Miro and Miles

Miro returned for Geoff at Smiths and we got what we love, his tuneful glorious tunes, his fabulous players, his good understated good cheer and this time there were extras.  Firstly up a second set with a dedication to Miles to celebrate the anniversary of Miles' birthday (26 May 1926) playing All blues and Blue in green and Footprints, presumably celebrating Wayne Shorter and Miles' second great quintet, and another I missed.  The first set were famed and much loved tunes from Miro, Mumbo Jumbo, Bronte Cafe, Delicatessence, and one introduction from the pianist, Sophie Min.  I've raved many times about Miro, James, John, Fabian, James but not heard Sophie although I'd heard tell of her as a new piano teacher at the ANUSOM.  So great to catch her and she was great!  Hugely mellifluous in harmonic movements, dissonant or consonant, moving intervals or steps, right hand lines with the left hand chord or perhaps not, forceful and driving statements, moving colours and challenging note relations, wonderfully playing off and to John, Miro, James.  It was her first outing with Miro and obviously well received by all.  Hear her on Bandcamp and elsewhere with her orchestra, solo or in groups with the likes of Helen Svoboda, Phil Trelour, James Sherlock.  And looking forward to some local outings.

Miroslav Bukovsky (trumpet, flugelhorn) led a sextet at Smiths for Geoff's Jazz with James Greening (trombone), John Mackey (tenor sax), Sophie Min (piano), James Luke (bass) and Fabian Hevia (drums).

Canb Jazz Fest 2

Then a return to a few jams, the Gypsy Jazz Project in the upstairs bar playing entertaining, inviting music.  Anthony Irving was playing his very capable bass.  I got a go for a few tunes that weren't even in my iReal Pro.  The bass was Smiths' house bass, a bit heavy after my setup, but I managed a few tunes with much enjoyment.  Then off to the Red Room (AKA McGregor Hall) for formal jazz jam.  Lachlan on bass with his Bass VI, Aine singing, Mitch drums...  Then downstairs for Vince Jones second set.  Another diverse jazz experience!  Quiet, pensive, thoughtful, purposeful lyrics.  Vince asked us to be quiet, and the atmosphere fitted the thoughtful nature of it all.  Matt McMahon, James Hauptman, Brett Hirst, all strong and beautiful and tight and subdued, except a little more demonstrative when John Mackey took some solos, but that's John.  Interestingly, Vince called some collective improvs with John and that worked nicely too, if birds of slightly different feathers.  But John is a listener too.  I admired Vince for his concerns, if a little more natural than mine, and his paired peace signs to end the set.  And his story and revisit to Gil Scott Heron.  And his detailed, improvisatory style of singing.  The revolution will not be televised, but it may make Smiths Alt. on a good day.   Which brings me to the audience.  Mature, smart, varied, friendly, intelligent, but this is a jazz crowd and this is Canberra so no particular surprise.  I even got a story out of it related to Parliament, a journo, but that's for gossip not for a website.

Vince Jones (vocals, flugelhorn) performed with John Mackey (tenor), Matt McMahon (piano), Brett Hirst (bass) and James Hauptman (drums).  They performed at the inaugural Canberra Jazz Festival at Smiths.

Canb Jazz Fest 1

Thanks to Nigel and Beth and Bevan for the latest take on a Canberra Jazz festival.  They have the venue, a main stage and several smaller spaces, so this is very likely to be workable and the return next year had already been announced.  Great!  And Day 1 was a friendly, often inspiring outing.  First up was Tom Fell and his quartet which I raved about when I saw them recently.  Tom with Damian Slingsby, Nick McBride and James Luke on bass this time, so a classy and capable outfit playing music from Tom's new CD and at least one standard, Isfahan, with a plea for peace in our times.  Not the only performance that had such a theme appear.  I wrote sweet, correct, understated, adult, but there were some spots where it let go too.  Tom's soprano sax is his expansive, dirty, dissonant instrument: his tenor seems to pop up for more balladic numbers.  Then upstairs for Mic Knight trio, a reformation with offsiders who have now left Canberra for Melbourne given the ructions at ANUSOM, Evan Teece and Oliver Stott.  These were more let-go, unrelenting takes on standards, Almost like being in love, Green Dolphin St, Stella.  I like the unrelenting outlandish playing and but personally melted over James Luke's certainty and clarity with Tom.  Brett Hirst was to offer that later, too.  Then Wanderlust, Miro's fabulous, band of stars with the most delicious originals melodies out, not least Bronte Cafe, once regular star on ABCRN.  I had to leave towards the end.  I managed ~35mins and they had only finished their second tune.  This was Miro with James Greening, John Mackey, Alister Spence, Fabian Hevia and Lachlan Coventry.  Miro said they hadn't played together for 18montsh but you wouldn't know it.  Smooth, inventive, glorious harmonies on delightful melodies, almost casual passing of solos, with Miro looking around in admiration and joy.  It all started with a considerably free piano solo, then into the bass groove and head.  Solos from front line, Miro essential, James playful, John nicely developed but ultimately explosive.  Perhaps piano and maybe bass and drums, then to the head.  Then a joyous chatter and into Bronte Cafe.  It's a wonderfully joyous tune, again Miro and explosive John, but amusingly then James bringing it down with his communicative leading solo.  That really was a wonder, and perhaps then Fabian's solo.  Not sure.  But suffice to say I dreaded that I had to go, but some duties called.  

Tom Fell (soprano, tenor) performed with Damian Slingsby (piano), James Luke (bass) and Nick McBride (drums).  Mic Knight  performed with Evan Teece (bass) and Oliver Stott (drums).  Wanderlust comprised Miro Bukovsky (trumpet, flugelhorn) with James Greening (trombone), John Mackey (tenor), Alister Spence (piano), Lachlan Coventry (bass) and Fabian Hevia (drums).  They performed at the inaugural Canberra Jazz Festival at Smiths. 

Out of the West

Ben Vanderwal appeared at the Festival of the Drum at Smiths, essentially leading the evening.  He's renowned and from Perth and unexpectedly accompanied by another Perthite who happened to be in town, but he revealed during the gig that he's got an early connection with Canberra.  I'll let you ask him.  I'd heard Ben several times over the years and he's a fave of mine and no way did he let us down this evening. But then he had a pretty good set of offsiders, too: Miro, John, Greg, Lachlan and that visiting Perth person, Emily Gelineau, on 5 string violin-cum-viola (the extra low string on the violin provides for the full range of the two instruments) who just happened to be passing through with Musica Viva (!).  There were tunes from several members, not least two of Miro's renowns and one from Greg as well as 3 from Ben (one with the title: Paul Motion goes to a dance hall concert) and an arrangement of Summertime and Monk Bemsha swing and interestingly, two rich groove-rich numbers from Don Cherry.  Don Cherry, that's interesting.  The final tune of the night was Mopti by Don Cherry and it just spelt the tenor of the night, deeply grooving, joyous presence, some improv cutting going on.  Emily was on violin and it's not a common jazz instrument.  She told me of her admiration for Stephane Grapelli and how she especially enjoys gypsy jazz, but she was perfectly comfortable in this grouping. There was joy and laughter here from the West to join with the chops of our more sedate Canberra presence.  Of course, Ben was inventive and supremely reliable and steady despite his wildly inventive play.  Something like his humour, perhaps.  And that final tune and the passed solos and infectious joy was just such a groovy pleasure to end the night on.  Just a stunner, in humour and stage presence as well as inventive playing.  Fabulous.

Ben Vanderwal (drums) led a band with Miroslav Bukovsky (trumpet, flugelhorn), John Mackey (tenor), Greg Stott (guitar), Lachlan Coventry (bass) and perth-side sit-in Emily Gelineau (5-string violin/viola) at Smiths. 

Fresh jam

It was a strange entry to John Mackey's new jam night at Smiths.  I expected it was upstairs in McGregor Hall (as advised online) and innocently walked in on a life drawing session but was hussled out very quickly.  The jam was downstairs this week.  Then a few greetings and a few jam bands and a chance to play a couple of numbers with new jammers, Night in Tunisia and Misty.  The bass was pretty heavy work to my ageing hands but you adjust.  More to the point, there was no bass pickup so the music was limited in volume.  Our tunes were OK if somewhat a struggle to settle on Misty.  Strange that!  John didn't play but some local stars did and they were truly impressive, as expected: Tom, Chris, Matilda, Simon and others.  Then through more players and more who might have played but didn't.  I caught up with Alysa but she didn't sing this evening: singers have the added issue of changed keys, although chords, if not melodies, are pretty well handed with tech these days.  Perhaps not the hottest jam I've attended, partly for the bass volume, but a good outing none-the-less.  Thanks to John for the new session and the chance to meet some new players.  PS thanks to John for the pic of my jamming band.

John Mackey runs a jam session each Tuesday evening at Smiths.

Birthday

This was Geoff's Jazz at Smiths and it was a special celebration, of the wonder of the long-standing band Wanderlust, and also the long-standing trumpeter who brought it together around 35 years ago in Sydney, Miroslav Bukovsky.  Anyone who knows Miro loves him so this was a special event.  And Wanderlust is such a perfect name for the music they play.  The tunes virtually were all by Wanderlust, often by Miro himself, and they were expansive, with only 9 tunes over two sets totalling about 2 hours.   So there was time to explore, another aspect of good travel.  But most obvious were the tunes themselves that spoke of a wide world, one samba in 3, one mambo, one from Burundi, one speaking to South Africa and Nelson Mandela, a final one just called Peace please, which speaks to all time and very much to now.  There was one cover, astonishingly called Wanderlust by Duke Ellington, a far more relaxed, luxuriant tune with nothing like the exploratory quest of this band, but still superbly lovely, as Ellington just is.  The band was superb, of course, understated, easily spoken, intriguing in harmony and melody, and settling into the most immersive grooves.  Which reminds me of a discovery I made listening to Miro's compositions, that trumpeters play melody so beautifully and thus write lovely melodies.  I guess it's related to the harmonic series that's the nature of technique on brass.  If not recorded already (surely it must be!) I reckon there's a PhD in that.  So this was all good nature, a party surrounded by admirers and friends and wonderful good will.  It's a memory for the ages from a band lasting ages.  Dry wit and so much joy.  Happy birthday for Miro's 80th and long may Wanderlust and the wanderlust remain.

Wanderlust performed at Smiths for Geoff's Jazz and Miro's 90th birthday.  Wanderlust are Miroslav Bukovsky (trumpet, flugelhorn), John Mackey (tenor), Alister Spence (piano, keyboards), Jeremy Sawkins (guitar), Fabian Hevia (percussion) and Lachlan Coventry (bass, guitar) with guest Tom Fell (baritone, soprano saxes).  They were joined by Alex Raupach (trumpet) and Richard Johnson (bass clarinet) for some final tunes.

A funky Heaven

If you keep your eyes peeled and know the scene you can happen on a great event, a visit or gathering, variously social and musical, that's a memory maker.  Peter O'Mara at Smiths was one of those.  It was a small audience and a decent sized band (6).  There were old mates and influences and shared histories and now mature skills and notable occupations.  James Greening was there as his vibrant, jovial and immensely capable self, as coordinator and interface but also so-inviting trombonist.  Of course, so was Peter O'Mara, very early influenced by Miro (in the '70s?) and warmly recognising it, now Professor at a Hochschule for music in Munich, in a building once the office of Hitler, no less, blaring away with dirty distorted lines or clear chordal parts.  Peter's return visit was the excuse for this gig.  And John was there, blistering on tenor but also very simple and bluesy on another tune if always with the quick and twisting phrase immediately available but never abused.  And Hamish, solid and understated and always, always, correct and apt.  They were playing a tribute to Jacky Ozsasky, famed and loved for his funky bands and arrangements.  Perhaps they had all played with him at various times.  They played a few of his arrangements this night amongst some PO'M originals and arrangements, including of Miro's passionately beautiful Peace please.  Lachlan was a picking force on his Fender 6 bass and was probably the only one not to have played with JO (Lachlan?).  Then to top it off, Dale Barlow, another of this family, arrived with flute to play the second set.  He'd been expected to play the previous Sunday at but couldn't in the end, so this was the opportunity to catch him.  A mate described him as veritable Australian jazz royalty, apparently the only Aussie to have played with the famed Jazz Messengers.  Then we learn from stage chatter that Dale played his first recording on Peter's first album.  The family history continues.  So what of the music?  Apart from the basics of the chops and the huge inventiveness of these top flight players, it was spectacular and alive and joyous and infectious.  As were the tunes.  Miro's Peace please is emotionally entrancing but there was also James Brown funk and Amin grooves and classic Freddie Hubbard '70s funk (Red clay) and Peter original fusion.  I was in Heaven but I was not alone.

Peter O'Mara (guitar) visited Smiths to play with a band of old mates comprising Miroslav Bukovsky (trumpet, flugelhorn), James Greening (trombone), John Mackey (tenor), Lachlan Coventry (bass) and Hamish Stewart (drums) and Dale Barlow (flute) sat in for the second set.

Leaning to party

 

John Mackey was playing at the NPC and I was free but in the end it was more a visit to old friends than a serious jazz gig.  Perhaps because the noise was high and listening was difficult but we could chat in the break and it was happy hour and there was dark ale.  Like a party.  John was playing with Greg so a tenor/guitar duo, sometimes the pair but often just guitar even amongst the noise.  But a great outing.  I listened to John as I could, remembering his correction once to me that he wasn't playing out and it's clearly true: he's mostly playing the chords but just scarily fluent.  And Greg also fluent and expressive for chords and solos even playing solo.  Just a relaxing friendly interlude straining to catch the virtuosity from both instruments amongst the chatty crowd.   More party than concert but always worthy playing.

And vale for that endangered lizard or whatever which was surviving in that block on National Circuit which has now succumbed to cranes.  Another one bites the dust, at least in this location...

John Mackey (tenor) and Greg Stott (guitar) played at the National Press Club.

Our locals

You can get nonchalant after seeing the local names often enough, but take a break and settle in and you can be floored.  I was floored the other night for the latest band incarnation at Geoff Page's monthly concert.  Just friends John Mackey, Miro Bukovsky, Lachlan Coventry and Chris Thwaite, and just eight tunes taken from the standards repertoire, but a stunning outing with depth and purpose and Immense capability.  It should be no surprise but you can take the locals for granted.  It would have been just 7 tunes but Giant steps was called as an encore.  And there was that intense contact, too, with the dedication of the concert to once student, friend and musical prodigy, Niels Rosendahl, recently, sadly deceased.  Thus the Giant steps request.  Otherwise, this was a hugely satisfying outing, supple and malleable with instructive improvisations.  I followed John with awe at the alacrity, yes, but mostly his structured investigations, his awareness of pitch and its relevance, meaning somewhat harmony but also the interaction with melody.  Then Miro, spelling out the chords and keys with a different approach, like Miles to John's Coltrane, a more high altitude view of pitch colours and harmonic movements, perhaps moving phrases chromatically over the changes.  Then Lachlan, this time in bass form on his Fender VI, sometime finger picked, mostly picked, soft and thumpy, playing with dampened notes, fabulously astute rhythmic plays, on latins or others and extravagant guitar-like lines in some solos, and a readiness to lay out or leave space or change grooves to move through and alter the essence of a tune.  And Chris there just with Lachlan on that, chops and change but following the choruses where sometimes I wondered how and where.  So this was a fabulous outing by some immensely capable locals.  Just locals?  Yes, our locals, although locals pop up all over as I've found often enough in the jazz world.

John Mackey (tenor) led a quartet at Smiths with Miroslav Bukovsky (trumpet, flugelhorn), Lachlan Coventry (bass) and Chris Thwaite (drums).  The session was dedicated to Niels Rosendahl (sax).

PS.  As for vegan tatooing, I never knew there was such a thing.

Just friends

This was Miro, John, Eric and Chris at the Drill Hall so just friends.  It fits perfectly, even if they didn't play that tune.  In fact, Miro spoke of pondering the gig and coming up with a theme of Ornette and OC is a world away from Just friends ... or maybe not.  Ornette is modern and challenging but somewhat jovial and he's still from the same tradition.  But it's not that Miro played Ornette all night.  In fact we just got two Ornettes, When will the blues leave and Happy house, and tribute that I didn't know.  And interestingly, Mingus Pithecanthropus erectus which is a hugely menacing thing that develops into something playful.  Weird but a work of Mingus' genius.  I think it also fits somehow with Ornette.  And we always get a string of Miro's Wanderlust tunes and it's a huge pleasure to hear them from the composer.  Today's were Delicatessence, Bronte Cafe and Dakkar.  They are old friends and hugely inviting melodies.  A work of Miro's melodic genius just with his friends.  And a few old friends to fill things out: John playing solo on In a sentimental mood and the band playing Monk Rhythmaning and, of course, Footprints to finish up.  So these were friends all round, on stage and played as the program.  And what great playing.  It's a while so I had a fresh ear and I was learning tons from Miro's and John's tones, the solo structures of dropping scalar elements turned into temporary home pitches.  Horns do that rather than basses.  And Eric just fluid and rich in slides and vibratos and with yet another instrument.  Eric is adventurous with his instruments.  This was a 1/8th bass loaded with three pickups and more, sometimes bowed, otherwise expansively soloed.  It sounded great.  And Chris with a very defined and precise take on very expansive rhythmic interpretations.  So the whole was just friends but a revisit to some hugely satisfying playing.  The venue is pretty wet, but the playing was sharp.  Fabulous.

Miroslav Bukovsky (trumpet, flugelhorn), John Mackey (tenor), Eric Ajaye (bass) and Chris Thwaite (drums) played at the Drill Hall Gallery.

Growing seeds

There was a welcome to country but I missed that.  I was there to record and I was setting up and anyway I wasn't sure recording was appropriate.  But then the first concert of the CIMF program, called Seeds of life and located at the Arboretum.  This was one larger then a string of shorter snippets around the Arboretum space.  Oliver Shermacher started with a daring mixed media concert at the Margaret Whitlam pavilion (BTW my first visit to a small space but with a massive view).  He' s a daring player, perhaps especially as a clarinettist, but then I don't know too many others.  Jurg Wyttenbach Una chica in Nirvana was a mix of clarinet and spoken story, all whispey and strong as fitting.  Impressive and daring.  Then Alice Chance Stargazer which had us all playing recorded synth sounds from our mobiles (various, depending on starsign) and Oliver improvising quietly against this.  Then Nicola Resanovic  alt.music.ballistix with a samples-rich background in four parts and OS again improvising over.  This was fascinating, as were all.  OS is Australian born but educated and living between Australia and Germany, so not surprised by his experimental while virtuosic concert.  Those Germans are certainly both those things.  Then a series of snippets of performers in the open in gardens: Miro sitting on a rock playing an improv on a magpie song he'd just heard, then Stella; siblings Flora and Theo Carbo playing something more electric and forceful, I guess a free improv; John Mackey playing immense open improvs, interestingly firstly on Stella then Body and soul; finally the Djinama Yilaga choir comprising ~6 women with a girl and boy and a woman guitarist and led by Cheryl Davison singing songs from their country (south coast NSW).  Interestingly they are revitalising their dhurga language and a little amusing when place names we recognise, like Narooma and Tilba, pop up.  Then a final performance by the Australian Dance Party but I couldn't effectively record it and had to leave anyway.  Ashlee Bye, Yolanda Lowatta and Patricia Hayes-Cavanagh dancing in the vast space of the amphitheatre to choreography by Ashlee Bye and music by Dan Walker.  Really a fascinating outing.

Seeds of life was the opening concert of CAMF2023 at the Arboretum.  In verious formats, it included performers Oliver Shermacher (clarinet), Miroslav Bukovsky (trumpet), Theo Carbo (electric guitar), Flora Carbo (saxophone), John Mackey (tenor), Djinama Yilaga (choir) and the Australian Dance Party with Ashlee Bye (choreographer, dancer) and Yolanda Lowatta and Patricia Hayes-Cavanagh (dancers).

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).

What borders

I'd seen Hilary Geddes a few times before so I'm not sure why I was so surprised and impressed by her at Verity Lane the other night.  She was the guest, leading the band, mostly playing standards, perhaps one of two of her originals, playing with the house band, Chris Pound and Mark Sutton.  And John Mackey and Alex Raupach who sat in  later in the night.  Her presence was a clear influence, with abstruse solo lines and deliciously dissonant chords which twisted and distorted the backing, so what might be a standard solo just needed to be altered to fit.  Just what those were, I wasn't always too sure.  And she was such an influence despite a relatively low volume.  I thought too low, so sometimes a bit lost, but maybe that's another of her influences that made for a different music.  It all brought out strong, rudimentals-oriented drumming from Mark which is something I love to hear.  And Chris with a wonderfully strong, upper-mid-rich tone, quick lines, plenty of chordally aware playing through the range was a dream, even if he sometimes seemed a little reticent in the context, even while he was playing a storm with glorious tonality to my ears.  John responded too, although the colours and sheer speed of his cellular playing was an overwhelming storm of its own.  Alex was more lyrical as trumpets often are, but again explosive at times.  But that harmonic colour and abstruse soloing did it for me.  I spoke with guitar Greg after and we were musing over where the influences were from, from jazz but also from rock band exploits that Hilary indulges in.  I increasingly admire work across boundaries, within music and further afield, so I remain hugely impressed if a little perplexed about the whole, this night of standards in a noisy bar with a most intriguing new player.

Hilary Geddes (guitar) visited Verity Lane to play with the House Band comprising Chris Pound (bass) and Mark Sutton (drums).  John Mackey (tenor) and Alex Raupach (trumpet) also sat in.

Thanks, Nugget

Andrea Keller was in Canberra for her ANU HC Coombes Fellowship and she presented a gig at the Drill Hall Gallery.  Her generosity was evident with its structure, featuring her trio with John and Miro but also with short features from three ANU student pianists, each displaying their skills and works.  The title of her concert says it all: New collaborations.  Andrea's trio played two sets including several new compositions from the Flicker series, Flickers no.2,3,4,5 and Carefree daze, Cobourg  and Hope in the thing with feathers (Andrea) and Peace please (a masterpiece by Miro). These were virtuosic presentations, clear pianistic accompaniments or intros and with clarity in solos truly to die for.  This was lucid with no bass or drums filling space, just master musicians speaking to open and live air.  The Drill Hall reverb worked a treat in this format.  I was taken aback by the beauty of some passages, clear and open as they were.  To hear how John could investigate a tune, calm and searching and occasionally explosive, was a thing of wonder and so evident in this format; the clarity of expression and harmony of Miro and John as a pairing showed their long history; Andrea leading, introducing, accompanying, ever clear and evocative, ever decisive and gently stated.  Then the three younger pianists, students or recently so, from a mix of classical and jazz backgrounds but essentially in a jazz idiom, if more latin than bebop.  Elliot Kozary played Estate and Blue in green.  Caleb Campbell played a his Spinning wheel, an improv on recurrent motion, and a major work, originally written in 11 parts and here reduced to solo piano, somewhat biographical, called Drift.  Ronan Apcar claimed a more classical background, playing an improv on folk Armenian tones, dark and deep, and a take on Brad Mehldau When it rains.  Truly a stunning concert and a thing of great beauty.

Andrea Keller (piano) led a trio with John Mackey (tenor) and Miroslav Bukovsky (trumpet, flugelhorn) at the Drill Hall Gallery.  Elliot Kozary, Caleb Campbell and Ronan Apcar (piano) presented solo pieces.

Two settings

I was on Llewellyn stage until the start time for Antipodes at Molly so I only caught the last tunes of the first set.  More on this excuse in the next report.  When I arrived, the band was playing music that was clearly scored, delicately written.  I wondered if they were touring an album.  No, but there was much new material.  Slow pensive melody played unison, exploding into short shared solo passages then back to controlled melody.  Room for solos, including the sit-ins, John Mackey and Miro Bukovsky, joining the core quintet of alto, guitar, piano, bass and drums, all taking their feature but combining to an effective theme.  Antipodes is an international grouping, formed out of a meeting of Luke (Aus) and Jake (NZ) in Berlin (Ger).  So antipodean, if international.  Then a relaxed break and a final set of a few blows on a blues and Stomping at the Savoy and I'll remember April.  Great, outgoing, joyous but intense jamming, but still relaxed and fun rather than the serious, scored first set.  All fabulous playing and inventive composition.  A pleasure.

Antipodes played at Molly with sit-ins John Mackey (tenor) and Miroslav Bukovsky (trumpet).  Antipodes comprised Jake Baxendale (alto), Luke Sweeting (piano), Callum Allardice (guitar), Noel Mason (bass) and Tim Geldens (drums).

OWJF2022-9

Then old friends Wanderlust.  Now this was amusing as well as inviting and attractive.  Firstly, the tunes are to die for.  We hear a small number mostly at every Wanderlust concert, but I never tire of the colourful melodies and  insistent, somewhat international grooves and the three part front line and the solos.   They are in their 30th year but not playing too much, given Covid.  I imagined them flying by the seat of their pants but this is jazz.  Miro organising, passing or calling for solos, those unique feels, the amusements of James and all, really.  When do you see the saxist putting down his glasses on the stand, the trumpeter picking them up, the trombonist checking them out too, all while a delirious solo is taking place, with all in place for John when he's finished, you can only smile in collusion.  Then glorious startups from Fabian, all percussive rather than drum-styled, an unexpected solo started from Brendan when the audience didn't seem to want an end to the concert, and those delightful and expansive solos and fills from Alister.  Mightily musical but so much more; an intensely joyous event but also just lovely, inviting tunes.  How can you not love this outfit?

 And now for something completely different: The Morrisons.  This was classy country/roots/whatever.  Nice harmonies, up feels, fiddle and a string of stringed instruments, banjo, two guitars, a mandolin or similar and bass with slap-style playing. Someone mentioned Australian bluegrass and confirmed the lyrics and stories and compositions were local.  That's good.  I liked this outfit, capable and lively and happy.  Also nice was the location in the Lord Anson pub, so a chance to eat and have a beer.  A very different experience to the church-cum-concert hall events and a chance to chat with neighbours.

 Wanderlust and The Morrisons played at the inaugural Orange Winter Jazz Festival. Wanderlust comprised Miroslav Bukovsky (trumpet, flugelhorn), James Greening (trombone), John Mackey (tenor), Jeremy Sawkins (guitar), Alister Spence (piano), Brendan Clarke (bass) and Fabian Hevia (drums, percussion).  No names given in the program for The Morrisons.

Venerable at 30

Wanderlust is 30yo.  That's quite an achievement for a band.  Miro's group that has changed a little but not tons over the years.  Still that delightful sweetness, that glorious sense of melody, that easy virtuosity with no pretense or hubris.  This is music to delight in.  They played their 30th anniversary show at Street Theatre 1.  The sound was a delight: I noticed when I tried to track each instrument, guitar, bass, drums, piano, perhaps sax soloing, and they were all there, clear and ringing, but nothing in the way.  Then the playing.  Of course, Brendan was a blast, but from a bassist that is without saying.  And his offsider, Fabian on drums, also a blast and an intriguing opening to the music of South America.  I hadn't realised he'd escaped Pinochet; I knew of Miro's escape from Russian tanks entering Prague.  It was a different Australia then.  Then Alister blew me out with the most alacritous jazz lines but also roguishly-perpetuated dissonance.  That is serious harmonic chops.  And working across the front line, John has those harmonic chops too, that we know, but my bliss was hearing his solo on Wanderlust, a tune by Duke Ellington.  I knew the tune, of course, but not the title.  John played the most unexpected and melodically glorious solo, so much in the tradition of the originators.  Bliss.  He told me later he'd been thinking who he would emulate and reeled off a string of Ellington's performers, what, Johnny Hodges, Harry Carney, Ben Webster?  That's listening.  Then Miro, of course, gloriously melodic on flugelhorm, more stretching on trumpet.  I was noticing the sound helped me experience these guys more than I remember.  James is always a blast and an amusing stage presence, and his playing this night was overwhelming at times, deliciously tonal but also playfully quick and lithe playing to the trombone's strengths.  And finally Jeremy, always certain and clear and crisp, not so fast as certain and tuneful.  Fabulous band.  They played only 7 tunes in their 90 minute allowance, so plenty of solos shared around.  The audience delighted in it all.  They were mostly compositions by Miro.  Miro's melodies are delicious and this band plays the heads with authority, sweetly tuned but also expressive.  Bronte Cafe, Delicatessence, Mumbo Gumbo,  Pressure makes diamonds.  Mumbo Gumbo felt like a 12-bar at first, but I ended up counting 16+1.  An interesting structure.  Fabulous tunes that even found an outlet on radio as program themes (Bronte Cafe on ABCRN).  And that Ellington tune, Wanderlust, and one each from Alister and Fabian.  Then an end.  But an invitation for drinks to celebrate.  Great night of music and even a beer to finish off.  Other than the difficulty getting a pic (yeah, I know, it shows above!), all was well with the world.

Wandlerlust played their 30th anniversary concert at the Street Theatre.  Wanderlust were Miroslav Bukovsky (trumpet, flugelhorn), James Greening (trombone), John Mackey (tenor), Jeremy Sawkins (guitar), Alister Spence (piano), Brendan Clarke (bass) and Fabian Hevia (drums).

Quality and quantity

I'll put it down to a matter of quality and quantity.  I am wont to feel the width, but my recent CJ posts have been infrequent after a total blowout at the last (classical bass) concert.  But John Mackey's Melting Pot playing his Wave Length suite was fitting as another blowout.  It was fabulous and I was in awe.  John had described it as an improvised series of movements based on skeletal scores and influenced by Covid. I heard a series of tunes with rock-based grooves (think '70s Miles) and nicely twisted heads with plenty of space for blows.  There were some floating segments, perhaps with electronics or glorious piano chords from Wayne, some ecstatic outbursts from Greg and wonderfully and reliably tuneful, melodic statements from the front line of John and Miro.  They can both explode with a flourish but openly spell melody and play with various degrees of dissonance at will, and that interplay can be blissful.  Miro's harmonising to John can be a thing of great beauty.  And they both played with an octaver or harmoniser to sound all the world like synths.  And there was electronics there, too, with Mark standing at a bench of electronics, perhaps a keyboard (not sure) but definitely a laptop with looping and more (probably Ableton, I guess).  Mostly it was lost to the audience but between tunes and in some floating segments, it was evident.  Greg had a laptop, too, but not sure how it was used.  He had a string of pedals at his feet, so not just for effects.  And the core of the rhythm section was Lachlan on his Bass 6, that unusual 6-string bass that I remember as a remnant from the '60s.  He plays with thumb-pick and finger-picking for some fabulously embellished rhythmic grooves and extensive solos.  It's a different, virtuosic approach to bass, both grooving and thrilling at once.  And Mark, Sir Mark of the late intros, just a gem with the most supple stick control creating glorious, sweet tone and endless insistent driving grooves with nothing out of place, no embellishment ever indulgent, just perfect, never erring.  Mark was way on top in the mix that I found not quite as I'd expect, with Greg somewhat lost or indistinct, as too was Lachlan (but bass is hard to clarify), as even were John and Miro although Wayne seemed to be there, crisp on grand piano, when I turned my ear to him.  Perhaps a function of where I was seated?  But I quibble.  I enjoyed this concert deeply, the playing was outstanding, the heads were a great pleasure and there was joy and even some fun, and that glorious snare-on-3 drumming throughout.  So, quality or quantity?  At least for my last few CJ outings, the call is outlandish quality!  BTW, I chatted with Mark and Greg after and suggested a release from this session.  I just hope it was recorded as multitrack.

John Mackey's Melting Pot played the world premiere of his Wave Lengths suite.  The performers were John Mackey (tenor, soprano sax), Miroslav Bukovsky (trumpet, flugelhorn), Greg Stott (guitar), Wayne Kelly (piano, keys), Lachlan Coventry (bass), Mark Sutton (drums) and Mark Webber (laptop).

PS.  Thanks to Abbey Mackay Budge of the Creswick Collective and Caroline Stacey of the Street Theatre for the pic.

Difference

My God, what styles there are in jazz!  Styles over eras.  I got to the National Press Club for John Mackie's band, with Greg and Brendan and Mark.  Anyone who knows these names will know these are superlative players.  Just a thrill to hear such ease and richness.  So different from just days back, at Molly.  Was it Messaien that Bird studied and held in reverence?  And what of Hendrix who died young, shortly before he was to play with Miles.  Different worlds but all music, just mightily diverse, or as Newton said, "standing on the shoulders of giants".  Like Hildegard von Bingen to Fanny Mendelssohn.  Difference but also all one.  John played some Bird Parker and it was stunning.  The whole band: sharp, relevant, correct, devastatingly quick.  As a bassist, I was especially awed by Brendan's alacrity, but also the lines that were so melodically true.  Much the same from the others, of course.  All referencing the source, a standard or bop or whatever, but giving it personal relevance and currency in interpretation, so John's lines started by spelling some unexpected intervals then developed with harmony and flurries to floor the listener.  More modern, perhaps, but referential.  Then a bossa that sat like a rock, sturdy but pretty and devastatingly emotional.  Not sure what else to say, but I was enthralled.  Years of practice distilled into a few sets in a bar, National Press Club, for some birthday guests, I guess, and others.  And they noticed.  It's hard not to notice such ability, unpretentious, there, in a modest setting.  Really quite a stunner, actually.

John Mackey (tenor) led a quartet with Greg Stott (guitar), Brendan Clarke (bass) and Mark Sutton (drums) at the National Press Club.

Throwing off chains

Spartacus was the gladiator who led the Third Servile war against the class-owning oligarchy during the Roman Republican era. Thus does Ronny model himself, the servile drummer at the whim of the overlords. As a bassist, I think he might have something there, but of course it's in some jest. The serious intent is to centralise the drums in this music, so the Spartacus Collective is a "quartet of solo drumset with instrumental accompaniment". Intriguing! They were to play at the Sydney Festival but that was canned. Lucky for us, because they played Smiths and it was intriguing and enveloping music, largely improvised although gathered within some indicative written lines or harmonic concepts (Two up, two down featured melody in two keys) or rhythmic grooves. It must have served Ronny well, because I think this is the most exciting I've heard him. Maybe in part because some of his drum influences got airings: To Elvin (as a verb) is an obvious reference but another to the "big, spacey, rich" drumming on Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska album is not so obvious). Each player had charts, but the improv was long and evident. Jess was excellent at setting the space for this, regular in form with occasional punctuations and embellishments, clear in tone and often quizzical in melody and often counting in changes or recurrences of a melody. John and Miro were their fully expected exploratory selves: thoughtful, informed, searching for relevance. The fairly rare "heads" featured harmonies between these two front-liners. My guess was John improvised harmony to Miro's melody, but not sure; maybe it was written. It was not a long night: Ronny had five charts and they added an improv leading to a mobile African groove from Jess, her song Jerboa, written about an animal that's shared between South Africa and Australia (and perhaps more widely: do extant animals date back to Gondwana? I must look that up). Interesting, too, that they played without PA. This was wildly exploratory yet not at all disoriented, improvised and clearly authoritative, responsive despite limited instructions. A great night that had me deeply absorbed. Lucky us for Sydney's cancellation.

Spartacus Collective is a project of Ronny Ferella (drums, compositions). The Canberra contingent comprised Miroslav Bukovsky (trumpet), John Mackey (tenor) and Jess Green (guitar).