Old is new

Gavin Ahearn came to the Gods with his quintet of excellent Sydney players and it was energetic from the start. Just a little one bar piano intro by Gavin then into a solid latin rhythm then, within another few bars, harmonies between the two tenors (yes, two tenors, an unusual combination but with history: Geoff reminded us of Dexter Gordon and Johnny Griffin) and hard swinging rhythms and a muscular commitment and drive. The second tune was more Monk-like, swung and walked rather than a bop-latin. Both were originals, one by Gavin, another by a drummer colleague in NYC. I was enjoying the insistent and unyielding grooves and noticing the solo lines were not excessive, not too atonal, not too busy except for some longer fills that fitted with no jarring. But it was only when we hit tune 3, Little Leo, a ballad dedicated to a lost pet, that I noticed the power of melody here, the clear lyricism in this band. Karl and Jason would each hold back from too much extravagance, letting the flourishes come by themselves, looking for a line that worked, looking for internals and patterns. The melody sat with sparse tones, leading one to another, perhaps falling a little from one to another. This was Karl and he did it beautifully, then Jason came in with tight harmonies. All the time, Brendan was settled or driving, walking or syncopated or dotted rhythms as befits, and Toby also powered, moving through various patterns and rhythmic colours. Then some delightful solos from Brendan - he is playing so well these days - and later solos against riffs by Toby and throughout Gavin, comping chords or laying out his own solos. I noticed some intriguingly modulated piano at one stage, fairly subtle but modernising the sound and drive. Nice. Then more about pets and places. One about the polar vortex that hit northern US when Gavin was in NYC (Jan 2014?). A mention of I sing the body electric, a poem by Walt Whitman (borrowed for an early Weather Report album with Miroslav Vitous). Gavin wrote Nimbus (?) early career and it was a lovely, driving latin. Then more recent and more places: Ismir, an easier latin reminiscent of early morning arrival and sunrise, and Mt Wellington, floating and yearning for the cold misty weather on the summit. Solos were shared between tenors, topped and tailed by delightfully fat-toned harmonies. Dragon flight sounded to me to be angular hell to read, jumping around as the zigzag flight of fireflies over a relaxed swing and syncopated bridge. I'm noticing my foot tapping: 1-3 on latins; 2-4 on swings. Then a light six feel, but with a threat to lift. It did, for final solos and Toby drummed a final solo against busy piano chords and a rise-fall harmonised tenor line. This has the life and instrumentation of '50s hard-bop with a recent, filmic lyricism. Great stuff. Part of jazz's greatness is its respect for history without stultification. Old is new; we are products of history. Gavin and mates did this in spades and with panache.

Gavin Ahearn (piano) led his Quintet at the Gods with Karl Laskowski and Jason Bruer (tenors), Brendan Clarke (bass) and Toby Hall (drums).

Mike and the awards

I caught Mike Nock as a performer but he's also the chair of the judging panel for the National Jazz Awards. The awards were for guitar this year and the judges were Mike with James Muller and Steve Magnusson.

Mike Nock is a senior Sydney figure noted for his support for a new generation. At Wang, his band was called Trio+2, the extra two being younger sit-ins Carl Morgan and Karl Laskowski: younger maybe but not unknown. This was unrushed, well developed modern jazz with a feel of rock grooves, often developing some power, with plenty of space for solo development: Outcast, Brett Hirst's Changeling, Perspectives, even This dude abides (written by Mike to a quip in the movie, The Big Lebowski). The rest of the trio was Brett Hirst and James Waples.

I was at Wang for the last guitar awards, and Carl Morgan, ex-ANU Jazz School and well known locally at the time, was on the shortlist. He didn't make the final that time, but he returned victorious. I only attended the final (given program clashes; I would love to have attended the heats). The final contestants were Hugh Stuckey (Adelaide, now Melbourne), Peter Koopman (NZ, now Sydney) and Carl Morgan (South Coast, as I remember, then Canberra, now Sydney). Carl played last and was a clear winner: confident, communicating, interesting and thrilling. He played Scofield's You bet,m Joe Henderson's Isotope and Coltrane's Naima (in a heavy rock-influenced take that worked). Hugh played first with a clear, traditional sounding guitar. His tunes were You're changed, Schofiled's Don't shoot the messenger and Rollin's Tenor madness. Peter played second, more driving and modern. His tunes were Larry Young Backup, Isfahan form Ellington's Far East suite and Scofield's Loose canon. Backing was from Des White and Ben Vanderwal. It's always a game to pick the winners. I've only listened to the finals a few times but never exactly matched the 1-2-3 order. This is art with subjectivity and personal preferences. Congrats to all; they are all worthy players.

Mike Nock (piano) led his trio with Brett Hirst (bass) and James Waples (drums) with visitors Carl Morgan (guitar) and Karl Laskowski (tenor). The National Jazz Awards 2014 final was for guitar and contended by Carl Morgan, Hugh Stuckey and Peter Koopman with accompaniment by Des White (bass) and Ben Vanderwal (drdums).

Being there

Mike Nock’s Quintet, his trio with two friends, was an interesting gig. Right from the top it felt like comfortable old times. The lines and melodies and grooves were old family: jazz rock, Miles, Herbie and the like. I could hear the same piano accompaniment. I could feel the mildly mutating rhythm section as it settled behind the front line with a choppy ocean busy-ness. The chords flowed by slowly, perhaps 4 bars to one chord, regularly changing and gently paced, leaving the soloist plenty of time to feel the changes. These were post-hippy times, still gentle and emotionally committed. This feels good to my ears. I think of Buster Williams and some favourite albums. Nick Garbett’s new to the band, smiling, enjoying the outing and playing wonderfully structured solos, a cry, a pause, a volley of falling notes. Miles again, space and notes that crawl against the backing. Karl fills the space more, but does a similar take with falling lines although somewhat more blues infected. Mike is adventurous, taking an idea and extending it over long ranges, or stopping and finding some unexpected and obtuse take on the chords before reimagining lines into contrary scalar movements. There was a blues starting with a bass solo that could have started a Mingus tune and leading into a slow, deep Southern langour. Here, Karl’s solos are all bends and blues and Nick’s are wakeup calls of sudden high staccato and some florid, some languid fills. Then TBA, a bouncy contemporary feel with concurrent solos from the horns and clavinet from Mike. Somewhere, James had taken a solo against a piano/bass phrase. This was all punchy with neat rudiment-induced divisions of the beat and triplets that delay the feel and rolls tat explode into cymbals. Explosive for a jazz solo; Nick smiled some more. The second set started with the band settling into a D minor bass groove and settling into a slow funk for the solos. Slow news day was more story telling, with a floating intro and pensive melody: portraying a lazy news room or perhaps some personal relief at a benign nightly news. Not surprisingly, the first solo was from bass then sax, the softer horn. Last tune of the night was Colours, long with feverish walks and rabid collective improv and slips into free jazz. Nice gig. Mike Nock (piano) led a quintet with Nick Garbett (trumpet), Karl Laskowski (tenor), Brett Hirst (bass) and James Waples (drums).

Cyberhalides Jazz Photos by Brian Stewart