OWJF2022-8

Next up was Andy Nelson playing singer-songwriter rootsy music with a cast of characters, guitar/vocals with violin, viola, e-guitar and bass.  An interesting sound with authenticity. 

Then This world again.  They were in the Holy Trinity Church with touchy sound, so not as enjoyable as the previous outing, but this is quality stuff with some drop dead gorgeous solos all round, especially sax and bass. 

Then a touch of Persian/jazz crossover with Eishan Ensemble.  The core player seems to be Hamed, playing Tar and composing.  Of course, these are different sounds to my ears and that was intriguing.  First up was a solo Tar piece, then into an ensemble piece with very simple chord structure and pretty simple melodies.  BTW, the Tar a lute-like stringed instrument from Iran with three pair of strings tuned unison C,G,C and a single bass string tuned G.  I need to hear more before I understand.  Nice to see Max getting around. 

Andy Nelson, This World and Eishan Ensemble played at the inaugural Orange Winter Jazz Festival.  Andy Nelson (guitar, vocals) was joined by a string of accompanists.  This World comprises Mike Nock (piano), Julien Wilson (sax), Jonathan Zwartz (bass) and Hamish Stuart (drums).  Eishan Ensemble comprised Hamed Sadeghi (tar), Michael Avgenicos (sax), Pedram Layegh (guitar), Adem Yilmaz (drums, percussion) and Maximillian Alduca (bass).

OWJF2022-4

 

Then some of the senior masters, This World.  Mike Nock, Julien Wilson, Jonathon Zwartz, Hamish Stuart: need I say more?  I'd missed them in Canberra and this was a key reason to attend OWJF.  Not disappointed.  This was glorious playing and hugely understated.  Jonathon floored me at times, seemingly pretty simple, then devastating, quick, expressive, always beautifullly toned.  So too with Julien, easy going and humourous and a powerhouse of casually stated blazing lines that tell stories and lay down phrases and melodies that just feel sweet and totally nice.  That's a great skill.  nothing strained, just right, but at the same time blazingly quick, that is, if needed.  What I particularly interested me was their self-description as a composers' collective, so all provided tunes  which were perused for performance.  Even Hamish, drums, with something that flowed beautifully with a simple melody and expressive rhythms and some unexpected longer bars.  Or Jonathon's dedication to Mike called Winter that started with a breathtaking bass solo (mmm, Jullien commented on someone starting their own tune with their own solo...but Julien was joshing).  But overally, this was all immense earthiness, sincerity, maturity and plain chops.  Fabulous.  Just one other comment is on my mind from Julien.  He was thinking all and the festival and made the comment "Lots of churches in orange ... not many pubs".  It came back to haunt me later that night.  I hope I don't end up missing one band by waking by the pub they were playing in!

For me, festivals have been an opportunity to play or a chance to survey respected, invited participants.  This is turning out to be a survey of the Sydney jazz field, I guess, perhaps with some ring-ins and hopefully an occasional bluesy/rootsy/folky performer who I should know.  I was amused to hear the expression "jazz coma" on a YouTube video to describe that all-embracing commitment to the intellectual and artistic heights which is jazz.  But it can also limit horizons so now I enjoy seeing people with projects that spread over styles.

So I went to Mahalia Barnes.  I know the connection to Jimmy, great singer and honost and outspoken person that he is.  And I have another connection there, too.  Not that anyone knows of it it but me.  So what to expect?  I actually walked in with Hamish Stuart and Jonathan Zwartz.  Mahalia was playing with just piano and apparently they'd offered ot drop in for a rhythm section.  Amusingly, I heard vocals/piano while they were setting up, then a full band.  You'd die for such a band.  For that matter, you'd die for some R7B/Soul/gospel as Mahalia belts out.  Belt can be the word, but that's alsp the role.  Great personality, talking to the audience, getting singalongs on I am woman.  Song favourites from Aretha Franklin, Rene Geyer and others.  She recounted a story of Rene Geyer before she sand her glorious Heading in the right direction.  What an album that was!  The church probably had its greatest attendance in yonks and they walked out singing to themselves.  Not jazz but that gospel exhuberance; fabulous.

This World and Mahalia Barnes played at the inaugural Orange Winter Jazz Festival.  This World comprised Mike Nock (piano), Julien Wilson (tenor), Jonathon Zwartz (bass) and Hamish Stuart (drums).  Mahalia Barnes (vocals) was supported by Clayton Doley (piano); Jonathan Zwartz (bass) and Hamish Stuart (drums) sat in during the set.

Glory in restraint

Jonathan Zwartz was in town for Geoff Page at Smiths and the room was full with Geoff's coterie and the music was to die for. Jonathan is renowned for his writing: three albums to date, superbly written, intriguing, rich and complex, nicely grooving and touching on real social concerns. But it's not just the writing, for the band was also to die for. Was it Geoff or Jonathan who introduced them as amongst the best in Australia? Doesn't matter: they were. So unforced, relaxed, tight, never an accent out of place, every embellishment a pleasure, a fabulous bass tone (a personal interest, but relevant), excellent solos nicely merged into heads. Some amusing banter between tracks, and that's worthy, too: "Being a bass player, you always do everything with one hand. It's a ... drag" (another thing I understand) or "It's kinda that vibe ... singalong it you want". Not that there was any singing to singalong with, but the groove was light and bluesy for that last tune. And generally the styles were varied. Emily was the one swinger, played medium tempo with walking bass, and dedicated to a friend's new child. Dollar Brand was a reference to Abdullah Ibrahim using his early name as the tune was originally called Dollar and "it's kinda that vibe". Milton was a bossa for Nascimento. Julien Wilson's sound of love was in the style of Ellington/Strayhorn and genuinely sounded that way, not least for one lovely, classic repeated turnaround. The tunes were mostly from JZ's latest/third album, Animarum. Phil took most lead and solo roles and blared in classic chordally-enunciated style. Hamish was varied in style and studio-sharp in interpretation. Carl was devastating from rapid runs to blues-rich bending. John joined for the second half: he used to play with these guys in Sydney before coming to Canberra for the ANU. He can be devastating but played fairly restrained and tuneful on this night. Always fabulous, either way. Matt McMahon can take tunes and explore them with rich calculations and investigations although I found him just a little distant on that piano on that night. Jonathan is restrained but big and strong with the greatest of jazz tones and fabulous sense of time and rhythms and grooves and some glorious runs when he lets go. But he remained the overseer and fairly restrained. And the music was just that: purpose before excess; art before skills. One of the best.

Jonathan Zwartz (bass) led his band at Smiths. The band Jonathan with Phil Slater (trumpet), Matt McMahon (piano), Carl Dewhurst (guitar) and Hamish Stuart (drums) and John Mackey (tenor) joined for the second set.

One thing

My first concert for the night was John Mackey playing with Matt McMahon, Jonathan Zwartz and Simon Barker celebrating the 50th anniversary of Coltrane's death. Just stunning. It was Geoff Page's concert series, now in the ANU Popup village, with space, a larger stage, a piano (upright), PA and peopled with an audience of 150 or so. They were playing a blues as I entered. Stunningly expressive, exploratory. John's tone big and edgy and beautifully formed, breathy to end notes, varied to follow his phrasing, spread over all manner of consonance and dissonance, always purposeful, honest and hugely expressive. But they were all stunningly masterful. Matt on piano maintaining long, long eighth-note runs, moving through harmonies with ease with stunning chordal stabs and colourful leading chords behind solos and I guess those sounds were fourths voicings because they sounded so true to the original. I think it was the PA that highlighted the interplays: not so much transparent (I've only heard that in massive outdoor rigs) as identifying and projecting the musicians. Matt floored me. But so did Jonathan, and for that matter, Simon, although I'm still learning of his style. Jonathan's a bassist, so easy for me to appreciate. Big strong tone, great intonation right up the neck, but more than that, always inventive walks, a few solos, especially one of the final tune, to die for, fast where it's called for but never without a call, but always fast enough. Such easy moves over the fingerboard spelling such interesting harmonic explications. Stunning. And Simon, a tall man hunched over a low kit, arms and sticks akimbo, fast like the others but not without reason, sharp and accurate rolls and the rest, sometimes head dropped to snare side, sometimes lifted and open and watching the others. The final dissolution was just evidence of the togetherness of this group. They are great musicians, locals of world class, easily playing with whoever but these guys have also played together so this was a reformation and something beyond. There was a closeness that's rare. That final dissolution was so easy and together. I was sitting with some classical mates who were over the world with the performance. The room was abuzz. Stunning stuff.

John Mackey (tenor) played Coltrane with Matt McMahon (piano), Jonathan Zwartz (bass) and Simon Barker (drums) for Geoff Page at the ANU Popup.

Studio

Chris said it was like listening to a band in a studio and it was. Jonathan Zwartz had brought his sextet to Canberra to play for Geoff Page's series at the Gods and the music was so relaxed and easy but virtuosic, distilled, crystal clear but inventive, exploratory. All the lines just seemed so perfect, so apt, but never trite; perfectly expected after they were played, but wildly inventively conceived before they were played. And with surging rhythms that were busy but settled, malleable but sturdy. Jonathan himself was all over the bass, smiling at the intensity, firmly in the pocket, never losing the essence of the groove, but moving through and around it with wonderful playfulness. Along with long-term drummer offsider, Hamish, rock solid times (he preceded several tunes with a few clave clacks on a metronome to settle the time), intriguing grooves and ready for the non-standard, like one tune played fully with hands not sticks, or one with not a kick amongst it, and the apt changes under solos. Matt was all studied Rhodes intrigue, ringing chords, neat fills and unpretentious solos. And the solos of Ben and the two horns, Michael and Phil, stunned me first up with thei r similarly light, lithe phrasing and varying attacks, in Ben's case, toying with picking and hammer-ons and the like. They played on somewhat that way, immensely discursive and investigative. I was floored by one trumpet solo from Phil, all melody and long, long phrases and chromatics then realised there was more, and under such control, a trumpet that merged imperceptively with tenor, could blat, but would so easily whisper. Not easy on that instrument. And the feel were all so defined, just right. That's also why I thought of the studio, where seasoned players can spell a tune with unrelenting clarity. And also, like a studio, they were playing without rehearsal. When Jonathan was giving instructions before one tune, they joked this was their rehearsal. And the tunes were diverse. They'd started with Seahorse, in triple time, with spritely melody. Then Milton, in honour of Milton Nascimento. Then a ballad called Billy. Then Scando, with a delicious Birth of the Cool-like walk. Then Soul sing, after a Donny Hathaway song. Jonathan commented that times are hard for musos, so "it's like a political statement just to get up and play". But they were enjoying it. Jonathan had a wide smile on his face at their superbly satisfying sounds. Then a second set, starting with a jungle bop and finishing with a pair, one openly beautiful, introduced as "like a hymn", and a bouncy tune to end. It's not often I've heard such precision and distillation of late or perhaps ever. A stunningly impressive outing. Need I say I was in awe.

Jonathan Zwartz (bass) led his sextet comprising Michael Avgenicos (tenor), Phil Slater (trumpet), Ben Hauptmann (guitar), Matt McMahon (Rhodes) and Hamish Stuart (drums) at the Gods.

Doyens

Jonathan Zwartz used the word to describe his band, that they were doyens of the Australian jazz scene. No doubt! This was a display of such excellence and skills. I was flabbergasted. There were time I sat back in wonder. The music was composed and structured, although not so complex. The harmonies from the front line horns may move with tiny steps, minimally. what that did at times.
Or they could site with whale calls or breathing but never forced of uncomfortable. There were solos and they glowed, but what I noticed was that they never jarred. Every line was just right, whether blaring with notes or just laying out a substitute melody. These guys all played together frequently, I guess, in different incarnations, but this was more: intonation, intent, interplay always just so right. And this band could just sit. It's actually hard to just sit with purposes. It can seem uninteresting or unresponsive but this glowed because it just sat when it should, never jarring although maybe playing madly with tension. Some drum fills just went on forever and welled with tension and its release. Then the piano would drop chords of unwavering precision. But then all this was just that: unwavering precision with taste to embellish. There were solos but this was more the compositions than the solos to my ears. The sustained perfection, the lengthy crescendoes and endless last fade were like a recording although with the immediacy of live music. It may come from the goodwill: Jonathan was smiling lots and the others too. Or from the seriousness of the compositions: all had a story behind them, of family or feelings. There were varied influences: everyone mentioned Bitches Brew for one tune where the horns explored seemingly free and there was a Donny Hathaway soul tribute with a blistering guitar solo that moved through free and screams. There were some ballads that had trumpet speaking with delicacy and another with a delicious combination of trombone and bass clarinet. And another that was free over a sustained but malleable bowed bass ostinato. This is about as good as it gets, Australian or otherwise. Music that's wise and emotionally informed played by doyens of the art. Spectacular. Gasps are in order.

Jonathan Zwartz (bass) led a sextet with Phil Slater (trumpet), Richard Maegraith (tenor, bass clarinet), James Greening (trombone), Matt McMahon (Rhodes piano), Carl Dewhurst (guitar) and Tim Firth (drums).

Steering tight corners

The band is called Tight Corners. Phillip Johnston explained tight corners as the quirky, twisted backwaters of the jazz repertoire that are seldom played due to their harmonic and melodic challenges. I like tight corners and this was great stuff. This didn’t feel laid back or cool. This was strong, sounding joyful and carefree although seriously committed, and also good fun.
Phillip had some wry smiles, when he spoke or after he heard a well-argued solo. Jex looked up every now and then from some intense and dissonant piano and smiled. Jonathon and Niko were not so restrained. Their smiles were big and open and infectious and they both readily looked around amongst the band. They were enjoying the ride and so was I. Nothing here sounds too settled - it writhes and it’s punched out with lots of energy and considerable volume. And certainly none of this is too delicate. So I was surprised to hear some pretty straightforward understory at times from Jonathon’s bass, and fairly straight ride and the like from Niko and solos from both of them that were quite lyrical. All a disconcerting mix. The blurb for the concert quotes Downbeat, no less, as calling another incarnation from Phillip as post-modern jazz. It’s quirky, yes, but pastiche not parody. Pastiche respects; parody denigrates. This is a living music that has deep roots and is played with commitment. Keith located it in the late ‘60s but it’s a stream that goes back decades before that, at least to Monk in the’40s. This is standing on the shoulders of giants. Any field worth its salt has a history. They were playing the music of Thelonious Monk and Steve Lacy and Herbie Nichols. Monk, the great bebop pianist with the quirky sense of time; Lacy, the soprano sax explorer of Monk’s legacy; Nichols, the rediscovered pianist/composer in the same ballpark. Some tunes were recognisable (perhaps vaguely), although more from recordings than from live gigs: Brilliant corners, 2300 Skiddoo, We see, Terpsichore, Step Tempus, perhaps Skippy. Not sure that I recognised a few others, The bath or Bone. I was delighted by Jonathon’s bass, but that’s inevitable. His playing is so solid and reliable as he holds the bass together under some very adverse provocation. I particularly noticed his solo on Brilliant corners that was a model of undiverted lyrical beauty. Niko was easily accompanying but tellingly melodic in solos. Jex had forceful intent, edgy chord voicings and commanding soloistic presence. If anything, Phillip was gentler. They were reading so there was some reticence there and a sleek soprano sax has nothing of the forceful nature of a grand piano. I heard Philip as intellectually firm more than emotionally charged, finding paths of melody through the grooves and the chords. I was excited by this music but I don’t hear it often which is not surprising, because this stuff is hard to play. It’s not called tight corners for nothing. Great gig. Tight Corners performed at Street 2 for the Canberra Jazz project 2013. They are Phillip Johnston (soprano sax), Jex Saarelaht (piano), Jonathan Zwartz (bass) and Niko Schäuble (drums).

Double bass

It wasn’t the double basses at John Mackey’s gig that attracted me, but it did interest me. There have been experiments before with two basses, or two drummers; Ornette even had two bands. In the end, there were three basses, although only two ever played together at one time: Jonathan Zwartz and Rohan Dasika played together, and Max Alduca took the solo bass chair on one tune.

This was not a highly organised or charted gig. It was unrehearsed and more a hot session with some great players performing John’s standard sax repertoire. John likes it this way and it went down a treat. Long blows on just six tunes over two sets: Blue 7, Jonathan’s “Something more ambient” jam, Miss Jones, Footprints>Giant steps, Oleo and Take the Coltrane. Standard modern sax workouts from around the ‘50s and Jonathan’s ambient groove insert. But what playing! These are amongst the top local players, and it showed. John shredding tenor harmonies and Matt contorting lines on the alto. Andy moving through chords with a post-bop sensibility and fluency. Mark pushing with steady brushes and sticks on a woody-sounding kit and occasionally loosening up for a short solos. Rohan and Jonathan listening, and avoiding each other’s domain: high repeating lines against walks, or bowed solos against grooves or just dropping out for uninterrupted single bass lines. I found the basses did merge a little. It’s low down there, and the tones aren’t as identifiable as two horns together or even two pianos. Rohan said before the gig that he would concentrate on “keeping out of the way” and they were obviously both doing that. But what playing. Rohan was great and impressed with classically trained precision and that bowing skill. Jonathan’s just a star. He’s a big man who looks comfortable and plays with eminent solidity and strength on the big bass, with a massive tone and a bell-like clarity of intent. His solo to end the night just floored me.

So, it was a loose night, but with some excellent playing that would go down anywhere. In the Loft, in Canberra, for an audience of a few dozen afficionadoes. What skills and art this is. A blowout. John Mackey (tenor) led a sextet with Matt Handel (alto), Andy Butler (piano), Jonathan Zwartz (bass), Rohan Dasika (bass) and Mark Sutton (drums). Max Alduca (bass) replaced Jonathan and Rohan for Oleo.

The family according to James (DHJF-6)

No jazz scene around Australia is so large that you don’t see common faces. Perhaps the most common face on the Sydney jazz scene is James Greening, although that may just be my Canberra-centric view (he visits Canberra to teach at ANUSM). Phil Slater, Jonathon Zwartz, Matt McMahon and others popped up several times during the DHJF. It’s like a family round here.

Ten Part Invention was the very first band I caught over the weekend. They’ve been around for decades and I’d only heard them in their first years. They are a largish ensemble committed to playing Australian music. Their repertoire on the day was mostly by Sandy Evans and Miroslav Bukovsky, both members of the band. I was particularly enamoured by a chart from Roger Frampton called Three mothers which was a richly orchestrated blend of early bop and heavy syncopated hits. John Pochée and a few others of this era always mention Roger Frampton; he’s obviously held in considerable awe. I always love a jazz orchestra and this one is inventive and mature. Great playing and much enjoyed. Ten Part Invention are John Pochée (drums), Steve Arie (bass), Paul McNamara (piano), Paul Cutlan (baritone sax), Andrew Robson (alto sax), Matthew Ottignon (tenor sax), Sandy Evans (tenor sax, flute), Miroslav Bukovsky (trumpet), James Greening (trombone, pocket trumpet), Warwick Alder (trumpet).

The catholics are always a joy to hear with engrossing grooves and rich percussion and comfortable solos. This time they had to laugh off a suddenly disappearing audience that ran for cover when the rain set in and left them playing to a Darling Harbour wall of cafes and eateries well in the distance (the Floating stage was not my favourite – too distant). I was interested to hear a Barney McAll tune and also a 9/8 from Sandy Evans called Floating on an emerald green sea, and Doin’ the Darwin walk with an infectious, dancy, trancy bass groove and a solo of soprano sax and pocket trumpet. Always a pleasure. The catholics were Sandy Evans (saxes), James Greening (trombone, pocket trumpet), John Peace (guitar), Gary Daley (accordion), Lloyd Swanton (bass), Toby Hall (drums), Fabian Hevia (percussion).

Wanderlust are another favourite world-jazz fusion ensemble with those incredibly popular and infectious grooves and simple but satisfying melodies. I don’t see how anyone can sit inert to tunes like Samba nova, and there’s humour around too, as in the title Year of the pig that Miro was jokingly apologetic for. Wanderlust are Miroslav Bukovsky (trumpet), James Greening (trombone), Alister Spence (piano), Jeremy Sawkins (guitar), Zoe Hauptman (bass) and Fabian Hevia (drums).

Jonathon Zwartz presented his ensemble early on Sunday, and such a pleasure it was, starting with mystical, watery tones of his CD the Sea, and progressing through a funky Curtis Mayfield tribute with sweet harmonies reminiscent of New Orleans. Jonathon’s writing is spare in melody with bass-aware grooves. This was quite a highlight, and the rain held off for a decent and appreciative audience. The Jonathan Zwartz Ensemble comprises JZ (bass), Matt McMahon (piano), Hamish Stewart (drums), Fabian Hevia (percussion), Phil Slater (trumpet), Richard Maegraith (tenor), James Greening (trombone) and Jonathan’s daughter, Martha Zwartz (vocals), premiered with pretty pop tune.

Vince Jones didn’t use James but I think of him in the same circles, so I’ll report him here. Vince is touching and always purposeful. His passions are on his shoulder and I admire him for it, although I dare say some might not. This is touching, careful, understated music with lyrics that mean something and are anything but post-modern irony. He described them as grafitti for the soul and I can only concur. Songs about the cost of housing (Can’t afford to live, can’t afford to die) or family tragedies out of WW1 (Rainbow cake). This is touching and empathetic in more than just a musical sense. Beautiful songs with a reason. Vince Jones (vocals, trumpet) played with Matt McMahon (piano), Aaron Flower (guitar), Ben Waples (bass) and Simon Barker (drums).

Oh my gawd

There were a lot of those “oh my gawd” moments when I caught Oehlers/Mackey/Magnusson/Zwartz at the Loft. It was a party for the local jazz community and everyone was there; standing room only in our oddly located and intimate venue. These are some of the cream of the Australian jazz dairy, and friends to boot. This was to be standards: easy and relaxed but also serious and with energy and life to spare. This is the instrumentalists’ life, ears and heart and exertion. It was interesting to see two top tenorists together; interesting to have heard two top Australian guitarists and two vastly different approaches to jazz on two consecutive nights. Wonderful.

The band was Jamie Oehlers (tenor) and John Mackey (tenor), Steve Magnusson (guitar), Jonathan Zwartz (bass), Mark Sutton (drums) and Andy Butler (piano). There were two sets, just seven tunes, all standards, perhaps two hours of playing: All the things you are, My one and only love, Body & soul, Footprints, and a few others I recognised but couldn’t name. There were rabid, extended solos and taut accompaniment. There were contrasts in style and friendly challenges. These guys are playing for friends, but there’s a friendly rivalry like a footy team together in the muck. Suffice to say there were many Oh my gawd moments, and the response is little other than a chuckle at the seemingly impossible playing. Fabulously involved scalar movements and patterns from Jamie; blistering lines of quizzical uncertain pitch from Steve; outrageously dirty blues with atonal flourishes from John; firm tone, perfected intonation, melodic fluency, easily extended range and a unique line in single fingered scales from Jonathon; great energy, punchy kick and blushing cymbals from Mark; almost classical, overlapping scalar lines from Andy.

It was just a blow but it was a window on the highest skills around. What a way to party.

Cyberhalides pics