Testers

Then band no. 2, Greg Stott's Test Pilots.  Very different even if one tune harked to Jamaican guitarist Ernest Ranglin and thus perhaps a hint at the Swamp jazz.  But no, this was different.  A mix of two generations, the senior partners up front and the rhythm section, a piano trio, behind.  Not that the front line took all.  The music was, in some ways, defined by the intense funky, loud and immensely driving grooves.  That is until a guitar took off with its own drive, meaning distortion, hot and loud and fast and indulgent.  Nothing like Greg at the National Press Club and so, so, so much fun.  I could drool over the sweeps, that signature of Canberra's own US guitar hero, Frank Gambale.  Greg was all over it.  And John, of course, always a master.  I found his solos more clear and easier to follow in this groove context.  I remember just how one simple rising arpeggio run followed by a scalar return took my breath away, as obvious a thing as it seems.  But the youngsters got their time in the headlights, too.  No slouches.  Jamie on Rhodes was a melodic but also rhythmically intense soloist, then I admired a spot where he sat out for variation and clarity.  That's mature.  And Haris, all rhythms and octaves on the chord notes surprised with a busily melodic final solo, and Peter, replacing Nic McBride no less, all concentration and sharp funky intensity, blew us out with several short filler solos then a final blow of concentration and momentum towards the end.  Greg led it all and introduced it all.  First up a medley in honour of recently deceased Jeff Beck, Mingus Goodbye porkpie hat leading into 'Cos we ended as lovers.  Those immense strained guitar tones boded well.  Then into three Greg originals, all grooves and complex melodic passages, Cipher, Alea iacta est (the tune in honour of Earnest Ranglin) and Blood nut.  Then Peter Gabriel Don't give up, for its play on timing, and Fuego, another Greg original and base for a final blow for all, a swinger with walking bass over rock drum line.  By this time I was chuckling with the daring and excitement of it all.  What a blast.

Greg Stott's Test Pilots played at Smiths and comprised Greg Stott (guitar), John Mackey (tenor), Jamie Rea (Rhodes), Haris Hodzic (bass) and Peter Campion (drums).

Numbers game

Music, especially improv, is a numbers game, and this band was named for numbers. They are One Seventeen, a jazz funk trio in first year at the ANU School of Music and blowing a storm. Apparently they play around campus often. I caught them for the last set of an evening gig in the Coffee Lab, one of the new ANU venues, playing for mates from their college and others. This was no learner's outfit. It was driving, interesting, inventive, respecting and knowledgeable of their forebears. So we got Watermelon man and other such few-chord funk blowers and done with chops and nice feels. They could groove hard, then stop on a dime, then explore sidesteps and dissonances or funky polyrhythms. All solid and danceable and confident. Confident? They deserved it. Very nice and a very nice sign of a recovering School. Catch them if you can, enjoy the beer and perhaps a dance.

One Seventeen are Jamie Rea (piano), Peter Campion (drums) and Haris Hodzic (bass). They played at the Lab at ANU.

Numbers

Jazz is undergoing a revival of sorts, with commentators foretelling a new "Golden Age" led by artists such Kamasi Washington and Thundercat, bringing together afro-funk, spiritual and acid jazz into the broad church of the genre. While there are still strongly traditionalist camps harking back to the New Orleans, enclaves of newer and more diverse musical influences are starting to emerge in Los Angeles and London, to less likely hot-spots such as Istanbul and Baku.

Sam Taylor sat down to interview pianist Jamie Rea, drummer Peter Campion and bassist Haris Hodzic, three young musician who have recently formed local contemporary jazz band, One Seventeen, to make their mark in this trend.

Q: What were your motivations behind starting one-seventeen? Can you tell me a bit about your backgrounds?

Peter and Jamie originally knew each other from their Newcastle schooldays and went on to audition together for their place at the ANU School of Music. They went on to play around with a few bassists, but Haris was the standout and they asked him if he wanted to commit to a musical project and see how it worked out. Stylistically they all meshed and decided it made sense to get together permanently. One seventeen was the number of the room they first formed in and played together as a trio

Q: What sub-genre of jazz would describe yourself as and why did that resonate with you?

We're a mixture of Funk, Fusion and Nu-Jazz. Stylistically, we draw from the stuff we listen to and try and build on that legacy. Jazz is a genre which is constantly evolving. The first jazz musicians were studying classical and romantic music. There was always a muse basis and that eventually developed into Jazz fusion. Now modern jazz is wanting to study and pay homage to the generation preceding it. It's always good to start from the ground up with the fundamentals and respect the traditional, but you don’t want to stay entirely the same.

Q: Who are your musical influences and inspirations?

Jamie describes one-seventeen ethos’ as a trying to achieve a "good representation of live moderns, with lots of energy, groove, but plenty of messing around with tricky rhythmic stuff". Variously the band takes inspiration from Weather Report, Herbie Hancock, Dave Weckl, Spyro Gyra, to more modern heavy weights such as Louis Cole and Hiromi.

Q: What do you think of the Jazz scene in Canberra?

Pleasantly surprised with the amount of jazz that’s happening in Canberra, but feel there could be more of a modern element. You have to move beyond standards and doing straight-up jazz because breaking out of that mould can bring the opportunity to define a niche within the Canberra Jazz community.

Q: What are you plans going forward and where can we find more of you?

While the band is currently focussed on their live performance schedule and securing places as supporting acts, they currently have two originals in the work. They also have the privilege of having renowned sax player John Mackey as a guest addition for some performances.

Sam Taylor interviewed the local contemporary jazz/funk band, One Seventeen, comprising Jamie Rea (piano), Peter Campion (drums) and Haris Hodzic (bass).

Thanks to Sam Taylor for the interview and the band for the pic

Follow @ jamie.rea.musicology and @_petercampion on Instagram for more info and upcoming gig details.