The allure of standards

Apparently Geoff had suggested a standards trio and I was not alone in thanking him for it.  Jazzers can become a bit blasé about our American songbook but when it's played with this delicacy and beauty and awareness of the great players that precede us this can be a thing of great beauty, immense subtlety and respect for history.  Thus it was with Hannah James and her return to Canberra with her standards piano trio with Adrian Keevil and Paul Derricott.  Just beautiful melodies played with respect, an array of great solos and a few traded fours.  Oscar Peterson, Mulgrew Miller, Horace Silver, Ray Brown, Tommy Flanagan: what's not to like and to swing to.  And some tunes that can be cheesy but just sat so nicely of the likes of Tea for two or Love for sale or Mean to me or some lesser knowns like NY attitude or It never entered my mind or something a bit funky with Mulgrew Miller Soul-Leo and that lovely transition that I think her offsiders didn't even expect, when Hannah sat on a repeated G on the 4/4 beat of Here's that rainy day that subtly mutated to the 3/4 of Moon river, a heartache favourite of mine, continuing to a solo and melody almost obliviously.  The room was swooning and the playing was delicious and Hannah's solos were understated and instructive.  Just lovely and I'm hanging out to revisit it in the mix.  Thanks, Hannah.

Hannah James (bass) led a piano trio with Adrian Keevil (piano) and Paul Derricott (drums) at Smiths.

Neat flight

Volant was touring and they were playing at Smiths as their penultimate gig before a final outing at the Milton Festival.  Volant is fronted by Matthew Ottignon but interestingly it's otherwise a trio of women which still remains less common although there are now plenty of female jazz instrumentalists out there.  This was a delightfully precise and careful band and it was playing acoustic and at a very moderate volume.  I felt I was in a studio given great precision and restraint and correctness and I put it down to the membership, but I was wrong.  The penultimate tune of the second set got louder as they played on and the final was a blower and it sounded just like any similarly competent band of whatever composition.  But these were competent all round.  Hannah's an old mate and also a bassist so I especially watched her playing.  Just so reliable and apt and unpretentious and deeply serving the tune.  Serving the tune is a great skill and I loved this.  Matt was similarly careful and precise, although as the sax out front, he had a more outspoken role, but still very neat.  Lauren on piano played restrainedly, too, but there was a good deal of adventurousness there too, some dissonance, various interpretations or melodic takes in solos.  Hayley was mostly quite understated, lightly played, heavy on cymbals and hi-hat and kick, but then she too let go with sticks on skin and drama and drive.  So, I feel comfy in my concepts of second-wave feminism, that we can all do much the same thing in similar circumstances and we should have the opportunity.  But my-oh-my did I enjoy this calm precision.  Just lovely.

Volant performed at Smiths.  Volant comprised Matt Ottignon (tenor, alto, minor percussion), Lauren Tsamouras (piano), Hannah James (acoustic bass) and Hayley Chan (drums).

Milano and more

Eamon Dilworth led his band in the new, larger room at Smiths. It's a good room. The music was good, too. I was thinking of Smalls in NYC and when I visited and when I watch on their video stream. No way this would have been any lesser. The room was great and just in its early days. The compositions, the playing, the authenticity were first class. I could hear that strain of NYC guitar in Carl's driven lines and Hugh was relentless and Mark only met Eamon that day but sat in easily as sideman and Hannah laying solid lines while absorbed with ceiling tiles and Eamon himself having written most of the music, clean and purposeful in composition and performance. He introduced his new album, Viata (=life, Romanian), speaking of purpose in music, relevance not mere cleverness. There's a maturity in his purpose even if joviality in presentation. Nice guy, Eamon, and easy on the mic between tunes. I could hear Miles often enough with his 70s jazz rock grooves, but also odd times and neat melody and written accompaniments, like Hannah's in Milano, a record of his year spent in Italy, or Carl's unisons on melodies. This was seriously satisfying music, wonderfully played, well written, with raison d'etre. I've talked of good music and musicians being everywhere and this night was just confirmation Great gig, intimate and capable and with purpose. A blow out.

And walking out, past PJ O'Reilly's, what did I see? Aron Lyon and mates playing an R+B jam session. It's a different world but it's fun; few chords but deep funky grooves. And Rachael Thoms singing made for a fabulous front line. I've since discoverd the Thurs eve R+B jam sessions as PJ O'Reilly's and some new names to listen to (Allen Stone and, of course, Pino Palladino) and an opportunity for some seriously funky grooves.

Eamon Dilworth (trumpet) led his (Canberra) band comprising Hugh Barrett (piano), Carl Morgan (guitar), Hannah James (bass) and Mark Sutton (drums) at Smiths. He was on tour to launch his new album, Viata.

Images and formulas

Hannah James's back in town - it's been a while. There was a last minute hitch and a change of band, but nothing lost (the original band, Energetic Zen Quartet, will be at Smiths in Feb). This was still Hannah with Casey Golden, but in a drummerless trio with Eamon Dilworth. They've all played together in various incarnations over the years and here they've coalesced into this unusual format. They are all such impressive players, all competent, all setting and holding rhythms independently, so drums are a luxury but not necessary. The tunes were written by Hannah, with just two from Eamon, and they were substantial pieces: lengthy, intricate with varied parts, telling stories that were sometimes very obviously closely felt and listened. Slip, Number one, Last letter and Portrait; Snowfall, Three different kinds of light. These were all from Hannah, pensive, careful tunes, sometimes obviously deeply felt, observant. Three different kinds described the thoughts of a poet, and clearly spelt out, as music can spell out light. They were all deliciously developed by Eamon on trumpet or flugelhorn or Hannah herself with a few solos or very inventively by Casey on a real upright piano, even if the tuning was problematic. And Eamon's two tunes. Hannah invited Eamon to introduce them and we got a decent intro to Havelock Gardens (modelled after the Fibonacci sequence and music theorist Greg Sheehan who he'd spoken with in Singapore, presumably the location of the gardens). We didn't get an answer on his other tune (what did The hiding signify? Hiding as in hide and seek, or, hiding as in spanking) so Hannah had to play that tune uninformed. These tunes were a little more driven, especially Havelock Gardens with an odd melody, I think spelling 1,1,2,3,5,8. At least the solos were in a more usual time (in 6/8 if I remember correctly). The concert was all open and clear and nicely spelt out with deliciously capable playing. A lesson in jazz richness for some musos arriving for the next set. Wonderful. And we have another opportunity with Hannah and Casey back in late Feb with their Energetic Zen band, this time with drums.

James Golden Dilworth was Hannah James (bass), Casey Golden (piano) and Eamon Dilworth (trumpet, flugelhorn) and they played at Smiths.

No doubt

It's exciting to watch a musician develop, through training and subsequent experience. I've watched Hannah James but it's some time since I've heard her play. She has family here in Canberra, but she hasn't played too often in recent years, at least not at gigs I could get to. In fact, it's 2 CDs since I've heard her play live, especially with her HJ Trio. It was a wonderfully mature performance. Jamie Cameron was drumming for this gig with just 2 practices under his belt and he did a nicely capable and committed job. The compositions were mostly Hannah's, just one from Casey and another cover from No Doubt / Gwen Stafani (that's something I didn't know: a common favourite for Hannah and me) and one favourite standard. The writing was pensive at times, often so on intros; there were some twisty melodies and Hannah, on bass, didn't excuse herself the unison line; there were stories to tell. Annie's revenge spoke of Blackbeard's pirate ship called the Queen Anne with a oddly delayed 5/4 groove. For Geoff was a dedication and commission for Geoff Page that could be swung or syncopated. They mostly swung it here. Number one had a Dave Holland Conference of the birds chordal feel. Richie Beirach's Elm was the standard but it was no obvious cycling Cole-Porter-esque piece. The other one didn't make it to either of the CDs but I liked the Corea-cum-Stanley Clarke feels. Effigy made it to both CDs in significantly different interpretations. Casey is a masterful pianist who I always enjoy. Listen to the recent HJT CD recorded for SIMA and be converted. Jamie was playing after just two rehearsals but was convincing. Obviously checking the charts and concentrating, but unleashing some highly delayed and unexpected solo syncopations on two snares. And Hannah was playing her best: intriguing, exploratory thumb position solos, steady accompaniment, mobile accompanying grooves with open and responsive sycopations. I love this style, less centred and precarious than swing but open and exploratory. It's what jazzers do now, now that swing is the stuff of, at most, tune for the night. It's exhilarating. Hannah and her trio are doing it with searching honesty and gentle panache.

Hannah James (Bass) led a trio with Casey Golden (piano) and Jamie Cameron (drums) at the Gods.

Congrats Hannah

Thanks to Karen Steains for the pic

Congratulations to Hannah James who recently won the 2011 Jann Rutherford Memorial Award. The award is to support young female jazz musicians at the beginning of their professional careers. Hannah is a good friend of CJ, and has appeared many times on this site. Last time I heard Hannah was at Jazz Uncovered 2010 when she was playing with Olivia Henderson and Evan Dorrian and it was a truly impressive outing. Hannah has led her band recently for SIMA and others and was interviewed and performed on the Music Show on ABCRN. Nicely done, Hannah!

Inlays, velvet, timber

Ah … The Parlour. It’s a new one on me, but I loved it. Swish! Carved woods, inlaid tabletops, red velvets, chesterfields, table service. And perfectly suitable for classy music, like Damian Wright’s flamenco guitar and Miroslav Bukovsky’s quintet. It was a fabulous outing all round. But firstly, the venue. It was a surprise. I knew of the development and I’d heard of its support for good music, but I’d never gotten there. It was much more impressive than I’d expected. Truly salubrious; classy to the core. I remember the daggy, dingy but historical buildings that used to house local government services in this place. Now there’s a five star hotel, new aged foyers, art and Victorian elegance in the Parlour. I’ll be back.

First for me on the day was flamenco guitar with Damian Wright. I’d heard Damian several times with the Translators where plays a fusion style with Steve Hunter and James and Ben Hauptmann. That’s stunning in its own way, but I loved the authenticity of this performance. Damian has spent several years in Spain and continues his studies in Spanish guitar. This is blissful music: sharp fingernail tones; tabla-fast strums that drench you in tense rhythms; barred left hands with fingered melodies; rock solid beats in rhythms of huge complexity. Damian was explaining the accents to me on a 12/8 rhythm: 12-3-7-8-10 (yes, it starts on 12; no, I don’t understand either) and how maracas will concurrently play 4 or 3 to the 12 (I think that’s right) and dancers will perform over the top of all this rhythmic melange. I noticed his foot tapping a rock-solid 4 to the 12/8, but he disabused me of this simplicity. It’s much more fluid. And there was a discussion of how all 12 notes are available in the harmony, although I didn’t particularly notice this. Just fabulous music and a great eye-opener.

Second was an old favourite: Miroslav Bukovsky leading a quintet with John Mackey, Mark Sutton, Hannah James and Dave Rodriguez. I’ve heard these players and this music many times before, but it remains fresh. Miro’s tunes are a revelation of lyricism and indulgent grooves. This is half the songbook of Wanderlust: what’s not to love? John was again a revelation. I’ve not heard him for a while, what with family duties and loss of venues, so his statements were fresh and clear. He has such a rich sense of harmonic colour; he phrases with clarity and inevitability with phrases that cross barlines with ease; he toys with eighth and sixteenth notes. And his tone is so big: the Parlour and the volume suited him. Damian said of Miro that it was obvious that he was a composer. You could hear that melodic sensibility in his solos. Repeated patterns transposed a few tones; inevitable intervals, or tastefully challenging ones. Miro played the flugelhorn for most of this gig, so it was rural and inviting: such a lovely sound. Dave was his melodic self, with his heavy strings that fight a bent note, but give such a big tone. I most enjoyed his comping: modal chord movements that blended with the soloist to form a moving palette enriching the solo. He said after how he’s enjoying comping. And Dave’s judicious use of effects: not driven, but echoed. Hannah was fluent, rhythmically strong and steady, and well intoned. It was a soft but present sound, that would lift to solos that moved widely and easily across and up the fingerboard to the thumb positions. Sydney must be suiting her, for this was one of Hannah’s favourite performances for me. Lovely work. Mark was pushing from the back, with limited kit so limited tonalities, but not limited rhythmically. This was strong and forceful, and some short but expressive solos that insolently clashed against underlying rhythms with intelligent complexity and easy control. The audience had a treat. A wonderful performance of several enveloping tunes and a few ring-ins including Bolivia, Mal Waldron’s So nice and Bronte Café and ending on an ecstatic Tenor madness and Miro's beautiful and intriguing Peace please. Did I enjoy it? Does it show?

Damian Wright (guitar) played the first set of flamenco guitar. Miroslav Bukovsky (trumpet, flugelhorn) then led two sets with John Mackey (tenor sax), Dave Rodriguez (guitar), Hannah James (bass) and Mark Sutton (drums). They performed at the MusicArtFood mini festival at New Acton.

Kind of blue

Miroslav Bukovsky and mates presented a tribute to Miles a few months ago. I missed because I was overseas, so I was happy to see that it was to be reprised at the Alliance Francaise. The tribute was called Kind of Blue, but it was more a celebration of the late-50s Miles by one of his many admirers, Miro. They played all the tracks from Kind of blue, with occasional transcriptions and the addition of intros as on the album. But they also played three tunes from the Louis Malle film, L’Ascenseur pour l’echafaud, and a tune called MDD (Miles Dewey Davis) that Miro had written on the day Miles died, along with Milestones, that early modal piece from Miles’ hard-bop, pre-cool era. And very satisfying it was, too.

Most of the tunes from KoB have become jazz standards, and we hear them regularly when jazzers are blowing: So what, Freddie Freeloader and All blues. Blue in green is less common, as is Flamenco sketches. These later are lovely, pensive pieces with Bill Evans harmonies and both were a joy. It was nice to remember that even the common tunes were actually fairly slow and cool in the originals, while they are often now performed up-tempo and with verve. The horns up front were lovely, with those simple, stark but effective melodies to start each of these minimally composed numbers. The soloing was good by all throughout. John’s powerhouse tone and showers of notes and a bible of substitutions. Miro with his Harmon mute for the gentler numbers, or rapidly running the changes with blaring trumpet volume. Sebastian more bluesy then dissolving into dissonant lines and honks and interval studies. Joe Lloyd ever the emotional, passionate downhill run across the whole range of the alto. The rhythm section was another batch of local stars. Luke’s comping was imaginative and responsive and leading but also understated. Ed was the sharp and precise across the dynamic range, constantly changing tones and sounds on his kit with different sticks of mallets or brushes. Hannah was regular and solid throughout long, fast hard-bop walks, up into thumb positions and down to the low E-string. The rhythm section soloed with panache, too. Hannah’s solos were well-formed little gems that were especially memorable on the gentle pieces like Blue in green . Ed’s solos were also short, but strong and clear in intent. Luke’s were rich plays with harmonies as only a pianist can do, right hand working busily up and down the keyboard.

The three tunes from L’Ascenseur pour l’echafaud were new to me. Miles extended a visit to Paris and recorded the soundtrack for this film for release in 1959. Three tunes: the first was a classic, plaintive Miles melody with Harmon mute. The second was a rolling swing. The third was a fast swing, light and slightly unstable, careening, which appeared in the film behind a car chase. The final tune of the night was an elegy to Miles by Miro. A lovely tune played with feeling and sometimes funereal drums from Ed. So, a satisfying night. A few transcriptions, but mostly original playing influenced by the master from this masterful period of the last 1950s. Much enjoyed.

Miroslav Bukovsky (trumpet) led a band with Joe Lloyd (alto sax), Sebastian McIntosh (tenor sax), Luke Sweeting (piano), Hannah James (bass) and Ed Rodrigues (drums). John Mackey (tenor sax) appeared as “+1”.

Moruya 2009, farewells

There’s always a theme that you take from a festival. For me, Moruya 2009 was a farewell for some mates I’ve watched develop over recent years at the jazz school. Now senior and finishing students, they are off to Sydney and will be missed around town. I treat this report with some imprecision, because only some of those below are moving on, but the group plays together and can be discussed together.

Bill Williams (bass), Ed Rodrigues (drums) and Hannah James (bass) are the three leaving for Sydney. We wish them well, and they certainly deserve it. The three of them all played impressively, even stunningly, over the weekend. Perhaps the best I’ve heard them, certainly amongst the most memorable.

H.E.L. is an acronym for Hannah, Ed, Lily. Hannah James (bass) with Ed Rodrigues (drums) and Olivia Henderson (piano) played a wonderfully busy and involving set early in the day. There was an original by Olivia, but also jazz standards: Oleo, Invitation, Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum and Horace Silver’s Nica’s dream. Jo Lloyd (alto) also sat in for some screaming, outlandish playing which always thrills. It was a great start for the day, and a challenge to the bands that were to follow (including mine!) I missed Hannah, Ed and Jo reprising some of these in unplanned set later in the day, but it was also well spoken of.

Luke Sweeting (piano) plays regularly with Bill and Ed, the three being Masters students at the Jazz School this year. Luke’s truly a harmonically rich and intelligent player. A pianist mate was commenting on his voice leading and counterpoint and harmonic alterations. Luke played an unusual duo set with Rachael Thoms (vocals) with a feature tune by Paul Grabowski recorded with Katie Noonan. Contemplatory and sedate, but with vocals flying into the stratosphere and complex interplay between the piano and voice. This tune was especially complex and a challenge but generally so was the rest of the set: unexpected and satisfying.

But the star event of the day for me must be Edmirobilluke. The name says it all: Ed Rodrigues (drums), Miroslav Bukovsky (trumpet), Bill Williams (bass) and Luke Sweeting (piano). The last set of the night is always the product of a busy day and a good warmup and some tiredness and is awaited with expectation. This was a stunner. The band was all playing at their most exhilarating level. Solos merging through melody, consonance and dissonance and complexity on call. All merged into a set that little distinguished heads or solos or ensemble playing. Original compositions that were heartfelt, unforced: powerful and stylish vehicles for open playing. Superb dynamics that just flowed between and through and amongst instruments so no-one took prominence yet everyone was essential. Gentle, busy, pushing, moving through feels and emotions with ease and inevitability. A stunning and worthy display of original improvised music. My last report on this band at the Gods did not do this gig justice. An excellent performance by Ed, Miro, Bill and Luke.

To finish off, I have just one little observation of jazz and its adherents. Someone mentioned to me in passing how pleasant are the jazz crew, and it’s true. There’s a confident, snappy air about them. Sometimes there’s a gruff exterior on the guys, but anyone who commits themselves to such a demanding and profound pursuit has to be an admirable type. So I thought as I was looking around the Air Raid on Saturday evening. But jazz isn’t always surrounded by such types and has a colourful history of associations. I’ve experienced several post-gig threats of violence: at Wagga JF, in London, recently in Prague and locally after Hippo. And this time, as I left Moruya, I caught sight of a smashed car windscreen that spoke of small-town anger and frustration. And then another on the drive back, somewhere outside Bungendore. I’ll stick to the jazz, thanks.

Best of luck to Bill, Ed and Hannah in Sydney.

Chordfree

I enjoy the chordless trio format, but James LeFevre and Hannah James took this one step further yesterday at Minque when they played as a duo of tenor and bass. This format not just harmonically open, but also rhythmically open. Being so open, it’s demanding on both instruments. They both must state or at least imply the harmonic movement, but they also must both take rhythmic roles. Neither of these are new for the bass, but the openness does give it unusual space for play. And for the sax, there’s a groove-stating role which is not too commonly used elsewhere, and also a space of delightful clarity of sound, given the very different sonorities and pitches of the bass and tenor.

So I was looking forward to Hannah and James in this duo format. I wasn’t disappointed. Hannah remarked on the openness and space. It was a busier and more playful Hannah I heard in the duo: good strong statements of the grooves, with the nuances clear to hear, and busy fills and plenty of solos, and a readiness to move over the fingerboard into thumb positions. Her tone was both rich in high end, and deep. She’s talking of another cabinet for a stronger and punchier middle, but this thinner sound worked for the duo format. James was in his element, too. I’ve been impressed recently by the authority James has been showing in performance. There’s often a blues edge and full tone, and this suited the groove-stating horn lines backing Hannah’s solos. I thought of ensemble-formed discipline, which develops amongst horn players with experience of big bands and the like. But there’s also plenty of knowledge to depart from staid lines and harmonies and venture into flurries and out passages.

The tunes were the known Real Book repertoire of standards and latins and jazz tunes: a few Monk tunes and Miles and Shorter and Jobim and the luscious American songbook. Nothing unusual, but open and clear, and lots of room to move and play. Much enjoyed by me, but also by a small but nicely appreciative crowd. James puts on different bands each week at Minque, so get down to Manuka on Saturday afternoons and support the gig. Free entry and cheap drinks.

James LeFevre (tenor) played a duo set with Hannah James (bass).

Busy night

I’ve been busy, but with few gigs, so I enjoyed getting out last night. This one cost me a chance to sit in on Joe Lloyd’s band at ArtSound, at least for the full session, but your dutiful reporter managed a few pics anyway.

First, the gig. This one was a quartet pulled together at the last minute to fill an offered spot. I’d named the outfit The Crispians expecting it to be made up of members of my commercial band, Crisp, but only pianist Peter was available in the end. Neveen from the Jazz School filled the tenor role and Robert Nesci of Kooky Fandango filled in on drums. We chose from the Real Book, had a great time, and even played with considerable liveliness. The gig was on the pavement at King O’Malley’s, with plenty of drinkers and passers-by, and later a big band in competition (Blamey Street BB started playing towards the end of our gig on the Garema Place stage). That just brought out the aggro, and we all turned up and played with that much more vigour. Much enjoyed and thanks to fellow Crispians.

Neveen Byrnes (tenor) played with Peter Kirkup (piano), Robert Nesci (drums) and Eric Pozza (bass) as the Crispians.

I caught Joe Lloyd’s Quintet on ArtSound’s Friday Night Live on radio, then another a few minutes in the studio for some pics. They play music of an era that I love immensely. I think Joe had written all the charts. I’ve heard this band once before and was hugely impressed both times. They play a modal style with pretty simple underlying harmonies, thoughtful heads, and intriguingly dissonant solos. To me, this is bliss. There were three saxes out front (Joe leading on alto, with John Mackey and Sebastian Macintosh on tenors) and a piano trio rhythm section (Luke Sweeting, Hannah James and Ed Rodrigues). Ed was sitting in for Matt Sykes for the night, and John was a featured extra. Listening on car radio is fraught, so I didn’t manage the subtleties. But all horns were playing an exploratory, open, harmonically inventive style. I noticed Joe and Seb drop into screaming outbursts, while John tended to hold more within (always mobile) harmonic statements with nice historical leanings. Luke was masterful with modern fourths sounds and jagged lines. Ed was pushing the band with incredible energy, and I felt the style suited Hannah, because it was a very comfortable and solid bass underlying the solos and melodies. JLQ is playing at Jazz Uncovered so catch them if you can.

Joe Lloyd (alto) led a quintet with John Mackey (tenor), Sebastian McIntosh (tenor), Luke Sweeting (piano), Hannah James (bass) and Ed Rodrigues (drums).