Stompin'

The Lord Anson is the hearty hub of the OWJF.  It's got beer, it's got disco-ish lighting and chatter and dancing and fun.  We dropped in just to hang out for a while between other acts and it was Queen Porter Stomp playing.  This is song with harmonies, trumpet and squeeze box and banjo.  Not modern but alive and humourous with a touch of seriousness (relationships and taking boats to work were mentioned in patter) and very welcomed dancing.  Perhaps a bit early in the night for too much dancing, but the toes were tapping and the seats were jumping.  Great with a beer and a top-tapping smile.  Love this stuff.

Queen Porter Stomp are Crystal Barreca (vocals, ukulele), Julian Curwin (banjo), Louise Horwood (trumpet), Matt Lamb (bass) and Alex Masso (drums).  They were missing their usual trombone player and I missed the name of the accordionist.  My apologies.

OWJF2022-6

Day 2 of OWJF2022 and I decide to spread my listening, some singers, the older jazz traditions, perhaps some blues or roots, a pub venue rather than another concert-hall church.  And good for a bit of exercise walking between venues and braving the cold.   Colder than Canberra by a few degrees and the dress of the locals shows it.

First up is Kate Wadey Trio at the Con.  Someone had spoken well of her the day before.  Kate with bass and piano.  I  caught a few songs.  First up was East of the sun, west of the moon, a favourite song, so I was on side.  Decent piano and bass solos; bassist Sam likes soloing with the bow.  Then a few originals.  I notice I'm genuinely impressed with a composition: an authentic, satisfying chord structure that moves nicely through keys or major/minors; AABA with harmonic changes in both As and Bs; med-slow walk.  So this is a jazz singer and capable writer, nicely presented in satin dress in the morning, has worked on cruise ships.  Lovely standards and originals in the tradition.  And I'm a sucker for a good song.  Much enjoyed.

Then some diverse things for my ears.  First up Queen Porter Stomp.  Three women up front, three part harmonies and ukelele, trumpet and trombone, three guys in the back line with guitar, bass, drums.  Some nice players I recognise from other outfits, not least Crystal Barreco upfront.  Was she out of Canberra?  I've definitely seen her play here with locals.  Plenty of cut-times, jump music, lovely harmonies, a decent guitar solo thrown in.  Very nice and entertaining.  Light and polished at the Cadia Club.  I am discovering more venues.

And a folkoric twist, singer-songwriter Darren Smith.  I came in late and just heard one song, telling of the #MeToo movement to his young daughter.  Honest and open, strumming and singing.

Kate Wadey, Darren Smith and Queen Porter Stomp played at the inaugural Orange Winter Jazz Festival. Kate Wadey (vocals) performed with Andrew Scott (piano) and  Samuel Dobson (bass).  Queen Porter Stomp comprised Crystal Barreca (vocals, ukulele), Louise Horwood (trumpet, vocals), Rose Foster (trombone, vocals), Aaron Flower (guitar), Alex Masso (drums) and Matt Lamb (bass).  Darren Smith (vocals, guitar) played at the Lord Anson.

Wet enlightenment

The Enlighten Festival was wet and so quieter than previous years. We'd gone in to hear Charles Bradley and his Extraordinaires. He's a mature soul singer from Brooklyn and one-time James Brown cover. Sounds good. The rain was very light as we arrived to find lighted candles fronting the High Court as the Fire Garden. Lovely and also warm. Then on to the outside stage beside the Portrait Gallery. It was closed and then an announcement that the band was moving to Uncle Ben's Electric Garden, a space behind Questacon and the social centre of Enlighten. It was a sensible move to concentrate the limited audience. Shame about the weather. But the rain held off well enough and there was a string of bands to entertain. Lolo Lovita were a Romani quartet playing music of the Balkans. Crystal Barreca and her band are well known locals, many out of the Jazz School. Sunshine Brothers are a reggae flavoured band out of Perth. Their line on the night was "We give you the lust, Charles Bradley gives you the love". Then a walk to the National Library to get some respite from the rain. Dirk and co were playing there, presumably as As Famous as the Moon, so some standards for a change. A quick visit to Questacon for some cutesy science. Interesting to see audio frequencies visible over a tube exuding small fires along its length. And a plasma ball that was both intriguing an beautiful. Then return to the stage and Cam and mates, Brass Knuckle Blues Band, were playing. They are well established and playing really well these days. Then Charles the man. The was a real stage show, nicely structured into two parts, a gee-up from the pianist at the mic, a V-shaped stage presentation with bass-guitar-guitar to the right and trumpet-tenor-keys to the lift, drums riser at center back and Charles himself front and centre. All soulful love for Australia and everyone with instrumental show-opener, songs neatly merging and a show-ending instrumental segment. This was an hour of richly toned music from the two guitars and keys in rhythm section and the two horns for hits and really neat drums and bass. Very sharp and well played, even if the music itself is just a few chords with fairly obvious themes. My ears twitched to a song towards the end that suggested politics, about it being so hard to get on in America, but I'm not sure his answer escaped American dream mythology. And another theme on tolerance that was also presented from an American God-aware worldview. But, then, we are all the products of our upbringing. I'm sure many Americans find us strangely secular. So, despite the light flittering of rain, this was a night of considerable pleasure and plenty of music. Nice.

Village people

We forget the pleasures of a simple, non-commercial community world, especially when we’re lost in screen and digital socialisation. I remembered it the other night when we went to the Village in Glebe Park. It’s a cross between circus and fair and show; all hand-made and human-sized. Not that it’s lacking sophistication. There was irony and presentation and humour, but it’s not there for the spin and your money. It’s for everyone. It’s family oriented with lots of kids, despite the erotic finger puppets. Here, we’re all responsible for each other, so the kids can just get steered away. There are colourful characters and colourful costumes and colourful pillows in colourful tents. There are things you can take part in, percussion or dancing or cooking displays. That was an oddity, as we lined up for that single Dutch pancake that was, loaves-and-fishes-like, meant to feed the multitudes. But there was patter to keep us all company. There was beer and coffee and rooburgers, so alt is welcome but not demanded. The women cart the gear and the men wear colours and the both hightail it to the vintage clothing racks. There are stages and tents and bands and roving minstrels and puppets. We went partly to catch Adam Simmon’s Origami as the played a set on the drive back from Sydney to Melbourne. It was early so the crowds were limited, but the PA was decent and the sound suited the sparse sax trio format. We’d come across a friends as we walked to Glebe Park – Joelle was meeting Gina there – and we drank and chatted for the evening. We also saw or chatted with Paul and Richard and Brian and Robyn and Adam and Robert and others. Obviously a place to be. Then the Crystal Barreca Band, who I’d missed till then. This was eight piece, playing gypsy jazz or zydeco or some style in that area. Crystal has a voice that just matched the part, and the horns and four to the floor guitar and the accordion and Phill’s bass. Very nice; very entertaining; very danceable; very community. We didn’t stay for the roaming Brass Knuckle Blues Band or the rest. But this was a pleasure. Lots of fun, very pretty in a handmade, organic way, welcoming to all and a salve for tired minds suffering the onslaught of the commercial world so close outside.