Boys' own

Shorty & Chow recorded a live broadcast for ArtSound the other day and I was there. It's a while since I've caught Chris Deacon and his Friday Night Live broadcasts. Secret: they are sometimes recorded in the afternoon and broadcast days later. But the playing, the chatter, are live and the effect is live. That's what matters. I caught the first set and Shorty & Chow dropped in to balladry with Luke's dedication to a venue in Newcastle, The Terrace, but it was mostly funky and driving with rock drums and effected, echoed Abercrombie guitar and syncopated bass. Nice. Chris was showing his headbanger side and we were both rocking away in the control room. This was fun, tight, with sharp drums and searing guitars and solid grooves and that alto playfully over the top. Scranky was the name of one tune, and Pignose and Dancing with Gertrude were names of two others. It fits. Dirty, driving, guys' music, a bit impolite, but fun and involving. Takes me back. Shorty and Chow. Enjoy a touch of misbehaviour. Great stuff.

Shorty and Chow are Luke Greenhalgh (guitar), Barnaby Briggs (bass), Julian Fung (sax) and Jonathan Harding-Clark (drums) and they recorded two sets for ArtSound's Friday Night Live with Chris Deacon engineering and producing.

Hey Shorty

Ah, that was fun. It was just a bit of jazz-funk-fusion. Locals Shorty and Chow were playing. But those 16th notes can enliven things and the funky beat on the one makes for so much energy that this playing was pretty relentless. They played originals, too. There were just a few standards (Alone together, Cissy strut, Softly as funk, Ladybird as swing for an unexpected encore) but these were mostly originals, by guitarist Luke or by bassist Barnaby. Barney was a monster with some solos, playing lightly with two finger pizz, plenty of chromatics and some impressive fast ascending picked slides and some massive descending lines that I guessed mixed chromaticism with seconds. Great fun. Luke was comfortable somewhere in Scofield with distortion and echo and often dropped into this sound, but just sometimes played straighter. I thought he was nicely contained and structured his solos well, changing tones, maintaining long eighth-note passages, perhaps going heavy with chords, often against drums. Jonathan plays pretty straight and swinging and driving drums and can build up a head of steam. He did this tonight for several solos, but also building very strongly behind guitar solos. Julian was more the individualist soloist, often restrained, slower, thoughtful as sax is, sometimes with a deep water bubbling tone, other times with a thinner, straighter alto voice, often venturing into interesting dissonances. Nice again. The final tune, Barnaby's Dancing with Gertrude was my favourite for the night and obviously a feature, laying out the melody in nice unison against odd timing, then strangely dropping tempo and speeding up again then playing a 16-th note funky feel in four for the solos. Luke's Suspension was quirky and busy unison lines for all parts, again 16-th notes and bass ostinato. Barney's From both sides was another ballad, this time with bass playing melody against swelling guitar chords. The other ballad was Luke's Terrace with guitar strumming that reminded me of 50s Hawaiian guitar. His Subtonic counted as a steady 7/4 with an angular melody, then into solos in three. So, local fusion with decent chops and some original themes. Good to see, and well enjoyed.

Shorty & Chow are Luke Greenhalgh (guitar), Barnaby Briggs (bass), Julian Fung (sax) and Jonathan Harding-Clark (drums).

Old friends

January is quiet but I got off to Hippo and it was old friends in so many ways The band was billed as the John Clark quartet but the lineup was slightly changed. This was standard As Famous as the Moon, Dirk's expandable band with Graeme and Lachlan and John on drums. These guys have been around since I remember and passed 3,000 gigs some time ago, so old friends. They played old friends, too, the standards songbook, including Miss Jones, A Train, Little suede shoes, the blues, all done smooth and stylish and unobtrusively with solid swing and plenty of soloing. I luxuriated in Dirk's gentle but authoritative and well structured solos and intimate tone. Graeme's comping was a pleasure and his solos laid back and extensive. Lachlan's bass was picked but deep-thumpy so must be flatwounds; supportive and ever present and flexible and fast in solos. I hadn't heard John in this context, but he seemed hotter than the others, sitting easily in support but ready to insert a snare snap or fill or let go with sharp and impulsive solos. And Hippo itself is an old friend. It's been a jazz club on and off ever since I arrived in Canberra in the mid-80s. It's dark now with Arctic decorations - snow shoes and mooseheads. Strange, but still one of several old friends.

PS. For Old friends, read a blend of Old folks and Just friends. Dirk Zeylmans (tenor), Graeme Monger (guitar), Lachlan Coventry (bass) and John Harding-Clark (drums) performed at Hippo.

Next gen

Yes, there is a next generation of jazz students in Canberra. I despaired last year with the changes at the School and even talked of the death of music in Canberra. Music’s not out of the woods yet, but I can only hope I’m wrong. I think this is the first band Room concert I’ve attended this year. It’s good to see them return. The band was Winter Wednesday and they were playing for a lunchtime concert. I recognised one face and hints of others, so this is a new generation and they performed good solid student material - Sonny Rollins (Pent up house) and Wayne Shorter (Speak no evil) - but also a string of originals, mostly from Edward but also from Cindi and Kat. It was solidly played and decently improvised. Some tunes had considerable arrangements. I particularly enjoyed Joshua’s nice hand shape and pizz on bass. I picked up for a drum solo. The heads were nicely harmonised. There was an open feel against solos and a readiness to relax and sit out. All good. It’s a year since all the changes at the Music school and it’s surviving. I admire the hard work and commitment of the staff. But now for the next gen. Winter Wednesday are Kat Alchin (alto), Edward Plowman (tenor), Cindy Sithi-Amnuai (piano), Joshua Waterhouse (bass), John Harding-Clark (drums).

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).