Three paces in history

The order was skew-whiff but the development was pretty obvious. Estelita Rae, Kimberley Steele and Jock Hobbs played Schubert, Brahms and Mendelssohn in the foyer of the National Library for another C100 concert. I’d heard all these players before although not in this format. I spoke to Jack after the gig about the development of this music. They played the Brahms first, although he’s the latest of the three. I heard this as solid, rich in interplay and more turgid. It was the first movement of his B major Piano trio. I checked the key – yes, B major, about the worst key for any jazz player despite its appearance in Giant steps. The Schubert followed. This is actually the earliest of the three (1828).
Jack called it the “most classical” and it was lighter, fresher, more immediately attractive, with more straightforward instrumental roles and less interplay and development. More chamber- and song-like than the symphonic styles of Brahms and Mendelssohn. This was Schubert’s Eb Piano trio op.100 second movement. Apparently said of it “see the sun setting”. That fits. Then the major work of the night, all four movements of Mendelssohn’s first Piano trio in D minor. This is the intermediate work between the other two. The movements vary, of course, with the piano evidently presenting a larger conception. The first movement was Russian passionate, with sequences, echoing lines and interplay, wide dynamics and emotional richness. Then a slower, questing second movement and a bouncy third in 3/4 time. Then a final smoother movement where I was taken by some massive ascending and descending passages on piano that were mirrored by violin and cello. I felt the Trio played the best here. Jack told me the Brahms had its first outing and was not so settled. The Schubert was lovely but the Mendelssohn made demands. Certainly by the Mendelssohn they were playing with attachment and gusto. The piano could have done with a tuner’s visit and the noisy sliding foyer doors were an interruption, but the live acoustic and the small audience was a pleasure. This was a lovely visit to some significant names but also an opportunity to view changes in styles over the time. Nice.

Estelita Rae (violin), Kimberley Steele (piano) and Jack Hobbs (cello) performed in the foyer of the National Library of Australia for the first Three’s a crowd concert in the C100 series.

More chalk and cheese, pt.1

Freshbace was two student bands, each led by a visiting jazz luminary. The first was Bennie Maupin; the second was Joe Chindamo. I’d seen both of these musicians in workshop so I was intrigued to hear them in concert as leaders of a student band. Like some other combinations that I’ve attended at CJP, these were chalk and cheese.

Bennie’s band went first. Bennie was involved in some major movements in the late sixties and seventies - Bitches brew, On the corner, Headhunters, Mwandishi – so we could expect a more spacey presentation. We got it. Just to emphasise the approach, the concert started with a string quartet. Then into a concert of heavy grooves, touches of free or at least lengthy cacophony, string quartet intros and washes, plenty of solos including a Ponty-like jazz violin, and an end on a solid funk. The tunes were originals from Bennie’s pen. Jewel of the Lotus and Mapo were spacey ‘70s jazz from early ECM releases. Equal justice was a ballad where Bennie played a slow ostinato of long and somewhat atonal intervals on piano. The final tune was a solid jazz funk that livened up to finish the set. This is probably the era that most influenced me in jazz so I was entranced by the music. The students were playing to their best, aware but smiling, and the music was alluring and physical. I especially took note of the unusual sound of El’s electric violin, which she played with considerable authority and with those characteristic intervals due to the tuning in fifths. Daniel’s guitar solo, especially his overt cutting blues and repeated notes against the funk, was classic Kim: outlandish but convincing. Jordan dropped into slap for the funk and let loose some devastating triplet slaps. I enjoyed watching the string quartet enjoying temporary freedom from dots during several group improv passages. Nice concert and earthy and physical.

Bennie Maupin (soprano sax, piano) led a student band comprising Andy Butler (piano), Matt Handel (alto), Tom Sly (trumpet), Patrick Langdon (trombone), Daniel Kim (guitar), Henry Rasmussen (drums), Llewellyn Osborne (jazz violin) and the Childers String Quartet of Tobias Chisnall (violin), Estelita Rae (violin), Anthony de Battista (viola) and Julia Janiszewski (cello).

Cyberhalides Jazz Photos by Brian Stewart