Enlightening

We were off to a classical gig but the ANU was enlightened for the Enlighten Festival and we ended up snacking outside listening to As Famous As The Moon. This was opportune as Tilt was to play there the next night, so I could survey the joint. But best was their playing, of course. These are seriously satisfying players. Dirk was on leave so Joseph Taylor was filling in for the night, with the standard drummerless pairing of Lachlan and Graham. These guys have played innumerable gigs (actually, they are counted and AFATM are well over 3,000) and continue to do so, regularly, as a local institution. The tunes are standards and the playing was exemplary. Lachlan's quick 6-string bass work and Graham's crisp guitar and Joe's exploratory and often insouciant and lithe tenor and soprano. This was some stunning playing and just another proof of the potential of the standards repertoire (as if we need that). AFATM may serve a lovely background but it's worthy of some intense listening, too.

As Famous As The Moon appeared at ANU Enlighten festival with Joseph Taylor (tenor, soprano saxes), Graham Monger (guitar) and Lachlan Coventry (6-string e-bass).

Jumpin'

Too dark for a pic with a mobile phone but this joint was jumping. It's Molly's, a discrete basement whisky bar. Discrete enough that it has no sign, just a weak old-styled light above a wooden door, opening onto a staircase. Well, not so discrete that it has no Facebook or website, but nonetheless, discrete. Molly's has jazz every Tuesday night, 7-10pm. I went to check out AFATM, the long standing and renowned local band, As Famous As The Moon, Dirk, Graham and Lachlan, with an American big band mate of Dirk's sitting in on trom. I only caught a little, but this was long solos and firm swing and glorious standards. And a busy bar and milling people. It's an oddly noisy little downstairs hole. Check it out.

As Famous As The Moon are Dirk Zeylmans (tenor), Graham Monger (guitar) and Lachlan Coventry (guitar, bass). They played at Molly's.

Two tenors

This was not ten tenors, but it was two tenor saxophonists and it was instructive. Dirk Zeylmans was playing with Richard Gawked. This was a blowing session on well-known jazz standards, comfortable and relaxed, but the playing had the edge of amiable competition that is inevitable and valued in these outings. What I noticed most was the difference in tone and approach of the two tenors. Dirk is smooth and flowing, soft and languid in soloing. I guess he’s influenced by the intimacy of Stan Getz or the like. Richard was harder, bluesy, laid way back, metallic sounding. Someone mentioned Dexter Gordon. When they soloed they were personal expressions and this was interesting. But even more so when they played together on a head, one playing a melody and the other responding with tags or counterpoint, you could feel the different sounds but they merged easily. These are both richly experienced players and it shows. It also showed in their presence on stage, very relaxed although always aware and ears more open than eyes for each other’s performance. It was a mild night and the doors were open to Hippo’s new balcony and they often retreated to stools out back. The playing was serious, of course, but it looked nonchalant in typical jazz style. How could you not like it? The others were no slouches, either. Graham Monger with his crisp and swinging and chord-spelling guitar playing. James Luke doing some great solos with easy technique on double stops and thumb positions and the rest and a sax-like flair for melody. Also John Clark, a steady drummer with a dramatic rock sensibility of extended rolls and strong dynamics in the one solo that I heard. We’ve heard all the tunes before and if anything this makes it a more friendly outing: bop blues, bossa, easy swing, Miss Jones, Night & day, Blue bossa. This was a lovely night of tunes we know and love and an instructive combination of two tenors.

Dirk tells me he’s taking nights at Hippo every month or so with invited horn players. Get to them if you can. These nights are our jazz legacy. Dirk Zeylmans (tenor) invited Richard Gawked (tenor) to play with Graham Monger (guitar), James Luke (bass) and John Clark (drums).

Dirk’s Saturday outings

Dirk has a nice line in weekend auctions and I caught him at one. He just plays a short set, a few standards, then moves on to another sale. It entertains (or more likely relaxes) an audience that’s more interested in real estate investments and dual occupancies or nervously pondering what loan they’ll need to take out - a big one, no doubt. This housing market does little good for ordinary guys, but serves the players well enough. They are the real estate suits with the Mercedes and Jags on show in the driveway (why do they always parade that wealth, I wonder?), the banks with their loans, the governments with their increasing sales taxes and I’m sure there are others. But don’t get me started – it’s not something for this site. At least it’s nice to see that Dirk, Graham and Lachlan get some gigs out of it. Dirk Zeylmans (tenor), Graham Monger (guitar) and Lachlan Coventry (bass) played several short gigs around the home auction circuit. I think I can hear another in the distance as I write this.

Always a pleasure

It’s great to have another opportunity to play with Dirk and Graham. I’ve managed a few gigs over recent months. It’s always so relaxed and easy-going but the grooves are solid, the communication is easy, the tunes are good ones, and the solos are generous. Some very nice playing, and a good exercise to hold the groove when the sax drops out for the guitar solo. The audience was small, but we had a few listeners, including one elderly Dutch man who had played swing drums in his days. A very enjoyable little gig. Thanks again to Dirk and Graham … anytime. Dirk Zeylmans (tenor), Graham Monger (guitar) and Eric Pozza (bass) played at the Tradies.

Double header: set 1

The Front is a strange and unique place. It’s the centre of a little artistic and bohemian-cum-indie community that’s quite unusual in modern Australia, at least given the places I inhabit or am aware of. There’s music of all sorts, ages of all sorts, costumes of all sorts, arts and theatre and cabaret. There’s a constant chatter, there are sketchers and drinkers and listeners. You feel you are part of the show at the Front, and it’s exciting and friendly. Last night’s show was a double header and a great night out. Just two sets, but varied and new.

Gerry and the Boys opened for the first set. Garry is Gerry Gardiner, one time bassist for Johnny O’Keefe’s DeeJays and a stalwart of early Canberra jazz clubs. And his history was evident in his playing: a nice awareness of blues and standards lines, with fitting chromatics and a sense of dynamics. His bass also had stories: an old Boosey & Hawkes from the 1940s, blond, ply, ex-Army band, that he’s found with shards of glass poking through one hole in the back, and a broken neck. But it played OK. The Boys were Dirk, Graham and John of As Famous as the Moon, a sweet, melodious outfit that does standards like a dream when in flight. They played Blues, My little suede shoes, Well you needn’t, Softly. Standard stuff, but some laid back walks and lovely, capable solos.

Gerry and the Boys were Gerry Gardiner (bass), Dirk Zeylmans (tenor saxophone), Graham Monger (guitar) and John Milton (drums). BTW, excuse splitting this post, but Blogger has imposed new limits of tags, so no choice.

Paris

“Sorry but I'm in Paris at the moment.” That’s the coolest reason I’ve ever given for turning down a gig. But last week Dirk made another offer that I couldn’t refuse and I had a great time. Just Dirk, Graham and me – tenor, guitar, bass. But we got some solid swings and decent latins going, we enjoyed some long and slightly indulgent solos, and we had a chatty loud audience that was having a good time and let us have our head, so all was well. It was a Real Book repertoire. I was impressed that Graham jumped at one of my favourites, that lovely if syrupy ballad, Out of nowhere. And I enjoyed playing a Charlie Parker’s Blues for Alice that falls constantly through 2-5s in various chromatic changes. I played my double bass, but also took the opportunity to bring out the old Maton fretless which has sat in the cupboard for years and deserved the outing. Graham had his toneful semi-acoustic Gibson and old Fender amp, and Dirk’s horn was shiny and no doubt slick and perfectly set up. The melodies flowed easily and the communication was simple and effective with the slightest of glances. As it should be. Excuse the indulgent entry but the night deserved it: a gig that was very much enjoyed. Thanks to Dirk and Graham.

Eric Pozza (bass) sat in with Dirk Zeylmans (tenor) and Graham Monger (guitar).

Folkus (Too much on, 2)

Dirk Zeylmans and Graham Monger seem to have been playing in their band, As Famous as the Moon (AFATM), forever. I catch them at the oddest times. I’ve heard them playing on the sidewalk around Woden. I’ve heard them three times calming the bidders in my street before house auctions. I’ve heard them once at Hippo with Bernie McGann. Dirk works on Bernie’s sax so he seems to take the opportunity to organise a gig when he visits.

AFATM advertises as a smooth jazz trio (tenor, guitar, bass), but their jazz performances usually add a drummer and a piano is also common. Dirk uses lots of capable local players, so the band is strong, and his love of people like Joe Henderson and Gene Ammons promises hard swing on interesting standards and jazz tunes and tasteful playing. This day he started with Homestretch and Blue bossa from Joe Henderson’s Page One album, then into Hank Mobley’s Greasin’ easy, and a series of standards: Have you met Miss Jones, Body & soul, Triste and Straight no chaser. Dirk’s tenor was smooth and lyrical with a wonderful tone. Graham Monger on guitar played swinging, sweet-sounding solos on an authentic jazz Gibson. Hugh Deacon appeared on drums, and showed strong concentration and capable playing. Lachlan Coventry played a jazz bass. I know him more as a guitarist, and his electric bass is certainly influenced by this: fast and fluid and positional and picked. I’ve recently been studying double bass after playing electric for many years, and have been stunned by the difference that the size, the fingering technique and the limited range (without thumb positions) imposes on the playing style and performance. I’ve found my walking lines on electric have changed, and they just seem more true to jazz after time on an acoustic. Lachlan is also taking up acoustic, so it will be interesting to see how his electric playing changes over time. I enjoyed AFATM for the tunes and the era and the playing and the sound.

The Yass High School Stage Band appeared next at Jazz@Folkus, led by their music teacher Dave Greenwood. They ran through a series of nice charts, ending on a high with some lively tunes including Weather Report’s Birdland. The ensemble playing was pretty tight, and this bodes well for their musical future. They are young players, so their individual skills (soloing, intonation) are still developing, but it was a great show, and Birdland just made it for me. Congrats to Daniel and his band.

That said, being young was no limit for the next band. M’or Faz appeared as a quartet and displayed some very strong playing on three jazz-funk standards: Footprints, My funny valentine (mostly played funky) and Summertime (also played funky). Jordan Tarento raised eyebrows when he started the gig with an impressive bass solo, and proceeded to play a very mature and strong funk style. I was stunned by some rapid fire triplet slap. I congratulated him after the gig and he just said it takes lots of practice. Don’t we know! Sam Andrews on tenor was also notable with similarly mature playing that belied his age. The other members were Thomas McLachlan on guitar and Josh Andrews (presumably Sam’s brother) on drums, but pianist Dominic Weiller was absent overseas. Funk can get a bit samey after a while, and I felt that by the end, but the playing was certainly impressive. BTW, Sam is in Year 12, and the others in Year 10: there’s future printed in spades in this outfit.

The day ended with the requisite line of horns for an all in blow on Tenor madness, All blues, Watermelon man and Chameleon. Same old same old, but no problems with everyone knowing the tunes!

Real estate jazz

Some friends of mine were selling a house up the road, so Dirk and his crew appeared for the third time in recent years in my street. Dirk has a busy little sideline of playing in the lead up to house auctions around town, presumably most Saturdays. I guess it relaxes the bidders. It’s certainly a civilised twist to the event. Anyway, it was a short set of standards (rhythm changes in Bb, St Thomas and the like) and very nicely played. Solid, stable rhythms, some lovely, twisted sax lines, and an idiosyncratic, black-hatted presence amongst the house-buying bourgeoisie. Short but sweet. That is, until the guys had to pack up and rush off to the next auction. Who’d have thought Saturday mornings would be such a busy time for jazz players? Dirk Zeylmans (tenor sax) played with Graham Monger (guitar) and Phill Jenkins (bass).

Bernie McGann plays Hippo

Bernie McGann is a legend of Australian modern jazz, and his performance at Hippo’s was confirmation, if confirmation was needed. Bernie is now aged 69. His experience and history was evident in the honesty of his playing, and in the individuality of his style. His style is very much his own. He gets a mention in Stuart Nicholson’s excellent recent book on modern jazz, Is Jazz Dead?: (Or Has It Moved to a New Address), in a discussion of styles of music being different in different countries. He was given as an example of an Australian sound in jazz, that he was dry like the Australian bush (or something similar)**. I mentioned this to Bernie, and also to a few other musos on the night, and they could see the fit. Bernie seemed to take it as inevitable, given he is Australian. Others commented how unique his sound and style are. One sax player described his playing as like his voice: beyond thought of chord and structures; always responding to the other musicians; intimate and immediate like singing.

His alto has a sinuous quality: twisting, fluid. He plays with seemingly indeterminate pitch and time, moving phrases over the beat structure, and bending notes at will. There are lots of long, multi-octave scales and arpeggios at different levels of dissonance and different substitutions. There were simple lines, perhaps repeated with changing discordance. Always with loose rhythm and pitch which makes everything a personal and intense statement, and always honest. He’d be playful, toying with the underlying structures, but there was always a connection to the underlying tune, and always an intense, ongoing rhythm. After the gig, he mentioned that he’d be happy to see people up dancing. It was a confirmation of the centrality of swing to his jazz; there was always this intense beat amongst all this exploration.

Bernie was accompanied by Eric Ajaye (bass) and Chris Thwaite (drums), Graham Monger (guitar) and Dirk Zeylmans (tenor sax). They all played well and were thoughtful in how they responded to Bernie. I expect his unique style makes for a demanding outing for his band. I’ve written on them all here; this report is one for Bernie.

The tunes were bop and standards: My little suede shoes, Scrapple from the apple, Body and soul, Tenor madness, Night and day, and the like. There was no chat with the audience. Despite plenty of informed listeners, it was a noisy, chatty environment, so perhaps it didn’t lend itself to stage patter. Just two sets of intense jazz interpretation with a long, intense history behind it. Great stuff.

Bernie McGann at Wikipedia

Geoff Page's biography of Bernie McGann

** "His sound reminds me very much of the Australian landscape. Dry and brittle and almost Coocoboro-like [sic. I guess the transcriber meant "Kookaburra-like". ed.] about the way he plays ... if Jan Garbarek is a fjord man, Bernie is the opposite of that, he is dry, witty". Paul Grabowski on Bernie McGann in Is jazz dead? : or has it moved to a new address / Stuart Nicholson. NY : Routledge, 2005, p.188.

As Famous as the Moon

I caught As Famous as the Moon at Hippos last night. AFATM is led by Dirk Zeylmans on tenor sax. It’s a smooth and very competent mainstream jazz band, playing latin, swing and some bebop. Dirk has a sweet sound. He reminded me of the Stan Getz style: in tonality (sometimes) and in phrasing (often). The other players were Chris Thwaite (drums), James Keith (double bass), Paul Dal Broi (piano) and Graham Monger (guitar). Chris is a great player who frequently appears around Canberra with different players. In this group, he traded fours in most tunes. James was solid and swinging at all times, taking a few nice solos. Dirk commented how he loves his long ringing sound and how it’s easy to play to. Graham was similarly competent, providing long and swinging solos. Dirk told me he knows every song under the sun. I thought Paul offered the most challenging solos for the night. They developed well and explored dissonance in the process. I can’t help but love montuno (those repeated one- or two-bar piano figures in salsa) and the lift it gives to latin tunes, so he won me over when they appeared.

You can see Dirk and friends around town in many locations. They play Babar’s at Woden on Fridays at 6-8pm, and can even turn up to relax the bidders before some real estate auctions around town!