it felt easy and unfussed: an enviable skill and the mark of the well trained and talented artist. Here’s the result of several years of good training on the best of the students: once unformed, now mature, but always searching and learning.

Then all the fun of the jam, and it was fun. A few beers, axes shared, mixing and matching of players and those old standards. I’ll mention some older mates who joined in with the student crowd: Mike and Demetri and me. I struggled with Chris’s “beast of a bass” as described by Max. Max seemed to have no problems. I long for the strong hands that Chris and Max must both have. Mike sat in for a series of tunes, sometimes with a second pianist, either Luke or Andy. I noticed a delightful bluesy authority in Demetri’s alto and an ease when playing collective improv with other horns. Very nicely played. The jam all came to a head with Giant steps and jokingly swapped fours by all the band and some grunts where someone missed a chord. And a final bop blues to end the night. Latish, but enlivening and lots of chuckles amid the seriousness of earning respect that is a jam session.

Luke Sweeting (piano, Rhodes) led a sextet comprising Matt Handel (alto), Max Williams (tenor), Reuben Lewis (trumpet, fluegelhorn), Chris Pound (bass) and Aidan Lowe (drums). For other than one tune by Reuben, they played compositions by Luke. This was a fundraiser to start the new year at the Loft and what a great night.

Luxuriations

I caught the Wayne Kelly Trio playing last night at Hippo. Jazz is sparse in Canberra as we wait for the new academic year to begin so the announcement on Facebook was welcomed. Hippo has the locals playing on Wednesday nights and it remains a nice if noisy gig. From the top, this was luxurious playing, reminiscent of dark late night bars and world-weariness, and perhaps of Shanghai speakeasies (or more likely cocktail bars). But despite the leisurely pace and feel, this was full of throwaway nonchalant inventiveness. The tunes were standards or of that style, built on ii-V cycles. I recognised several, like Things ain’t what they used to be and I’ll remember April, and others were familiar if only vaguely, but Wayne took them far away, with chromatic inventions and panoramic sparseness and an easy relationship with the trio. Col played his unique percussive style with his tiny kit of thuddy kick and snare and a range of rhythm- and sound-makers and his insistent cross rhythms. Chris, now returned from Europe, was back on double bass and playing with a freely expressed maturity, frequently soloing into the thumb positions, easily moving over and through tonalities rather than simply stating chords. It was a delightful outing that had me smiling with pleasure at the easy groove but also the flexibility and invention that Wayne brought to it. How lovely was this! Wayne Kelly (piano) performed with Chris Pound (bass) and Col Hoorweg (drums) at Hippo.

In passing

Canberra is not NYC or even Melbourne, but I can occasionally catch two interesting gigs in a night. After Pen Island it was Andy Campbell’s JUBB at Smith’s Bookshop. I only caught part of the set, but this was steady mid-tempo fusion with attractive melodies, often played as sweet unison by guitar and tenor, with lyrical and mostly restrained solos and several long crescendos. I wondered if the potent guitar chording defined much of the sound. Andy presented all original tunes: Led Zep (an obvious and deserved dedication); Grey ghost; PP2 (a new version of an earlier tune called Pool party). The final tune was Darcy, written about Andy’s dog, and it seemed a different composition from the others. It was something like a shuffle in 5/4 with variations. Andy volunteered that Darcy is a happy dog and you could feel canine revelry in those variations. This was satisfying fusion with attractive melody and Andy’s amiable presence. Andy Campbell (guitar, compositions) leads JUBB with Max Williams (tenor), Chris Pound (bass) and Luke Keanan-Brown (drums).

Hear JUBB