Another thing

Antipodes was my second concert for the night. Less than a concert, really, because I only caught 2 tunes from the second set, but these were fascinating and only went to confirm the chalk and cheese difference of these styles and of the range of jazz played now. John Mackey's concert had been Coltrane, intensely spiritual, relatively simple structurally and melodically, open and interactive and improvised. Antipodes was far more ordered, written, its loose space bounded and arranged. Here there's extended unison melody, arranged structure, different sounds. The guitar was strong and driven in its solo; a synth appeared; bass and drum took solos at the end, drums playing against a riff. Not sure I caught a trumpet or sax solo in these last tunes, or from Luke on keys, but they would have earlier. The environment was different, too, of course, Hippo's noisy cocktail atmosphere, so I was envisaging as much as I was hearing. So different from JM; so much a modern take on the history; complex in composition as well as improv. They are about to record this music. Can't wait to revisit it. Maybe to hear what I didn't from a late arrival and some tech probs and Hippo's busy space.

Antipodes are Jake Baxendale (sax), Ken Allars (trumpet), Callum Allardice (guitar), Luke Sweeting (piano), Max Alduca (bass) and Aidan Lowe (drums). They played at Hippo.l

Luke's back

Luke visits often. It's wonderful that he does. He's a wonderful product of this town, and he's now ensconced in the Sydney scene, so we get a touch of that whenever he's in town. He's prolific, too. He's involved in a range of projects playing a range of compositions. He writes lots. The tunes seem diverse in the different bands. This was his sextet. The last incarnation of his sextet perhaps 2 common tunes, so he writes. As proof, he played one that was just finished on the day, so unnamed. The sextet comprises three horns - tenor, trumpet, trombone - up front and there's some satisfying writing for the three, but there's time, too, for open band improv, or for features for each instrument, including the rhythm section. So space for the individual, but also for the combined force of a capable band. I particularly loved the pairing of the two brass, trumpet and trombone, Ken Allars and James Greening, but that's an easy enough attraction. They are wonderful players and sensitive and responsive to others. Mat Keegan was on tenor for this gig. He's a different kettle of fish: wildly understated with just the occasional flourish. James H-D stunned me volume from his little GK and then entranced me with woody tone to die for while he was playing solo. Finn was strong, impulsive, driving, never at rest. Lovely playing and apt for this diverse but loud and powerful music. Luke was the perfect leader, always invited and supportive and guiding from the piano stool. Plenty of solos, there, too. I usually hear him on Rhodes when playing electric. It a real and non-digital tone and solos nicely, and comps with a generous rotundity behind a full ensemble. For something different, Geoff Page sat in for a reading of his Elegy [to jazz trumpeters] against a cool blues with angular head to start the second set. Well informed and a treat for jazz historians. I was interested that all the tunes had a reference: Little whippers to kids playing; Really on time to drummer Namchoon Kim; Dashing horse; Introvert. There are stories here, although stories are never too obvious in music. Tit bits that started as march and morphed to reggae. This was a compositional success and an individual romp for the players. Great stuff.

Luke Sweeting (piano) led his sextet comprising Ken Allars (trumpet), Matt Keegan (tenor), James Greening (trombone), James Heazlewood-Dale (double bass) and Finn Ryan (drums) at the Gods. Geoff Page (poems) recited for one tune.

The presence of the past

It's nothing like the great museums overseas, of course, and smaller than the Nicholson Museum in the Quad at University of Sydney, but the ANU's Classical Museum in the foyer of the AD Hope building is a little gem. We visited after attending a lecture on the first and second sacks of Troy at the strangely named Haydon Allen Tank. And even more strangely, after attending the AGM of the Friends of the Classical Museum. That was a merciful 7 minutes or so, with the most interesting thing being their two recent purchases. All this has a ring of strangeness about it, but the classics are intriguing and they are in our Western cultural DNA, even if they are rather distant these days. But some Friends maintain the age. The lecture was by Chris Mackie, professor of Greek studies at La Trobe University, and he was a lively and entertaining speaker. He recounted the story of the first sack of Troy and the roles of the hero Heracles and proceeded to make comparisons with the second sack. The first is alluded to in the Iliad and the second is the subject of the Iliad. He compared heroes, enemies, weapons, the source of glory. Heracles (first sack) used bow & arrow to fight monsters and left Troy intact despite broken promises of King Laomedon. By the time of the later sack, the spear is noble and the bow ignoble, the enemies are cities and glory is in destruction and genocide. About more recent times, Prof Mackie made a parallel with WW1/WW2, where battlefield confrontations became total war with civilian targets. Thus both the Iliad and our times speak of increasing bleakness and hardening of politics. Then off to the Classic Museum for an after-event social gathering. Just a quick visit for us as I was off for the second set of Grey Wing Trio at Smiths, but a delight. I wouldn't want to live there, but the remains of the ancient world are rare and vivid and strange: some Greek vases and statues and Roman oil lamps and fresco fragments, the central model of ancient Rome (which displays a remarkable degree of survival in modern Rome). Then off to Grey Wing. I wrote them up a few weeks ago, so little here. Suffice to say I heard one set comprising just two compositions by Luke. This was stellar playing all round, although this time I was particularly taken by Finn's open, detailed, delicate drumming. Not enough time at the Museum or Grey Wing, but them's the options.

Prof Chris Mackie spoke on Troy for the Friends of the ANU Classics Museum. Grey Wing Trio comprise Luke Sweeting (piano), Ken Allars (trumpet) and Finn Ryan (drums) ad they played at Smiths Alternative.

ANU Classics Museum

Difference that blends

Luke keeps returning with great bands. The Antipodes Quintet was the latest, at Smiths, this last week. It seems to have its genesis in Berlin, amongst the Australian jazz community there. The compositions are by Luke with perhaps a few from Jake. Aidan and Jake spent some time in Berlin and Luke visited while playing there and around in Europe and Scandinavia. Thus Antipodes was presumably on their common minds. It's a great blowing band with dense heads, occasional free and floating segments, room for solos and some great grooves. Luke's solos were always satisfying. I was fascinated how well the two horns worked together, although from very different influences. Ken was stunning with restrained legato and lyricism, blowing impressive bop-like lines, then turning all breathy and mystical. He'd mentioned before the gig how he clears his mind and just plays. It takes talent and practice to be able to do that successfully and he's obviously done his part. This was stunningly effective trumpet. Jake was more the iconoclast with truncated, detached notes, obtuse octaves contrasting with dense lines in response, more quizzical and ironic and intellectual than heart-on -shoulder emotional. These are very different players but they merged surprisingly well with harmonies both consonant and not and almost contrapuntal movements at times. Aidan was rich and full and driving, but also deep when he took a feature solo later in the night. James was sweetly toned, occasionally bowed, open and welcoming in presence and support for his colleagues.He blew a great fast bop earily on in warmup, but this was more fast unison heads and open playing against a few chords for the blows. Inventive and sympathetic and supportive. And Luke, of course, always great solos and smiling repartee, welcome support and a growing set of compositions with space to solo and various times and contorted, lightly dissonant heads. Great stuff, again.

The Antipodes Quintet comprised Luke Sweeting (piano), Jake Baxendale (alto sax), Ken Allars (trumpet), James Heazlewood-Dale (bass) and Aidan Lowe (drums).

Break aways

Grey Wing Trio sounds mysterious to me, meaning it gives me no hint about what to expect. Luke’s invitation to the gig mentioned a blend of “simple fold-like melodies, jazz elements with epic textural adventures”. Perhaps Grey Wing suggest folk-like melodies, or even winging it or epic flights. It was all these.
Luke showed James and me the charts after the gig and they were mostly single notes, lines for trumpet and both piano staves. And extensive. The first set was one medley-cum-tune. Melody breaking off to free or solos or other times. One hour; one piece. It’s daring music with lots of space to fill or flounder in, but these are very polished musicians. It also leaves openings for being lost, or at least not returning easily, but messaging and glances worked well in this outfit. This was comfortable, the changes fell together, the melody appeared almost mysteriously accurate and together. That really impressed me. I liked the melody, but I loved the escapes into free. Luke’s so comfortable at free across all seven octaves, moving chords, changing harmonies or single note flourishes. Ken’s trumpet is controlled, his volume restrained, his tone scratchy, but like wet sandpaper rather than abrasive. I part5icularly enjoyed his scalar lines that would switch chords on a whim. Lovely and unusual: this was controlled performance with unregulated harmony. And Finn has a similar iconoclasm, bringing all manner of tones and rhythms form his kit and percussion, explosive then floating, just once or twice dropping into a rock rhythm. They played two sets, each with no break. The first was 60mins, the second 40 mins. And this was intriguing and impulsive and, yes, epic. Great stuff. Grey Wing Trio comprise Luke Sweeting (piano), Ken Allars (trumpet) and Finn Ryan (drums) and they played at Smiths.

Original Lofty

It’s good to see Luke Sweeting’s band opening the season at the Loft. He’s a kingpin in the existence of the space after he found it and its grand piano to do his daily practice. Luke’s on tour with a very impressive band playing tunes that we’ve heard before, but that seem to be more mature, more richly embellished. This really is good writing: diverse, colourful with horn harmonies and interplays, with sections that sit satisfyingly although with some tension, and neat little written interludes to join one section to the other. And with plenty of space for solos for all players.

And what good players! Luke himself is strong as soloist and composer, but also as a comping support and otherwise as aware leader. The rhythm section is always mobile and encouraging. James held some ostinatos with long intervals and movements over the fingerboard with good intonation and reliable feel and read dots with considerable fluency, notably some satisfying unison lines with piano (what a nice sound!) while Finn busily coloured the whole, playing over the kit and over the groove. It’s a modern sound, tapping on the 1-3 rather than swing’s 2-4, the bass stating the chordal movements, settling ostinatos or syncopating chord tones, and the drums busily working over the whole, implying rather than stating the beat. Both were comfortable in solos, too. I particularly enjoyed an early bass solo (I think he took two) that was broad in pitch after an initial simple statement of intent. I was recording and I thought several times that I’m glad I’ve got this gig. So it was with the horns, too. This was a front line of alto, trumpet and trombone, all very strong, as a well intoned section or as improvising counterpoint players or as soloists. Different, though. The order of first solos was Matt, Ken and James and I kept thinking they can’t get any better. Of course, they were just different rather than better, and all were so satisfying. Matt was fast, building from thematic to screeds of notes, contorted and playing with dissonance, as saxists do. Then Ken came in, surprisingly quiet and sweet for a trumpeter, stating tonalities and running chords with ease and control then playing with octaves and intervals and phrasings. Then James, experienced and wily, deeper, initially more obtuse and playful and all over the tonalities and modes, then more orthodox, sliding notes or more clearly stating the changes. Then later, from all three, airy counterpoint and microtonality, all whale tones and distance and airiness. It’s another sound that I recognise as contemporary. But that was another composition, after the break. I noticed the second half was more inquisitive and undemonstrative than the first, although the gig ended with Fatty, one of Luke’s most lively and popular compositions. He’s got several like that, with snippets of melody that sit nicely and feel right for humming to yourself as you drive home after the gig or next morning in the shower. It’s a great skill to have, to write a catchy melody.

Suffice to say I enjoyed Luke back at the Loft. The band’s off on tour and it will only get sharper (there were a few little slips, but so what?) and those horn parts will just get sweeter. This is truly a local product with a long way to go. A relaxed and easy gig with gilded compositions. Luke Sweeting (piano, compositions) led his sextet comprising Matt Handel (alto), Ken Allars (trumpet), James Greening (trombone), James Heazlewood-Dale (bass) and Finn Ryan (drums).

Release

Liam Budge launched his CD last night. We were at the Abbey, with its earthy timber and imposing organ and arrayed PA and an impressive audience for a Sunday night. But still this was intimate.
Liam’s voice is plaintive and neatly controlled and often improvisational and here it was wonderfully close and present. The balance suited; voice and emotions and words matter here. The tense rhythm section under Liam was melodically restrained, but vehement like a compressed spring. This was powerful and emotive stuff, and it’s just the thing for a jazz vocalist. There’s been a reflowering of jazz vocalists in recent years, including several who are huge commercial successes. Most are female, but there are males too. The difficulty must be to retain authenticity in the commercial scene. Liam is certainly doing that. This is entertaining and intimate and thus sellable, but it’s more. There’s meaning is his words and originality in his arrangements and improvisations. He sang scat and it worked and not just as a period piece. This was effective, dissolving into echo and other effects – particularly impressive at a live concert. This was tradition and jazz chops but it was moulded with a Gen-Y ear. The tunes were a mix of originals and covers. The feels just sat ready to explode. I’m listening to his Bye bye blackbird on CD now. It’s a great song but not usually one for modern ears, but I’d heard it before at the Loft and it’s a killer. It sits, aroused but with a restrained surface, Chris’ bass holding things, Tim’s drums full of energy and sharps taps and rolls, Luke’s piano bouncy in chords and lithe in solos. This was the feel of the band. Not loud; controlled and careful but tense under the skin. This is black and white, film noir, suspense and longing. There will never be another you was similarly rearranged by Liam and Luke. Here’s it’s all medium-up swing and smooth trumpet but head and tailed with an accented, interrupted melody that retells the original then drops into a canny, hip vamp. These are common standards but manicured for an audience of lounge or tea room or grand stage. Liam’s intro to Stop this Trane was amusing. It’s his response to a John Mackey class in Giant steps and it’s well clear of Coltrane changes. Farewell was a slow ballad, bass solo, unison voice and flugelhorn; “we will begin, for you, to turn to”. San Diego serenade was a Tom Waits cover and an unexpected touch of light Californian rock with a pleasing jazz structure. Bettina was for his girlfriend, a ballad of touch and candlelight, intimate and quiet, accompanied by just bass and flugelhorn. They didn’t play This could be the start of something big, although it’s a jazz standard, but this concert may have been. Luke’s got amiability and feel and jazz chops and for singer’s it’s a world of opportunity. I’ll be watching and I’ve got a signed copy of his first CD. Break a leg, Liam. Liam Budge (vocals) led a band with Luke Sweeting (Rhodes, piano, organ), Ken Allars (trumpet), Chris Pound (bass) and Tim Firth (drums). Tom Sly (flugelhorn, trumpet) sat in for two songs.

We only caught two final songs from the opening act, Jess Pollard and Steve Barry. This is a Sydney pair, singer and keys, with some witty lyrics, curt phrasing and a delicious tremolo that wheedles its way into the high notes. Not enough to report on but I wish we’d heard more. Jess Pollard (vocals) paired with Steve Barry (Rhodes).