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.

Not at the Coast, no.1

This was Easter Sunday and unlike 80%of Canberrans, I was not out of town so I had a lovely sunny afternoon for music. The first was wordmadeflesh. There are obvious Christian references here, and what could be more appropriate at Easter. I was just surprised by the music I encountered. wmf was a groove-based sax trio touching on reggae and rock and funk and other pop beats with highly syncopated drums, nicely adventurous saxes (mainly alto, but also soprano and tenor) and a bass that held a mean beat, with slap or finger playing or wah or whatever. I’d heard Demetri before and was well impressed when he was sitting in with Linda Tinney, a very nice local pianist/singer. He told me that wmf dates back over 10-years, but it seems they don’t play too often. That’s sad. This is cool, original music by capable players. Demetri was sidestepping and bending harmonies with abandon while also stating steady bluesy melodies. To me, Andrew played a more pop/rock –oriented style, but he syncopated to hell, right hand against left, triplets and the rest dropped in for very clever and busy, but tasteful, grooves. Andrei held steady grooves with some nicely smooth fills, chords on the octave, slaps and slides and modernised his sounds with effects and especially a cry-baby wah. There were plenty of odd times. I counted 6/4 and a couple of 7/4s along with 4s and 8s, but this was jazz-rock single chord stuff, embellished occasionally with an extra chord of two. And, of course, it was nicely open sounding with no chordal instrument except when the bass fell into double-stops and strums. All originals, cool grooves; loved it. Headhunters of the world, unite.

wordmadeflesh are Demetri Neidorf (saxes), Andrei Lena (bass) and Andrew Mitchell (drums).

Out of the woodwork

I’m constantly amazed how musicians keep coming out of the woodwork – good ones; capable ones. Yesterday I heard Linda Tinney’s band, Blue in Red, at the Yacht Club. Linda and husband Graeme have been in Beijing for the last few years, but before they left, they were one of the first reported bands on CJ, and I used a pic of their band, Zip, as the header for the site. So Linda has a place in CJ’s history, and I was interested in hearing her again. But Linda’s accompaniment were all new to these pages.

Linda was up front on vocals and piano. It’s a blues-infested gig that this band plays, although with some jazz training and sensibilities. Linda carries the show off with lively good will and an easy interaction with the audience. It’s a great skill, and makes for good entertainment. The tunes were well chosen and diverse, too. Famed ballads for the mellow times, like The nearness of your and Time after time, lively swing standards like My baby just cares for me and I got rhythm, soul and R&B including the Aretha Franklin’s spine-tingling People get ready, some funky earthy New Orleans grooves, and a few originals. Linda’s lively but also committed in voice: closed eyes, plaintive high notes, well formed phrasing, emotive dynamics. She’s similarly rollicking and solid at the keyboard, although there was a more subdued touch in the ballads. But overall, this is the blues, and there’s emotion a plenty on show. I loved it and I was not alone.

Graeme usually plays bass, but had done himself some minor injury so Jared was in his place on double (from Melbourne luthier, Ross Anderson) and electric basses. He’s currently at the Jazz School and has some previous classical background, so he had chops aplenty for some nice fills. He also played a mammoth e-bass solo that was nicely done, although perhaps a bit challenging for the blues format. I enjoyed Jon Jones’ drumming. It just sat so nicely with easy temperament: nothing fancy, but spot on. I’m sure I’ve seen him with playing with Annie’s Armadillos, but he’s not alone there. And nice to see the old Ludwig label. Ringo played Ludwig and it was a big name in the past; not so common now. Another new name for me was Demetri Neidorf. He played a range of saxes - soprano, alto, tenor - and I hear tell he can put his chops to a range of other instruments, too. His playing was subtle and effective, soloing easily and very capably, dropping little fillers at apt times, even swapping saxes for effect at different times during a tune. I read this as very mature performance, restrained and nicely in place. Dimitri plays in Word made flesh, a band I must catch for a report sometime.

Blue in Red was infectious with life and vigour and musical competence; not formal or intellectualised, but great entertainment and a pleasure to spend an afternoon with. On the day, Blue in Red was Linda Tinney (vocals, piano) with Jared Plane (bass), Jon Jones (drums) and Demetri Neidorf (saxes).