To two greats

Mingus and (Joni) Mitchell. Both greats of their fields and friends who wrote for each other and recorded together. The ANU Jazz Collective presented a concert to give due recognition to these two. They played a series of tunes from each and two originals influenced by them. Rhythm section, four horns, vocals. The Mingus tunes: Haitian fight song, Fable of Faubus, Goodbye pork pie hat; the Joni Mitchell songs: River, Both sides now, and the lyrics she added to Mingus' Goodbye pork pie hat; the two originals, Collective jazz by Brendan Keller-Tuberg and Fields by Andree Thompson. I could easily feel the relationship to Mingus in Brendan's composition given the switches to double time, the bass features and drum hits and collective improv and blues melodies. Brendan did a good take on Mingus throughout in his playing, too. Fields was more open, odd timed, perhaps more Joni-contemplative. I loved the ensemble sound of the four horns throughout: trumpet, trombone, tenor and alto saxes: nicely intoned and some decent solos. Rose Costi took the vocal role and did the Joni songs with considerable panache and involvement. One listener reported tears (Both sides now, I think) and another said she was close to it. I didn't quite feel this, and I was uncomfortable with the slow pace on River, but the singing was very impressive. I could not but love a concert dedicated to these two masters: bluesy, earthy and true. A great pleasure.

The ANU Jazz Collective presented a program called Mingus meets Joni at the Band Room. Performers were Rose Costi (vocals), Anthony Cotter (trumpet), Jack Schwenke (trombone), Hugo Lee (alto), Andre Thompson (tenor), Ben Forte (guitar), Brendan Keller-Tuberg (bass), Alec Brinsmead (drums) and Johannes Luebbers (piano).

Old and new friends

Johannes Luebbers led a band at the Gods and it was a combination of old and new friends. JL is one of the new breed at the School of Music. So is bassist Alec Hunter. Whatever we think of the changes, none of these people had anything to do with it, so best to them. They played with masters from the previous incarnation, of the Jazz School, Miro and John Mackey and Mark Sutton. All masters: they had to be to play this at short notice. Miro showed me a chart, all time changes (4/4-5/4-6/4) and sixteenth notes and then the sticky-taped pages fell open and touched the ground! There must have been 7 pages of this stuff to read! The players were all groaning, as players are wont to do for difficult charts, but ready to take it on. Miro commented he's "not an accountant". But he counted and they did a great job of it all. They were mostly playing charts by Johannes. Johannes played piano but is principally a composer: he said he's usually out front conducting his works rather than sitting amongst the players. How much I liked this! Complex, busy, original works with limits on repetition. Spaces for solos - this is jazz, after all - but plenty written for ensemble. I melted with some of the superb harmonies from Miro and John. How correct and sweet can intonation be? And solos from them were equally breathtaking. I also especially noticed some of Johannes' comping, all harmonic colour and movement from a composer's point of view. Alec played with bow, sometimes with bass noises, but mostly played with clarity and a neat firmness. Mark convinced as always and let go for one later solo. They had planned one standard to finish off, I remember you, but ended up adding Alone together as an encore. I play that tune regularly and could just wonder at how the best manage to embroider a tune. Quite remarkable. Old and new, from before and after a disaster.

Johannes Luebbers (piano, composition) led a quintet with John Mackey (tenor, alto), Miroslav Bukovsky (trumpet), Alexander Hunter (bass) and Mark Sutton (drums) at the Gods.

The heights

There are times when you are exposed to something of the highest quality and the expanse of an art or whatever becomes evident. Joe Lovano played at the Street Theatre and this was listening to the heights of the improvisational jazz. Just a stunning outing and only enhanced by the intimate surroundings. This man plays his heart out. Two hours of just 6 tunes then a short take on Body and soul as an encore. They work hard, these types. They played some originals in the modern mould, Coltrane's Fifth house and Ornette' s Lonely woman and a few standards. We all know the standards, the cycles and the middle eight, but to hear the subtlety or the expansiveness and exhilaration of a master floored me. The support was Paul Grabowsky and his trio. All high energy, driving stuff. Paul with his Euro/classical influence, all fast with ideas, if to my ears not flowing with the earthiness of US black blues. Dave Beck driving, unrelenting, furious. Phil Rex, too, fast and furious but not without purpose. I loved his playing: sliding intervals, easy thumb positions, stunningly volley-fast with hammer-ons and open strings. And Lovano, the huge presence, building ideas effectively or spewing forth lines. I noticed how wonderfully he could spell chords and create interest at speed, not with dissonance or substitutions but with intervals and merged notes as colour. Just masterful tenor playing. It's been a wonderful international line-up at CJP (Bad Plus, Eric Harland, Stefano Bollani, Ospina Brothers, Joe Lovano). Thanks to the Street for CJP, even if it has me musing on the dwindling smoke of Canberra.

Joe Lovano (tenor, soprano) performed with Paul Grabowsky (piano), Phil Rex (bass) and Dave Beck (drums) for the Capital Jazz Project. The foyer band was foyer band of ANU students: Caitlin Magee (vocals), Johannes Luebbers (piano), Brendan Keller-Tuberg (bass) and Alec Brinsmead (drums).