Canb Jazz Fest 1

Thanks to Nigel and Beth and Bevan for the latest take on a Canberra Jazz festival.  They have the venue, a main stage and several smaller spaces, so this is very likely to be workable and the return next year had already been announced.  Great!  And Day 1 was a friendly, often inspiring outing.  First up was Tom Fell and his quartet which I raved about when I saw them recently.  Tom with Damian Slingsby, Nick McBride and James Luke on bass this time, so a classy and capable outfit playing music from Tom's new CD and at least one standard, Isfahan, with a plea for peace in our times.  Not the only performance that had such a theme appear.  I wrote sweet, correct, understated, adult, but there were some spots where it let go too.  Tom's soprano sax is his expansive, dirty, dissonant instrument: his tenor seems to pop up for more balladic numbers.  Then upstairs for Mic Knight trio, a reformation with offsiders who have now left Canberra for Melbourne given the ructions at ANUSOM, Evan Teece and Oliver Stott.  These were more let-go, unrelenting takes on standards, Almost like being in love, Green Dolphin St, Stella.  I like the unrelenting outlandish playing and but personally melted over James Luke's certainty and clarity with Tom.  Brett Hirst was to offer that later, too.  Then Wanderlust, Miro's fabulous, band of stars with the most delicious originals melodies out, not least Bronte Cafe, once regular star on ABCRN.  I had to leave towards the end.  I managed ~35mins and they had only finished their second tune.  This was Miro with James Greening, John Mackey, Alister Spence, Fabian Hevia and Lachlan Coventry.  Miro said they hadn't played together for 18montsh but you wouldn't know it.  Smooth, inventive, glorious harmonies on delightful melodies, almost casual passing of solos, with Miro looking around in admiration and joy.  It all started with a considerably free piano solo, then into the bass groove and head.  Solos from front line, Miro essential, James playful, John nicely developed but ultimately explosive.  Perhaps piano and maybe bass and drums, then to the head.  Then a joyous chatter and into Bronte Cafe.  It's a wonderfully joyous tune, again Miro and explosive John, but amusingly then James bringing it down with his communicative leading solo.  That really was a wonder, and perhaps then Fabian's solo.  Not sure.  But suffice to say I dreaded that I had to go, but some duties called.  

Tom Fell (soprano, tenor) performed with Damian Slingsby (piano), James Luke (bass) and Nick McBride (drums).  Mic Knight  performed with Evan Teece (bass) and Oliver Stott (drums).  Wanderlust comprised Miro Bukovsky (trumpet, flugelhorn) with James Greening (trombone), John Mackey (tenor), Alister Spence (piano), Lachlan Coventry (bass) and Fabian Hevia (drums).  They performed at the inaugural Canberra Jazz Festival at Smiths. 

Good Knight

 

Not sure how many music students are leaving Canberra given changes in the ANUSOM but here were two.  Tragic, that: Canberra will suffer mightily.  I got to one band having its last fling at Smiths the other night.  Evan and Oliver, bass and drums, setting off, to Melbourne, leaving pianist Mic behind.  MacGregor Hall, upstairs at Smiths, was teaming with listeners.  Mic, Evan and Oliver were playing a storm of intriguing, complex, often obtuse, sometimes playful, improvs.  They were also promoting their album to be released the next day entitled Blues. I listen to that and it's perhaps even more abstruse, a glorious loose improv adding Miro and John and guitarist Oscar to the mix for a very worthy listen.  I was intrigued by Evan's lovely, soft, effective tone, his flexibility and improv across the neck and into the highest reaches.  Oliver soloed less but very strong and established and explosive across the kit when he did.  I later sat behind Mic enjoying his harmonic daring, his expressive lines, his wrist and hand spreads that excited and didn't feel at all uncomfortable, dissonant and daring as it must have been.  Mic apologised at one stage for playing ballads, for All of me and later I fall in love too easily,  but it was a lesson in going out of the staid, safe walk.  Loved it!  Otherwise it was mostly originals with lengthy explorations.  The album is confirmation and a pleasure.  And this gig was recorded so perhaps a final live album is coming.  Let's hope this level of daring is not lost to Canberra, but despair comes too easily these days.

Mic Knight (piano) led his trio with Evan Teece (bass) and Oliver Stott (drums) at Smiths.

Mic Knight Trio - blues

Bass alt.

It feels a strange outcome for me to be bass in the string section assisting at a jazz big band gig.  But there I was.  Nice that the jazz bassist, Evan, did a great job, and I could enjoy a listen in.  I liked the role of providing colour and hits and tonal washes against the drive and excitement of 13 or so wind instruments and a 5 part rhythm section.  This was ConneXion Big Band and we were playing the return gig of their 64-Bit Big Band Videogame Music Night.  So there were costumes and music very unlike the clicks and buzzes I remember from Asteroids.  Games are different now: sophisticated and complex and filmic with some great composition.  We played two sets, mostly all in, about 1/3 with just the big band, several tunes with singers.  It was a load of fun and, at least earlier on, a challenge for the syncopations which can be a job to read.  I was blown out by sax and brass hits, some blaring guitar solos, some great bass, nice drums and percussion, a few memorable solos from all manner of horns not least from Justin B upfront.  Interesting, too, to see the mix of ages, with some very capable players of little ages, not least Nicole who sat in front of me.  And it all sat together in the end and the audience and band enjoyed it all and I was perfectly happy to sit in the accompanying strings.

ConneXions Big Band performed computer games music at the Belconnon Community Theatre under Aaron Michael (MD) with singers Zanelle Ramsay-Daniel (vocals) and Justin Buckingham (vocals, alto, MC).  Bottom enders were Evan Teece and Eric Pozza (basses) and Nicole Philipse (cello) approached the bottom end.

Bar, afters

Upstairs from Smiths is McGregor Hall, a concert venue, an art gallery and a bar-cum-performance room.  I'd seen Dirk listening in on Federico Casagrande and also noted a double bass in a bag on the stage in the bar before that gig so I was not at all surprised that Flynn was playing with a trio in the bar.  It was just a small event, but the bar is a pleasant place and the playing was capable.  We weren't staying but I got to hear a few solos on standards.  This was tenor, bass and piano from some of our youngest local players: Flynn with Evan and Arland.  Nicely spelled out solos expressing the changes; much enjoyed if only a tune or two.  I must say I was amused by Evan's copious head of hair that cascaded over his face in solos.  I had hair of similar length in my hippy days but straight with nothing like his curly profusion.  Now it's just grey...  Enjoy it while you can!

Flynn Marcus (tenor), Evan Teece (bass) and Arland Shaw-Crocker (piano) performed in the upstairs bar above Smiths.