Enlightened

It’s called Enlighten. It’s certainly not Enlightment but it’s entertaining. We enjoyed our leisurely stroll around the Parliamentary Triangle. There were decent crowds, at least in a Canberra sense, although they are spread over a large area. There were more photographers than you could imagine, the serious ones hogging the best spots with tripods. There was lots of varying colour and some gentle and harmless humour. Not much seriousness here. The closest that we saw was an art work by George Poonkhin Khut at the National Portrait Gallery where visitors were invited to measure their body using a finger electrode and watch it on a PC screen and I think listen in headphones. It seemed oddly like auras but perhaps more authentic, or at least scientific. Also serious was standing by the fire at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy, although strangely the fire was attended by a white guy with no ATSI blood but with sympathy for the cause. Otherwise, there was music. We caught just a few Real Book tunes by the trio of Clare Dawson, Caleb Wearne and Simeon Staker. That was background but very capable; I enjoyed the gentle but lyrical soloing. They were playing to a chatty crowd in the foyer of the National Library for their temporary speakeasy called the Red Letter Lounge (the Bookplate seemed to have transformed into a child care centre). We also caught some cajun/bluegrass with Dr Stovepipe who were strangely perched on a stage above the La’ Toush café. All very odd but entertaining and nicely played: two- and three-part harmonies, good rockabilly slap-bass and a jokey presence. They had plenty of kids and a few mums up dancing, although they were fickle and ran off to follow the Group D Creative Collective’s deep sea anglerfish bicycles when they passed by. They were cute (and friendly: no fish I know has ever offered to stop for a photo) but I preferred the Stalker Theatre Company’s Phospori cyborgs: three women on stilts with images projected onto body suits roaming with a distant presence. And I enjoyed the two Apollo 11 astronauts who just moon walked around the place, ignored by more-worldly adults but enjoyed by the kids. And did I mention the cameras and tripods? We managed three hours of colour and projections and idling. Given ee are not ones for public entertainment, I reckon it was pretty decent.

Enlighten is a festival of projections on buildings and public entertainment held around the Parliamentary Triangle. The bands were the Clare Dawson Trio, featuring Clare Dawson (piano), Caleb Wearne (bass) and Simeon Staker (drums) and Dr. Stovepipe with Jim Sharrock (guitar, banjo, vocals), Gillian Cosgrove (fiddle, vocals) and Ed Radclyffe (bass, vocals). The performers were the Group D Creative Collective and the Stalker Theatre Company and their Phospori. George Poonkhin Khut presented electrode aura portraits at the National Portrait Gallery.

Trios

The Loft was in piano trio mode: Clare Dawson playing Herbie Hancock and Tate Sheridan playing his own music. Tate went second, but I’ll talk of him first. Enough said that I left in awe. I wasn’t the only one who had little to say after a stunningly mature student concert. Mature in concept, in composition, in improvisation. Tate is quiet on stage, respectful and deep in thought and interests, and these are expressed in his compositions as well as his respectful presence. Poetry, history and spirit all made an appearance, as well as influences and styles of some key pianists of influence.
I noted early his powered, adventurous, virtuosic playing. Classical in approach, chordal and full handed but with melody appearing in left or right hand, modal and symmetrical in improvisation, dynamic at both structural and improvisatory levels, expansive in use of the whole range of the keyboard and free with time as solo lines based on triplets or sixteenth or eighth notes rippled over extended phrases and plays with anticipations and delays. His Run don’t walk was influenced by Keith Jarrett’s ‘70s Cuban playing. His Onward onward was a ballad inspired by a poem from Walt Whitman’s Leaves of grass accompanying a recorded reading of the poem in Jason Moran style. His Please no questions was written to explore melody in two hands after hearing Brad Mehldau, with right and left hands playing a parallel melody an octave apart, then dropping into a heavily swung, straight ahead blues for solos, then ending with half time staccato unison passage and a return to the full time melody. Final hour, capturing the Mad Trapper recounts the longest chase on record, a chase of 250 miles after the bushranger, the Mad Trapper. This was a repeating 6x4 eighth-note passage sounding like steady pacing, with interspersed smashes and chords and accelerandos and rests and staccatos and a final, sudden stop as he’s presumably caught. Grace was slow: not religious but seeking and mellow and questioning. Speed dating was a head in three parts: sparing staccato right and left hand unaccompanied piano, then heavy, bluesy, syncopated groove, then swing, leading to solos and an end with the piano dissolving then returning to the head. An intriguing structure, even with swing solos. This was Tate’s night but his trio members deserve a mention. Max was playing a newly purchased, old German bass. Despite unknown strings but with strong hands, it sounded great. He is playing maturely these days, solid and reliable in accompaniment and expansive, full ranged, sometime playful in improv. James was obviously observant, watching Tate and exchanging glances with Max and well integrated with the tunes and with an idiomatic boomy kick drum. Suffice to say, this was a stunning outing and I was not the only one to leave the night with unusual quiet and respect.

Clare Dawson introduced the evening with a set of Herbie Hancock tunes. It means nothing to say these were interesting compositions. Jessica, a ballad with harmonically-enriched cycles. Some heavy loping swing in And what if I don’t. The melodically infectious Toys from Speak like a child. A grooving, smooth Calypso. The modal Eye of a hurricane from Maiden voyage. There was lots of ground covered here. I enjoyed Clare’s firm, even hard, touch, her use of repetition, her solid swing and bluesy hard bop chords and rolling arpeggios, her melodic sense. Max was again grooving in walks and sweet and expressive in solos and Luke was tempered and respectful in accompaniment.

The piano trio is a key format for modern jazz but it’s diverse in its character. I’ve seen three over recent days and enjoyed them all. Raf’s updated traditionalism; Clare’s respectful modernism; Tate’s stunning contemporary originality. All great pleasure and inspiration. Tate Sheridan (piano) led his trio with Max Alduca (bass) and James O’Donnell (drums) at the Loft. Clare Dawson (piano) introduced the night with her trio comprising Max Alduca (bass) and Luke Keanan-Brown (drums).

Turossing it (Moruya 2011/3)

Duck was unexpected and refreshing band: guys just having fun and music you just hang out to dance to. Josie led this funky, R&B outfit playing’60s tunes like the Stylistics and the classic political protest song, What’s going on. This was deadened thumbed bass, off-beat drum fills, beaming synth solos and an overdriven guitar solo at the end that gave me goosebumps. And Josie, cool and contagious out front. The only goosebumps I had all weekend. Duck comprised Josie Jensen (vocals), Callum Stewart (keys), Matt Dixon (guitar), Caleb Wearne (bass) and Sam McNair (drums).

I caught a family outing in two bands: father David Lole led a quartet performing mainstream featuring Melbourne saxist Roger Clark. His daughter is ANU student Rachel Lole who led a band playing delightful interpretations of the standards repertoire. David Lole (piano) led a quartet with Melbournites Roger Clark (tenor) and Alan Richards (drums) and student Caleb Wearne (bass). Rachel Lole (vocals) led a quartet with Clare Dawson (piano), Jared Plane (bass) and Henry Rasmussen (drums).