Double album

Two concerts on a day and the second a double album launch. This was a mixed band of mates from the James Morrison Academy of Music in Mount Gambier. We've seen them before at Smiths. They are recent graduates and they are good. They play as a quintet but this time they were around to launch two albums: those of saxist Lachy Hamilton and trumpeter Mathew Nicholls. Lachy and Matt up front with rhythm section of Harry Morrison, Patrick Danao and Matt Harris. This is a hard-ahead style, somewhere after bop. Mostly originals (and interesting they are) accompanied by the standard jazz repertoire of the style (this night Recordame, Beatrice, I love you and Body and soul). Matthew's originals were varied in theme, perhaps images of events or memories of people: ible ible or Light of the world or Pumpkin fingers. Lachy's theme was the allegorical novel, the Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, so his titles were more obscure: Crystal merchant or Urim and thummim or just the Alchemist. But both provided fascinating structures and musical themes and some seriously hot playing. These guys are good and they are well trained. A great listen.

Lachy Hamilton (tenor) and Matthew Nicholls (trumpet) variously led quartets and quintets with Matt Harris (piano), Harry Morrison (bass), Patrick Danao (drums).

Carefree on white sand

ARC Quartet studied at the ANU, but I didn't know of them even if their faces seemed familiar. They played together in school days at the Prep course. Some members are still studying or performing professionally. They presented as a 5-piece quartet, strange I thought, but presumably a gathering of like-minds and the addition of one mate. In fact, another mate sat in later in the night for a 6-piece. They played a few originals and reharmonisations and the like, and these were my favourites. Standards are great and they are shared so good for sitins, but we have heard them before. Bassist Ross had a nice original harking back to playing rock and metal in his younger days. That path is not too unusual and the tune was successful. Tenorist James had another original, a latin with a forward calve-feel. I liked that they paid tribute to Australian band, The Vampires, by playing their reggae-feel Mandala. The Beatles made an appearance with a latinised and reharmonised Eleanor Rigby. There was a guitarist in the band, Harry, so I wasn't surprised by a Pat Metheny tune. Trumpeter mate, Matt Nicholls, sat in for Footprints and Misty and they also played jazz hits Tenor madness and Beautiful love, but my favourite of these was Coltrane's Moment's notice - a great tune running through keys with plenty of momentum. I would have liked to have watched these players develop over a few years at the ANU, but I can understand they went to other schools, Sydney, Melbourne, Mt Gambier, and perhaps other things. Drummer Chloe was always precise and I enjoyed how she slowed a tune on request after an excited start. The two horns, James and altoist Alfred, sat well together and each took their generous share of blues-influenced solos. Guitarist Harry was neat and nicely sharp in accompaniment and I very much liked his solos, clear and well articulated and purposeful. Bass Ross was able in walks and accompaniment and impressive in the thumb position heights of his 5 string e-bass. But perhaps the biggest surprise for me on the night was the reception for St Thomas. I've long felt it's a daggy tune but the calypso feel is infectious and this one was the best received of the night, and perhaps the one played with most breezy abandon so I must reconsider. That's how calypso should be, reminiscent of carefree people on white sandy beaches, and nothing like the days preceding a dismal election. This is much nicer: thinking sunny with ARC.

ARC Quartet comprises Alfred Hearn (alto), James Stuchbery (tenor), Ross Davidson (bass) and Chloe Kim (drums). Harry Tinney (guitar) also played for the two sets and Matt Nicholls (trumpet) sat in for two tunes.

More Smalls

I've commented before that Wayne Kelly's Trio leading a Wednesday night jam session at the Old Canberra Inn is our local Smalls. I got there last Wednesday. It was cold, cold outside but snug inside with wood fires behind glass and the unexpected warmth of a slab hut, no doubt sealed against drafts. So the venue was hot, good for boutique beers, and the music was too. The band was Wayne, Ben and Mark. The sitins were three drummers, one bass, one trumpet, one piano, one vocal. The piano and vocal were a pair who play Cuban music locally, so we got some great, infectious latin grooves. This really is something special. Elizabeth and Jonathan play in the local band, Clavemania, most recently at Vivaldi. Matthew was the trumpet, a local boy now student at the James Morrison Academy in Mount Gambier. Very nice playing, not least on Joy Spring. The drummers were Ken, Mitch and Andrew. I got to play bass on three favourites: Caravan, Alone together and All blues, mostly with Wayne and a variety of drummers and Matthew. Good fun and nice to play Ben's German trade bass.

But a further Smalls matter has also taken some recently. I thought the Smalls online feed was shut, but no, it's free with registration for live shows and charged for the historical collection. Three sessions each night, 7.30am-4am NYC time, about 10am-6pm AEST. Neat. Two bands then a jam session. Funny thing, over a few days I saw both Ari Hoenig and Joe Farnsworth, two renowned NYC drummers who visited Canberra in just the last few weeks. Small world; Smalls and the world; our small Smalls.

Wayne Kelly (piano), Ben O'Loghlin (bass) and Mark Sutton (drums) lead the weekly jam session at Old Canberra Inn, 7-9pm Wednesdays. Sitins this evening were Matthew Nicholls (trumpet), Andrew Howard, Ken Nosworthy and Mitch Preston (drums), Elizabeth Obando Paz (vocals), Jonathan Cohen (piano) and Eric Pozza (bass).

Smalls NYC live stream