Canb Jazz Fest 1

Thanks to Nigel and Beth and Bevan for the latest take on a Canberra Jazz festival.  They have the venue, a main stage and several smaller spaces, so this is very likely to be workable and the return next year had already been announced.  Great!  And Day 1 was a friendly, often inspiring outing.  First up was Tom Fell and his quartet which I raved about when I saw them recently.  Tom with Damian Slingsby, Nick McBride and James Luke on bass this time, so a classy and capable outfit playing music from Tom's new CD and at least one standard, Isfahan, with a plea for peace in our times.  Not the only performance that had such a theme appear.  I wrote sweet, correct, understated, adult, but there were some spots where it let go too.  Tom's soprano sax is his expansive, dirty, dissonant instrument: his tenor seems to pop up for more balladic numbers.  Then upstairs for Mic Knight trio, a reformation with offsiders who have now left Canberra for Melbourne given the ructions at ANUSOM, Evan Teece and Oliver Stott.  These were more let-go, unrelenting takes on standards, Almost like being in love, Green Dolphin St, Stella.  I like the unrelenting outlandish playing and but personally melted over James Luke's certainty and clarity with Tom.  Brett Hirst was to offer that later, too.  Then Wanderlust, Miro's fabulous, band of stars with the most delicious originals melodies out, not least Bronte Cafe, once regular star on ABCRN.  I had to leave towards the end.  I managed ~35mins and they had only finished their second tune.  This was Miro with James Greening, John Mackey, Alister Spence, Fabian Hevia and Lachlan Coventry.  Miro said they hadn't played together for 18montsh but you wouldn't know it.  Smooth, inventive, glorious harmonies on delightful melodies, almost casual passing of solos, with Miro looking around in admiration and joy.  It all started with a considerably free piano solo, then into the bass groove and head.  Solos from front line, Miro essential, James playful, John nicely developed but ultimately explosive.  Perhaps piano and maybe bass and drums, then to the head.  Then a joyous chatter and into Bronte Cafe.  It's a wonderfully joyous tune, again Miro and explosive John, but amusingly then James bringing it down with his communicative leading solo.  That really was a wonder, and perhaps then Fabian's solo.  Not sure.  But suffice to say I dreaded that I had to go, but some duties called.  

Tom Fell (soprano, tenor) performed with Damian Slingsby (piano), James Luke (bass) and Nick McBride (drums).  Mic Knight  performed with Evan Teece (bass) and Oliver Stott (drums).  Wanderlust comprised Miro Bukovsky (trumpet, flugelhorn) with James Greening (trombone), John Mackey (tenor), Alister Spence (piano), Lachlan Coventry (bass) and Fabian Hevia (drums).  They performed at the inaugural Canberra Jazz Festival at Smiths. 

Good Knight

 

Not sure how many music students are leaving Canberra given changes in the ANUSOM but here were two.  Tragic, that: Canberra will suffer mightily.  I got to one band having its last fling at Smiths the other night.  Evan and Oliver, bass and drums, setting off, to Melbourne, leaving pianist Mic behind.  MacGregor Hall, upstairs at Smiths, was teaming with listeners.  Mic, Evan and Oliver were playing a storm of intriguing, complex, often obtuse, sometimes playful, improvs.  They were also promoting their album to be released the next day entitled Blues. I listen to that and it's perhaps even more abstruse, a glorious loose improv adding Miro and John and guitarist Oscar to the mix for a very worthy listen.  I was intrigued by Evan's lovely, soft, effective tone, his flexibility and improv across the neck and into the highest reaches.  Oliver soloed less but very strong and established and explosive across the kit when he did.  I later sat behind Mic enjoying his harmonic daring, his expressive lines, his wrist and hand spreads that excited and didn't feel at all uncomfortable, dissonant and daring as it must have been.  Mic apologised at one stage for playing ballads, for All of me and later I fall in love too easily,  but it was a lesson in going out of the staid, safe walk.  Loved it!  Otherwise it was mostly originals with lengthy explorations.  The album is confirmation and a pleasure.  And this gig was recorded so perhaps a final live album is coming.  Let's hope this level of daring is not lost to Canberra, but despair comes too easily these days.

Mic Knight (piano) led his trio with Evan Teece (bass) and Oliver Stott (drums) at Smiths.

Mic Knight Trio - blues

Another Tuesday, venue 1

Tuesday can be a great night for jazz in Civic and this was one example.  First up was the ANU Jazz Society Open Mic night in the upstairs bar at Smiths.  This is not just a collection of Jazz School students, but they obviously make a significant part of it.  And it was very much ANU students and not at all an older crowd.  First up was a karaoke session featuring one bloke, Paco, singing two songs by a recently deceased Taiwanese R&B singer.  Interesting; finally I see karaoke and the voice and choice was decent.  Then presumably ANU jazz students, the Oliver Djurkovic Quartet, playing Coltrane's Love Supreme album, at least the four tunes with recognisable improvs if shorter than the original.  I did enjoy this one and I wondered how comfortable any following bands would be feeling after this.  Very impressive.  Then an older female singer-songwriter, Rowley?, singing with guitar about a lost love, as singer songwriters often do, but obviously a emotionally charged tunes.  Then the Aidan Herstik Octet shrunk to a trio on the night doing a take on Cissy strut.  And a final few tunes with changing female singers fronting the House Band.  Entry was cheap and free pizzas were generous, so a very different outing.  The ANU Jazz Soc has a page on Facebook with a string of posters for various events, jam sessions, open mics, jazz'n'paint, trivia, karaoke and more over the last year or two.  Nice. 

I didn't get all names, but Oliver Djurkovic (tenor) led his quartet with Mic Knight (piano), Shivi (Shivansh) Vachaspati  (bass) and Oliver Stott (drums).  Aidan Herstik (guitar) led a trio with Connor Moloney (drums) and Shivi (Shivansh) Vachaspati  (bass).  I didn't get names for the House Band.