& Cheese

The cheese to the earlier chalk was Max Alduca’s rich and detailed and beautifully exposed compositions with his quintet touring his studio album.  I expected subtlety and training and musical intelligence and we got them in spades with understated presentation and beautiful, complex melody and pure solos, spelt variously simply or expansively or even ecstatically.  For me a bassist, sitting in the final available seats in the front row, literally sometimes resting beer or feet on stage, I could watch Max’s understated playing that could blast into a lovely quick mobile line or his bow that would play long notes then bounce below the bridge, or even bow a tone from the tailpiece.  I’ve been exercising this morning with long intervals and regular patterns that underlined one composition, but there were tons of fascinating harmonic concepts.  I didn’t think to ask Max but there must be piano in these composition and Hilary mentions his chats with pianist Luke.  Bassists work with chords but we don’t hear them like pianists do.  As I am wont to say, piano is an orchestra in a box.  Saxist Michael was understated and true to melody, just so nicely stated, but he could drop in devastating lines that were still just fitting rather than exclamatory.  Hillary provided tons of colour but did let go a few times with exciting guitar, dirty, driving and unrelenting.  That was a blast.  Luke could let go at times, too, but never without solo development so it was totally fitting.  James just got one solo that I remember, on the last tune before the break, short, plenty syncopated and snap-sharp but again not showy while wonderfully expressive.  The whole was like that  and the tunes were similarly so.  Rich melodies merging with restrained but authoritative solos throughout.

Max Alduca (bass, compositions) led a quintet with Hilary Geddes (guitar), Michael Avgenicos (tenor sax), Luke Sweeting (piano), and James Waples (drums) at Smiths.  They were touring their new album Monastery / Max Alduca.

Touring to the big smoke

Later in the night, after the book launch, is not so late for jazz these days.  We must be an ageing cohort.  Whatever, Ben Lerner was playing at Smiths at 7pm with his quartet on tour before recording an album with ABC and they were something pretty special.  The others were Steve Barry, well known and big handed with busy, rich, arpeggiated solos; Max Alduca, for some time trained locally, of solid groove with busy syncopations and some quick fills up the neck; and Alex Young, new to me but again syncopated, intensely grooved, sharply snared and creatively responsive.  They were all a pleasure, with Ben's lithe and expressive alto over, playing his compositions.  I reminded me of bop, heads and solos and groove, but not neo-bop.  That was conservative; this was more creative, open to broader stylistic influences, far more varied in chordal structures and not all 2-5s but you could still hear those pentatonic or other solo patterns that were just so effective from the alto and the heads were intriguing and often unexpected while the intensity and drive remained up.  This was some fascinating music and it's not at all surprising that Ben is off to NYC and Manhattan School of Music.  We can only wish him well but he's got a great start.  In the meantime, I look forward to mixing his gig at Smiths and later hearing the band's take from whatever ABC studio.

Ben Lerner (alto, compositions) led his quartet at Smiths comprising Ben with Steve Barry (piano), Max Alduca (Bass) and Alex Young (drums).

Live or listened

I've got into recording over the years and most recently into multitrack mixing and mastering, mainly of gigs at Smiths.  I find it fascinating and even, in some ways, better or more revealing than being in attendance.  Less fun, perhaps, and less personal, but revealing.  So I can solo the bass or sax of other and follow the thinking, the improvs, in detail and with repeats.  Fascinating.  Those gigs don't get written up here but here is one.  Alex asked me for a few words on a particularly intriguing and adventurous outing, his Fauna & Flora.  The band is Fauna and the guest was Flora (Carbo).  I was entranced.  Here are my considered and touched words on this concert that I know only from my spare room home studio.

Hearing Fauna and Flora for the first time was a revelation direct from Miles and memory.  Jazz lovers have heard these mutating, intriguing, explorative instrumentations but probably not in the flesh.  Realising that is a stunner.  The emotive melodies, the searching harmonies, the richly fluid accompaniment, the floats and grooves and improvisations melt into the consciousness.  The tunes merge, originals or known standards, to one, whole; one generous, exploratory set, then another.  Tunes with time to live in, explored and imbibed as your mind wanders with wonder.  How am I so surprised? So intrigued?  How is this so fresh, because it is so fresh.  And as for the band's name, I'm still chuckling over that one.  I didn't see Fauna and Flora but I did hear them, intrigued and deeply touched as I mixed and mastered after the event.  If at all possible, see them!

Fauna was joined by guest Flora Carbo (alto) at Smiths.  Fauna are Alex Raupach (trumpet), Wilbur Whitta (piano), Max Alduca (bass) and Jack Rosenzweig (drums).  And thanks to Alex for the pic.

Reflections

I once worked in the National Library and I was amazed by the microfiche collection, particularly one large set of the works of Isaac Newton.  What a resource it was; a treasure of multiple editions of his works available on this side of the world.  It's old tech now, and probably weeded from the collection assuming availability over the Net but these were pre-Net days (surprisingly only a few decades ago) and such materials weren't so available.  So it's nice to see the word still in use and a joy to hear the improv group memorialising the tech.  Microfiche the group came from a class on classical-improv for jazzers at the Sydney Con.  The lineup is fairly standard: piano, bass, drums, trumpet, alto and just a little skewed with clarinet/bass clarinet/viola.  They played two medleys in a single one hour set, each medley comprising two original tunes with an improv bridge.  The tune structures or melodies weren't too obvious, so the moves through tunes and improv was gentle and left pretty undefined and that suited the free style beautifully.  I was entranced by glorious harmonies that sat so purely at times, rippling intervallic piano, busy drums and occasional smiles from drummer Holly to bassist Alex, Nick just sitting on stage at the end and taking in his own composition (after some stunning solos).  There was much listening, closed eyes, gentle testing noises then more confident statements.  But the whole was not explosive or ecstatic like some free music, but big-eared and comradely, and if I can say it, intimate.  This is one to close eyes to, open ears and enjoy the freedom and colour and interplay.  Very much enjoyed.

Microfiche comprise Nick Calligeros (trumpet), Phillippa Murphy-Haste (clarinet, bass clarinet, viola), Sam Gill (alto), Novak Manojlovic (piano), Max Alduca (bass), Holly Conner (drums).

OWJF2022-1

It's the premiere OWJF (Orange Winter Jazz Festival and I'm there, not for day 1, the more sparse Friday, but for Saturday and Sunday.  This is also the weekend of the Merimbula JF I rememebr, Queens Birthday weekend - the clash surprises me as there aren't so many JFs - but there are only so many long weekends.  Strangely the Monday is being left empty.  The chance is there for future events.  And it's colder than I remember Merimbula, from a cold spell and presumably from a country town far from the sea.  Colder than Canberra!   Happily, the weekend was relatively free for me and there were a string of bands which I'd sadly missed in Canberra so I'm here.  Orange is a 3.5 hours drive from Canberra, past the fish museum. 

I arrive in time for a rerun of Hilary Geddes Quartet.  The tunes were as I'd heard a week before at the Street, similarly intriguing and well played, if not so intimate given the space.  I had another go at counting one tune and decided on 7 but it also went into 8s and 6s then I got lost.  Col Hoorweg commented he avoided the counting.  Sensible!  But again some intriguing playing.  I missed a real piano this time, but bass sounded great and max laid some nice solos.  The acoustics didn't suit drums quite as well as the previous gig, but again Alex is a star of sharp, incisive and somewhat sparse playing and I love this.  And we for another of Hilary's blaring rocky solos that again I love and I think i understood the song of late sleeper next to highway better this time.  So a satisfying start.  Interestingly, I will hear Hilary in many guises during the day.  She is seriously versatile.  If antyhing, that may be a theme of this festival, seeing several basses with extensions, a classical implement not used in jazz and not used here.

Then to Phil Slater's Dark Pattern.  Dark Pattern was the work not the grouping.  Truly incisive and deep playing but dark it was.  This is, of course, one of the senior and renowned collections of musos here this weekend.  These are not the young tykes making names, but the seasoned and experienced performers.  Revered. and they easily deserved it.  I thought Miles from before the jazz rock, all thoughtful and sparse and gorgeously beautifully toned trumpet with careful harmonies and multiphonics from Matt Keagan beside him and Brett Hirst and Matt McMahon and Simon barker, all renowned for seriousness and virtuosity.  It raised a theme in my mind about mature players, what they do in later years.  It was to be with me with The World and The catholics later.  This was a concert of glorious tone, continuous playing (the tunes ran into each other, attacca), chart reading, thought and depth and satisfaction but, I thought, not too much joy.  And so be it.  Maybe just telling the story of our times...

Hilary Geddes Quartet performed and Phil Slater played Dark Pattern at the inaugural Orange Winter Jazz Festival. Hilary Geddes (guitar) performed with Matthew Harris (piano), Max Alduca (bass) and Alex Inman-Hislop (drums).  Dark Pattern was performed by Phil Slater (trumpet), Matt Keegan (saxophones), Brett Hirst (bass), Matt McMahon (piano) and Simon Barker (drums).

Next gen?

This night felt different.  Obviously for the music, but not sure why otherwise.   I thought next gen, but it's not just age.  It was fresh and I enjoyed it immensely.  It was two women leaders presenting their albums.  First up was Hilary Geddes and her quartet out of Sydney.  It started with changly guitar strums, moving through diverse and almost unrelated rhythms, then into sharp but sparse drums, their rhythms present but not too obviously stated, then into a melody of sorts on bowed bass, sometimes with unison piano, soundscapes in G (key is my guess from the bass fingering).  That was written for a street in Bremen, near the conservatorium, where Hilary was studying.  Then more, very different, perhaps with solos for all at various times.  Some were obvious and standard enough, including a genuine blow guitar solo in the last piece, but that was the one up-walk-feel.  Otherwise, plenty of bowed bass amongst the fingered including solos in each and bowed tailpieces and the like, some delicious piano counterpoint-cum-accompaniment, sharp and elusive drumming to die for, more tunes with Bremen references and some odd times that had me flumoxed.  Perhaps they were changeable; one 6-6-4 seemed to change all over.  I think that Bill Frisell touch, but he's never touched me, but then it took a little time for Hilary to do so, too.  At least half a tune!  Great stuff.  Then a second act at Street Three.  This was Claire Cross from Melbourne.  Claire, e-bassist and composer, sitting and leading a larger team including even viola and cello, mostly scored although she spoke after of leaving space for thematic improv by players.  This was much calmer, ordered, meditative, but again intensive and expansive.  The piece was created through a Melbourne International Jazz Festival program and recorded with many of the same players, although at least drums and cello had just sat in that day.  The drumming, although shared with Hilary, was far more restrained, Claire's bass was all fingerpicked chords and just a few fingerstyle passages, the strings added colour and the trombone and alto broke out into lovely solos every so often, but this remained a discreet work.  So different from Hilary's but again intriguing.  So quite a night.  Somewhat a revelation, really.  Hear their albums online: Hilary Geddes Parkside on Spotify; Claire Cross Into light on Bandcamp.

Hilary Geddes (guitar) led her quartet with Max Alduca (bass), Matt Harris (piano) and Alex Inman-Hislop (drums).  Claire Cross (e-bass) led her ensemble with Harry Cook (piano), Alex Inman-Hislop (drums), Jordan Murray (trombine), Flora Carbo (alto sax, bass clarinet), Biddy Connor (viola) and Eleanor Streatfeild (cello).  Both groups performed at Street Theatre Three.   PS, sorry for the pics!  Best I could do under the circumstances...

In one pocket

It was only a quick listen on the way to something else, but I was really glad that we caught up with Pocket Trio at the National Press Club. They are from Sydney. They'd played Smiths and BentSpoke earlier in the week in Canberra but I was busy. Just a little piano trio with a delightfully joyful take on standards: swinging, capable, light and vibrant. Their playing was a dream but their presence was low key, joyous. Nicely sharp but unobtrusive drums, clear piano spelling tunes, tons of lithe bass solos. Max was once a student at ANU so back home. It's interesting to see people as they grow into the art: he's playing now with great chops and finesse and intelligence. I've only caught Andrew on piano once before; Tim has visited often over the years. Hope to hear them again. Intellectually satisfying and just plain nice music.

Pocket Trio are Andrew Scott (piano) Maximilian Alduca (bass) and Tim Geldens (drums). They played at the National Press Club.

Distillate

There was just a time when Antipodes were playing away, clear and sharp and purposeful, that the word distillate came to me. The band has been together for some time, but I doubt they play together all the time. Nonetheless, this was beautifully correct while also being quick and complex at times and neat in passing of solos and the like. Restrained, inventive, sharp, intense. These are all words that fitted. To me, that means a nice band with artistic cred. I loved all the solos: frequently from altoist Jake, fairly commonly from pianist Luke and guitarist Callum and surprisingly frequently from bassist Max. And I really liked Max's playing. Not overtly showy but interestingly intervallic and wonderfully complex rhythmically. Smiths' budget doesn't quite come to a Steinway, but Luke's presence and solos were exploratory and always apt none-the-less. Callum's guitar was quite subdued, but could soar with speedy crisp lines or impart lovely modernist colour with various pedals. Not sure I remember a solo from drummer Tim, but his sharpness with gentility was inspirational. They could lift in volume, but they could also sit with the quietest of presence. The music was all original, interestingly from around the band and funnily enough the basis of some effective stage patter from Jake. A few songs for relatives (Tim's grandmother Joyce) or personal discoveries or cosmic themes (Phobos AND Deimos), but Sleep was the funniest. Ask Jake about that one. For a few later songs, trumpeter Alex Raupach sat in and the presence remained with neat sight-read harmonies that added nicely to the understated sophistication. Great night listening to some seriously impressive contemporary jazz. A huge pleasure.

Antipodes played at Smiths. Antipodes comprises Jake Baxendale (alto), Luke Sweeting (piano), Callum Allardice (guitar), Max Alduca (bass) and Tim Geldens (drums). Alex Raupach (trumpet) sat in for a few tunes.

Nailing it

Jason Bruer's band is called Hammerhead and it's a driving hard bop outfit with three horns up front (tenor, alto, trumpet) and rhythm section. Mostly straightahead hard bop. At least one was more pensive, sustained, even relaxed, with circular breathing and another was a classical crossover in fugal form, the various instruments mirroring melody but displaced by time. But mostly it was honest, convincing, hard swinging, outgoing jazz. The horns up front were lovely, tuneful, together, energetic and interesting when they took their solos. The rhythm section was a blast, driving through at all times and happy to take their solos, too. Drummer Alex was the recent Wangaratta award winner for drums and got some regard for that. Very much jazz of the period and well deserved. Bassist Max is an old boy of the ANU and is playing a storm. Alone he could have anchored this band, so firmly swinging and fat sounding was he. His solos tended to slower and more thoughtful but they could let go, too. Gavin on piano was a pleasure, comping or headlining with power and energy. But energy was a feature all round. The horns were formidable together and intriguing apart. They changed just a little: alto to flute; tenor to soprano; trumpet to flugelhorn. All to be expected, but just a little surprising when it happened given it was none too common. But I particularly enjoyed Jason's soprano and Simon's flugel and the tone of flute fitted its more pensive context. But this was mostly a night of outright energy and exuberance and this band gave it. Two sets of five tunes then off for the drive back to Sydney. They nailed it.

Jason Bruer (tenor, soprano) led Hammerhead with Simon Ferenci (trumpet, flugelhorn), Andrew Robertson (alto, flute), Gavin Ahearn (piano), Max Alduca (bass) and Alex Hirlian (drums).

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

Passaging

Moving Paths was a gentle, undemonstrative name for a band, suggesting fluidity and perusal. For the first notes, Moving Paths was like this. They are students from the Jazz School pre-darkness. Max went off to the Sydney Con and perhaps Luke did too. Linus studied at ANU then off to the Con. They were on their first tour with the new band playing Smiths then Hippo then Victoria and ultimately MONA. They play a gentle and pensive music, intensely listened, not extravagant except maybe once when Max played impetuously for resonances over open strings. Just one or two walks, several obbligati, some solos of cymbal and brushes. I so much imagined it as recorded, perhaps a soundtrack for a long, relaxed road trip. Everyone writes - one from Luke, 3 from Max, the rest from Linus (keys always have this advantage) - and one tune from a shared admiration, Paul Motion. First up was Max's Rolling with bass obbligato at relaxed tempo and sounding all the world of the '70s. Trajectory was all sizzling cymbals and slow changes and arpeggios. Linus' Slow was a slow sparse melody to start, but developed into a livelier walk. Max followed with another sparse one for Phil Treloar. I was noticing the piano - acoustic but not too tuned. Several more sparse, open wistful tunes, Walks and Dawn, and a few with unison melodies, notably one for Louis, Linus' dog, and somewhat surprisingly, a relaxed latin called Portrait, again by Linus. Like others, it developed into tinkling water drops into river, cymbals and openly timed piano chords. Not anything to dance to, but intense and satisfying and a listener's space. Worthy of trips in the club with closed eyes or as accompaniment for a real, interminable road trip: the name says it all.

Moving Paths is Linus Foley (piano), Max Alduca (bass) and Luke Keenan-Brown (drums) and they played at Smiths.

Made for our times

There was just one point when I was taken aback by how sophisticated was this music. Antipodes was playing at the Ainslie Arts Centre. These are a band of Sydney-based musicians, but a collaboration of Australians and New Zealanders. Locally, we know Luke Sweeting and Max Alduca well, having had them studying during the better days of our Music School. But I suddenly realised how perfect were the harmonies of the front liners, how neatly the bass line sat, propelling the music but unhurried and unforced, and the drums that seemed so understated then would come alive for a solo or a responsive fill or the guitar that delved into sequences and the rest but also could just be there, supportive, and Luke's piano, of course, ever present and ever apt. The sound all merging so neatly and correctly and satisfyingly. I thought of the careful, distilled music of CTI in the '70s. It had that air of clarity and refinement. Then to think of the tunes. These were all originals, and in 9 tunes there were four writers: three from Callum, two each from Luke and Simon, one from Jake. And all competent, interesting tunes. Another plus; another mark of sophistication. This is antipodean music of depth and content. I wonder if we still deserve this, in our era of destruction and immediacy. Ocean sounding song reminded Luke of ocean sounds (obviously enough). The Ditch was an apt concern for this antipodean mix. Anthem was the NZ anthem rearranged. Mister Bank was a dedication to a band that has Luke obviously admired in this travels. A few others with less obvious titles. Classy playing with deep intent. Too poorly attended, but like I wrote above, do we deserve such stuff as dreams are made on? Our times seem better suited to Hillary Duff's take than Antipodes'.

Antipodes are Jake Baxendale (alto), Luke Sweeting (piano), Callum Allardice (guitar), Simon Ferenci (trumpet), Max Alduca (bass) and Harry Day (drums). Antipodes played for the Confluence series at Ainslie Arts Centre.

Horse needs course

I guess we've been spoiled over the years. The Jazz School; Loft; Smiths. Now we're back to Hippo for our jazz. I don't mind the venue for chatter and a few drinks. That's its role and it does it well with the cocktail making and notable whiskeys and the hipster beards and the pretty young things. But noone would claim it as a listening venue. Last night was Vulkan, a blend of Danish and Australian musicians featuring ex-locals Luke Sweeting and Max Alduca. This was a very nice band. I heard CTI with mid-tempo grooves and syncopated swing, the distinctive Rhodes, some busy chord changes along with lengthy solo spots on one chord or changes each 8 bars or so and a wonderfully open and clear sound. Very attractive and inviting, but also musically clean and capable and interesting. Think Freddie Hubbard or Milt Jackson. Vulkan is blessed with three composers Jakob, Jens and Luke. The first tune was smooth and driving with solos all round and clear Rhodes accompaniment in 6; there was one in 4 with dotted feel and unison taps; another yearning and with guitar chords softened with slow attack; another slow in 4 with heavy entry and guitar packing; and Days of wine and roses, for an old fave. I liked what they were doing, but struggled to hear any detail so just one set. I just long to be spoiled some more. A very nice band that deserved a closer listen.

Vulkan are a Denish-Australian collaboration with Jakob Sørensen (DK, trumpet, composer), Jens Fisker (DK, guitar, composer), Luke Sweeting (Aus, piano, composer), Max Alduca (Aus, bass), Harry Day (Aus, drums).

Sun-free Sunday

It was a lovely, warm, sunny day outside. Night venues always look dingy during the day, and Vivaldi is a classic cabaret venue. The Loft crew were sponsoring their first Loft at Vivaldi Sunday-afternoon jazz session. It was a decent turnout with the regulars but also a range of new faces. The music was excellent. A friend joked that that this music should start late and run to morning, but these guys are professionals and it was well played regardless of the time. I came especially for the recreation of a favourite classic album, Oliver Nelson’s Blues and the abstract truth, in the second set. Alex Raupach had transcribed the CD. The band was the right line-up. The solos were performers’, but the heads and horn harmonies were the originals. I found the first chords of Stolen moments a bit spooky, as the horns swelled just as I remembered and the rhythm section sat cool like the original. Then Butch and Butch and Cascade and Teenie’s blues. I had to leave early but I’ll hear the rest later from a recording. Suffice to say, to my ears, they were true to the original and with a ghostly similarity in the heads. I came for the Abstract truth, but first set was just as good. I had shivers at the first lush chords of the first tune by Luke. They played another two by Luke and one each from Jack and Alex. Jack’s was called Agent Cooper and was unsurprisingly guitar-based. Alex’s was conceptually witty: a new melody over the chords of Billy Strayhorn’s Upper Manhattan Medical Group (UMMG), dedicated to the Loft, with the title Upstairs in the Majura Medical Centre (UMMC). The two others were very different styles and somewhat surprising to me from this crew. First was a cover was a Wayne Shorter’s Aung San Suu Kyi, a floating groove with whisps of soprano sax from John. The other was a work of colour and presence rather than groove, mystical rather than earthy. This was some wonderful music for an audience of old hands and newcomers, and despite the unhealthy retreat to the dark on such a nice day, it was a big success. Loft at Vivaldi had it first outing with Alex Raupach (trumpet, flugelhorn), Matt Handel (alto sax), John Mackey (tenor, soprano saxes), Tom Fell (baritone sax), Luke Sweeting (piano), Jack Palmer (guitar), Max Alduca (bass) and Luke Keanan-Brown (drums).

Trios

The Loft was in piano trio mode: Clare Dawson playing Herbie Hancock and Tate Sheridan playing his own music. Tate went second, but I’ll talk of him first. Enough said that I left in awe. I wasn’t the only one who had little to say after a stunningly mature student concert. Mature in concept, in composition, in improvisation. Tate is quiet on stage, respectful and deep in thought and interests, and these are expressed in his compositions as well as his respectful presence. Poetry, history and spirit all made an appearance, as well as influences and styles of some key pianists of influence.
I noted early his powered, adventurous, virtuosic playing. Classical in approach, chordal and full handed but with melody appearing in left or right hand, modal and symmetrical in improvisation, dynamic at both structural and improvisatory levels, expansive in use of the whole range of the keyboard and free with time as solo lines based on triplets or sixteenth or eighth notes rippled over extended phrases and plays with anticipations and delays. His Run don’t walk was influenced by Keith Jarrett’s ‘70s Cuban playing. His Onward onward was a ballad inspired by a poem from Walt Whitman’s Leaves of grass accompanying a recorded reading of the poem in Jason Moran style. His Please no questions was written to explore melody in two hands after hearing Brad Mehldau, with right and left hands playing a parallel melody an octave apart, then dropping into a heavily swung, straight ahead blues for solos, then ending with half time staccato unison passage and a return to the full time melody. Final hour, capturing the Mad Trapper recounts the longest chase on record, a chase of 250 miles after the bushranger, the Mad Trapper. This was a repeating 6x4 eighth-note passage sounding like steady pacing, with interspersed smashes and chords and accelerandos and rests and staccatos and a final, sudden stop as he’s presumably caught. Grace was slow: not religious but seeking and mellow and questioning. Speed dating was a head in three parts: sparing staccato right and left hand unaccompanied piano, then heavy, bluesy, syncopated groove, then swing, leading to solos and an end with the piano dissolving then returning to the head. An intriguing structure, even with swing solos. This was Tate’s night but his trio members deserve a mention. Max was playing a newly purchased, old German bass. Despite unknown strings but with strong hands, it sounded great. He is playing maturely these days, solid and reliable in accompaniment and expansive, full ranged, sometime playful in improv. James was obviously observant, watching Tate and exchanging glances with Max and well integrated with the tunes and with an idiomatic boomy kick drum. Suffice to say, this was a stunning outing and I was not the only one to leave the night with unusual quiet and respect.

Clare Dawson introduced the evening with a set of Herbie Hancock tunes. It means nothing to say these were interesting compositions. Jessica, a ballad with harmonically-enriched cycles. Some heavy loping swing in And what if I don’t. The melodically infectious Toys from Speak like a child. A grooving, smooth Calypso. The modal Eye of a hurricane from Maiden voyage. There was lots of ground covered here. I enjoyed Clare’s firm, even hard, touch, her use of repetition, her solid swing and bluesy hard bop chords and rolling arpeggios, her melodic sense. Max was again grooving in walks and sweet and expressive in solos and Luke was tempered and respectful in accompaniment.

The piano trio is a key format for modern jazz but it’s diverse in its character. I’ve seen three over recent days and enjoyed them all. Raf’s updated traditionalism; Clare’s respectful modernism; Tate’s stunning contemporary originality. All great pleasure and inspiration. Tate Sheridan (piano) led his trio with Max Alduca (bass) and James O’Donnell (drums) at the Loft. Clare Dawson (piano) introduced the night with her trio comprising Max Alduca (bass) and Luke Keanan-Brown (drums).

More chalk and cheese, pt.2

Joe’s band went second. I say I was formed by jazz of the ‘70s but perhaps the classic voluble swing of Oscar Peterson and Ray Brown and the like have influenced my playing more. I still love a swinger and I love the standards. Joe started with a piano trio, with Max and Luke – a quintessential jazz format - and the two opening tunes were classic standards of the American songbook that have reached into the lounges of the world: Cheek to cheek and Out of nowhere. Joe’s masterful in this style: fluent, inventive, playful, responsive and with big ears. This was just confirmed later when the larger band was playing and the solos were being passed around. Joe would mimic or paraphrase a player, and they would respond. Joe’s particularly good at it, taking ideas and changing key or underlying scale or intervals within the shape and repeating as a sequence. The later tunes were originals, mostly by Joe: Yesterday street, Yet to be named, Sleepless days about continuous daylight in the Norwegian arctic. The band also played Siberia by saxist Joe, a tune in 7/4 that maintained the temporary frosty theme. I heard the writing as filmic, especially after Bennie’s grooves, and at least one tune was from a film score: more melody, more harmony, more open sounding; less earthy movement, less bump and grind. There were some decent solos here, too, but I particularly noticed one guitar solo from Jack with a scratchy, staccato roughness and hints of Scofield. But I remain intrigued by the title of the session: Freshbace. Fresh is obvious; …bace?

Joe Chindamo led student group comprising Joe McEvilly (alto), Miles O’Connell (tenor), Scott Temby (trumpet), Rachel Cummings (trombone), Jack Palmer (guitar), Max Alduca (bass) and Luke Keanan-Brown (drums).

Cyberhalides Jazz Photos by Brian Stewart

Old and young guns, pt.1

The concert was entitled 21+75 because it marked the recent birthdays of each artist. Andy Butler was the junior; Bernie McGann the senior. If this expresses the quality of jazz in Australia as it has been and as it will be, I can only be proud. These were two seriously satisfying sets, and I was not the only one who left in thrall.

Andy led a big band (and for one tune, an octet) performing a series of charts that he’s developed with sponsorship and mentoring from Steve Newcomb under an Australia Council program. I know the band is brought together for this performance, so I was mightily impressed by how easily the band took to the charts. They weren’t easy, with odd times and syncopated conversational passages back and forth between parts. There may have been a touch of hesitation from the horns but nothing at all from Mark on drums. I particularly noticed his solo, which was solid, even magisterial. And a mix on a decent PA made all the difference. You always hear the snakey reeds and the blasting trumpets, but the tuba can be lost with its bell pointing to the ceiling. Tonight it was here and proud and speaking with its own voice. There were solos all round, of course, but the excitement here is in the tone and the orchestration and composition. The first tune was as yet unnamed and I heard it in 7/4 but perhaps with 4/4 passages. Poco was a highly syncopated unyielding pattern over 16 with a buzzing bee swarm as resolution. I missed the third tune’s title, but it was sleazy and slow and arranged for octet. The big band returned for Ode to Skype, if I remember correctly, in triple time. Andy later told me he communicates with Steve (and his girlfriend) over Skype. The final tune was Tightrope. There as a lively buzz in the foyer after Andy’s concert: for the pride in achievement as well as for the beer line. This gig was joyously received and Andy was talking of other gigs. But how to do this with such a large outfit? We can only hope.

Andy Butler (piano, composer) led big band comprising John Mackey, Niels Rosendahl, Matt Handel, Tom Fell (saxes), Miroslav Bukovsky, Alex Raupach, Ax Long, Scott Temby (trumpets), Rob Lee, Valdis Thomann, Patrick Langdon (trombones), Peter McGovern (tuba), Max Alduca (bass) and Mark Sutton (drums)

Cyberhalides Jazz Photos by Brian Stewart

Effortless does not mean uninformed

I have tickets to Joe Chindamo at the Capital Jazz Project on Friday and after seeing Joe in a workshop at the Band Room this afternoon, I am counting the days. He didn’t play much, but what he did was intriguing and coloured. The main piece was Out of nowhere as a piano trio with students Max and Luke. This was generous and a performance rather than a demonstration, so we could hear the richly varied approaches, his satisfyingly structured lines, his gentleness and intriguing modern-classical harmony (he particularly likes Ravel, Prokofiev, Charles Ives and the American composers) and his capable plays on jazz harmony and mobile patterns. He played a little else, but as demonstrations: Bach’s Goldburg Variations to display repeating form with variations; Gershwins’s Our love is here to stay showing two melodic shapes in movement and in play; Beethoven’s famous first three notes of the Fifth Symphony as a simple but memorable pattern. And Joe has catholic tastes: he also spoke of bluegrass and playing Dolly Parton. I liked some memorable quotes: “Notice things all the time” while talking of learning away from an instrument. This was in the context of noticing bassoon lines and learning from hearing harmony at an orchestral concert. He was strong on listening. It reminds me of a favourite quote of mine: "In the final analysis, your stature as a jazz musician is determined not by how much you have practised, but by how well you have listened" (Jazzology, p.195). Then a preference for effortless playing: he prefers musicians who don’t grunt the C major chord (think Paul Desmond). When practising, it’s ïmportant to muck around intelligently” and this one that I really liked and that highlights the responsibility on the learner: “[It’s] important to have a good teacher, but much more important to be a good student.” He was wary of the view that jazz has to come from certain locations, observing that “No critics have ever seen a bad French film”. He pointed to variation as a key to interest and demonstrated the effectiveness of a C major chord finishing a free passage. He talked and demonstrated various ways to practising soloing. Against a chord structure, choose the 9th or 5th and sharpen or flatten it on seventh chords. This produced intriguing harmonies and was perhaps my favourite as a sound. Another was essentially voice leading. Move up by a semitone or tone for each chord and build solos on those notes. Vary in all sorts of ways: start from different notes; use two, three or four notes per bar. Build interesting lines; check that fast lines are interesting when slowed (don’t just run scales). Or more traditionally, play arpeggios, move patterns, more.

This was just to touch on the discussion. But Out of nowhere said it all. I’m looking forward to Joe’s full band playing Friday for a full dose. Joe Chindamo (piano) ran a workshop for students at the ANU School of Music. Max Alduca (bass) and Luke Keanan-Brown (drums) sat in for one tune.