Revisiting the ninth movement

It’s not right that bands should be so mature at 22. Movement 9 played jazz, not pop or rock. This is a complex art form, so how can Joe McEvilly compose and arrange and lead a 9-piece band of such quality in just his second year of tertiary studies? It just goes to show he’s talented and committed and he’s had quality training. And I’m not the only one who thinks it. They were heard playing one of their first gigs at Canberra’s Floriade and were invited to perform at the Wangaratta Festival, Australian’s premiere modern jazz outing. It was in these auspicious circumstances that Movement 9 performed for the final student concert at the Jazz School.

What a blast it was: a melange of styles, mostly original compositions but also clever arrangements played by a great band of the most capable students. You may wonder when you listen to their skills, but they are students. This night they invited several mentors, Eric Ajaye on bass, Miroslav Bukovsky on trumpet and John Mackey on tenor. All experienced and renowned players and all at ease with a band like this. Coltrane’s Giant steps is a favourite tune of John Mackey and Joe’s arrangement was a tour de force. He hadn’t just written harmonies for horns, but he’d reconstructed the feel and time sense to twist memories and still present a joyous playtime for the duelling pair of altoist Matt and tenor John. This was both a blow and a blowout, but also an ingenious rethinking of this challenging standard. That was the end of the night. Before this there were a string of different feels and times and styles: attractive, theatrical, commercial. This was clever writing and the performers played up to the opportunity. Strings of solos, trombone, trumpet, piano, bass, several drum explorations, the best I’ve heard from Henry on drums. These were big, bold sounds and indulgent grooves and they were an inspiration. Tate was studied and expansive as always, even if undemonstrative in stage presence. The trumpet pairing of Ax and Tom were in friendly but serious competition. Matt is just a master, always lyrically clear and never a faked note despite exuberant flourishes. Raf was all smiles and groove and chops as the bass doubler. I only remember one solo from Oshein, fat and bluesy. Patrick’s trombone got quite a workout. Joe himself, led from the bottom, on baritonesax, but he’s equally comfortable on alto. I think of Mingus with his heavy baritone parts and his compositions and think this fits nicely.

Other tunes? They open with a tight rollicking latin with Lola quotes and Cuban trumpets. Then a chart that could have come from variety TV, swinging lightly with a quizzical melody and cool solos. Then a blues-influenced medium tempo hard bop called Green dreaming. Then Wings with a Steely Dan influence that Joe admittedly that he garnered from his parents. Then Winter hymn, a touching secular melody. Then a blow on Supercollider, a favourite big band piece at the Jazz School, featuring the chops of much loved teacher Eric Ajaye. There’s another for composition teacher Miro, slow and with space for Miro’s trumpet and another drum feature. Then Cool change, a laid back cocktail bar latin. Then Pinoaks and that rebuild of Giant steps and a 7/4 groove and a final encore. This is clever and surprisingly mature and varied music. A fat and tight band sound and capable solos and some great writing. The band has done the dying jazz school proud. Eric Ajaye spoke to an assembled audience that students should live their dreams, despite the demise of our jazz school here in Canberra. These guys may be products of a dying institution, but they are proof that it was a success. This was a seriously mature and capable and involving band and I loved it.

Movement 9 is led by Joe McEvilly (baritone sax) with Ax Long (trumpet), Tom Sly (trumpet, flugelhorn), Matt Handel (alto), Oisin Smith-Coburn (tenor), Patrick Langdon (trombone), Tate Sheridan (piano), Raf Jerjen (bass) and Henry Rasmussen (drums). Eric Ajaye (bass), Miroslav Bukovsky (trumpet) and John Mackey (tenor) sat in for one tune each.

For Canberra’s 100th

I feel bereft and the final student concert at the Jazz School the other night had a sad, even teary, air about it. Eric Ajaye raised spirits with a dignified personal-recovery-from-adversity oration, and that’s admirable and true, at least to some degree. Joe McEvilly was leading the band and I was impressed by both his musical and personal maturity (he’s only 20!) as he avoided being overly political, recognising it was “too late for us” but maybe there was a future for others. I understand current students still don’t know what’s on offer next year. Some are leaving; some are staying to finish. One parent has told me of a student who had been offered a transfer but that it would extend his course by one year. Enrolments are down ~25% but the new Director expects full enrollment by the start of year. It’s a common expectation amongst the jazz community that no-one would come to Canberra for the new course. Perhaps students will pursue it as a second degree and that has some value and it’s cheaper. Good luck to the few worthy staff that remain (let alone those who have left). I imagine it will be a hard road to travel. This from an institution that been with us for half of Canberra’s 99 year life. I’m thinking that the Music School may have been the most popular cultural institution in Canberra. Certainly, tens of thousands of Canberrans signed a petition and all parties in the Legislative Assembly were disappointed with the ANU decision. Is this a 1975 Dismissal moment? The comparison sits easily with me. Remember the suddenness; remember the widely despised GG John Kerr; remember “Mantain the rage”; remember the rent to the Australian fabric. I can imagine an emotional void down Marcus Clarke St right now and some friends speak of it. My more cynical friends predict investments in high rise next to Llewellyn in a few years. I was terribly disappointed by the arguments presented, but the weakest must be to call up the conservative-bugbear of “elites”. How is this elite? Elite as in intellect and discovery like Nobel Prizes? Elite as in high university rankings? Elite as in musicians who are renowned and tour the world? Or elite as in Occupy’s 1% and $?m heads of corporations and too big to fail. With our whole society, even universities, taking the corporate path, it makes you wonder. Yep, the school was elite, but in performance not wealth and that seems perfectly admirable to me and Canberra was the better for its musical success. So, excuse the lack of a concert report. Suffice to say that it was very good. They are invited to play at Wangaratta, Australia’s main modern jazz festival, this weekend. That’s elite, stunningly so for a few students with original charts. But what more to say? Farewell.

Movement 9 played at the final ANU School of Music student jazz series of 2012. Movement 9 is a platform for arrangements and compositions by Joe McEvilly (baritone sax) with Ax Long (trumpet), Tom Sly (trumpet, flugelhorn), Matt Handel (alto), Oisin Smith-Coburn (tenor), Patrick Langdon (trombone), Tate Sheridan (piano), Raf Jerjen (bass) and Henry Rasmussen (drums). Eric Ajaye (bass), Miroslav Bukovsky (trumpet) and John Mackey (tenor) sat in for one tune each.

For a full report on the concert rather than a paean over the jazz school, see Revisiting the ninth movement

Cyberhalides Jazz Photos by Brian Stewart

Annualities

A string of things happen in music on an annual basis: festivals, recitals, Christmas bookings, Wedding season. One that I watch religiously is the coming out concert for the Jazz School’s large ensembles each year. There are three at the school: Recording and Commercial Ensembles and the Big Band. Two of three open the performance season with a gig around this time. This year, Miro’s Recording Ensemble and Eric’s Commercial Ensemble played for the debutante gig.

It was a major coming out this year as there seems to have been a generational change with a string of new faces and a few of the older, wiser stalwarts. New, too, were the repertoires, especially for the Recording Ensemble. They are as much a compositional as a performance vehicle, so it always impresses me when we hear new and complex works, and doubly so when the composition skills are spread throughout the band. There was no letup this year. Nick Combes provided two tunes: Ssh…, a pensive ballad, and Once is enough, another gentle and thoughtful piece using rich chords and honest melody. Reuben penned a modern fusion piece which was eminently good for blowing, and Alex Raupach presented a different style scored for a much smaller ensemble (flugelhorn, alto, tenor, trombone, guitar, bass) and led by Alex on flugelhorn. I have a thing about the piano as the king of all instruments, and Luke Sweeting’s “Sound canvas” just confirmed the piano as an orchestra in a box. Miro introduced the tune as the hardest the Ensemble had played, and I’d accept that. Rich, complex harmonies and varied voicings, syncopated unison lines on unexpected and changing combinations of instruments, plenty of counterpoint, all against a falling harmonic movement, with dynamics and sweet harmonies and a clear Gil Evans influence. Great work. They finished with Frank Zappa’s Cruising for purpose, with a threatening intro, a challenging bass line for Chris Pound and an appropriately overdriven Zappa-esque guitar solo by Andy Campbell. Typical, wonderful Zappa sleaze. Also for mention are Rachael Thoms for her expressive vocals, Hugh Deacon and Aidan Lowe on twin drums (that’s a challenge), and good horn solos from several players that I’ve not particularly noted, Max Williams and others.

The Commercial Ensemble followed. This is a smaller, tighter, funkier outfit presenting charts and some original arrangements, but not committed to composing like the Recording Ensemble. These are hot charts, slap bass, 16th note grooves, hints of Letterman and variety TV. Short, hard hitting, exciting. You can just imagine the band called to a sudden halt as some comedian or presenter takes centre stage and waves his over-paid arm. These are the test pilots of musicians. Their charts were demanding and professional, arranged by the likes of Bert Ligon, Bill Liston, Matt Harris, Vince Mendoza and Marcus Miller/Dave Sanborn. There were two reconceptions of well known tunes, Footprints and Round midnight, and some originals. Round midnight especially displayed some demanding harmonies that stretched the front line. Marcus Miller’s tune was heavy drums and slap bass (no surprise) with a slow, bluesy melody. Stevie played the blues was a Texas shuffle by Bert Ligon, obviously dedicated to Stevie Ray Vaughan. Andy had big shoes to fill here, but grabbed the spotlight admirably with authority and a just that hint of guitarist arrogance (as he should!). This is the fun set, leaving you rocking in your chair. Funk as a staple of modern life.

So, the first outing of the new generation of these two large and satisfying ensembles. Catch them as they play around Canberra over the coming months. Luxuriate in the funk, the lush chords, and the sheer fun of a large ensemble. Great stuff.

The Recording Ensemble comprised Rachael Thoms (vocals), Alex Raupach, Alex Ross and Reuben Lewis (trumpets), Josh Hart (trombone), Andrew Fedorovich and Stephanie Badman (alto), Max Williams and Neveen Byrnes (tenor), Nick Combe (baritone sax), Andy Campbell (guitar), Hugh Deacon and Aidan Lowe (drums), Chris Pound (bass), Luke Sweeting (piano) and was led by Miroslav Bukovsky. The Commercial Ensemble comprised Rachel Thoms (vocals), Alex Raupach (trumpet, flugelhorn), Reuben Lewis (trumpet, cornet), Josh Hart (trombone), Oisin Smith-Coburn (tenor), Jo Lloyd (tenor), Andy Campbell (guitar), “Huge” Hugh Deacon (drums), Raf Jerjen (bass), Olivia Henderson (piano) and was led by Eric Ajaye.