To end a week

The end of a truly great week of music: a concert with Michelle Nicolle and Palaver [Quintet]. Michelle is just a stunning master singer, detailed, developmental, improvisatory, wildly flexible in rhythm and richly embroidered. And lovely to boot. She was in Canberra for a few concerts interspersed with other travel. I caught them with Ronny and Geoff, her long-term offsiders in Melbourne, and our locals, Miro, John and Eric. Again, it was the perfection of the long-term rather than something of complex pre-arrangements. This was flexible and jammed, relaxed in style but delicious in performance. First up some tunes from the instrumentalists: Delicatessence and Stella; then Michelle with Green Dolphin Street and Footprints and "something in a major key", There will never be another you; then Miro's gloriously beautiful Peace please and an encore with Michelle on Softly. There are a few throwaway blowing standards in that list, but how well do they appear in this format! So good, so informed, such worthy explorations. I could only melt, what with Michelle's so-intriguing and such-enriching voice fantasies and her obvious engrossment (follow her hands and face) and the respect on stage (John's intent focus and Miro's open smile at one particularly inventive line by Michelle) and the deeply satisfying playing all round. So good and such a pleasure.

Michelle Nicolle (vocals) sang with Palaver [Trio/Quintet?] comprising Miroslav Bukovsky (trumpet, flugelhorn), John Mackey (tenor), Geoff Hughes (guitar), Eric Ajaye (bass) and Ronny Ferella (drums).

What was that I heard?

This was definitive jazz, even if the makeup of the band was not so clear. It was advertised as a trio, plus one, then plus another. Who's to quibble when the music is just so good? The Palaver Trio (nice name and appropriate, too) was Miro Bukovsky with visiting Melbournians Geoff Hughes and Ronny Farella. The first visitor was John Mackey. I'd heard rumours of a bassist and Eric Ajaye appeared on the day. The location was the Drill Hall Gallery which is exemplary for its art if drenched in reverb. So the music was louder than it might have been and somewhat mushy. Each set was mostly just a single improv. The tunes were not much more. Geoff started out on subtly looped guitar then trumpet and softly pattering and sizzling drums and Eric's lithe, slurring bass and sax harmonies at times. All soft; all improvised; all gentle and insinuating. I thought maybe I caught a quote but it was not till towards the end of the first set that I realised they were playing a standard. It was a recognisable theme. I think Night in Tunisia, but I often recognise themes but can't place names. It was in the second set that it was more clear. Was it Caravan first up then Poinciana into Blue in green. The tunes were becoming more evident. Eric's bass lines sometimes spelled chords if extended in time and softer in swing. Geoff spelt the melody of Blue in green obviously enough and Miro did certainly play the Poinciana head, although again slowed and with some changed intervals, perhaps a flatted final note. John took a few solos, soft and fluidly rapid. I could only melt at some of this. There was once during set 2 where they stopped and Eric restarted with a soft groove. Perhaps unexpected but also most likely never practised together. At least this band, these tunes, this way. Jazz is like that and this was a superb example. I could only melt with admiration and envy. Some others spoke the same way. Did I mention that it was good and I enjoyed it? If I didn't, yes it was. A truly stellar outing.

Palaver Trio were Miroslav Bukovsky (trumpet, flugelhorn), Geoff Hughes (guitar) and Ronny Ferella (drums). Visitors were John Mackey (tenor) and Eric Ajaye (bass).

Gig

After the workshop, the gig. First up was Palaver, comprising Miro and John from Canberra with Ronny, Geoff and Tom, Michelle Nicole's band. What a delight this was. Very different from Michelle singing standards. This was free music, unscripted, uncomposed, played in the minute. But this is free from highly trained jazz players and the awareness and comfort with harmony and rhythm and standard instrumental techniques is evident. This was glorious, sensual, grooving, intense or playful; great tone, odd polyrhythms, settled grooves, comfy crossing rhythms. It started with Geoff laying down a feel on his woody-toned guitar, the drums and the rest. Both horns were blissfully tuneful while open-eared and exploratory. If anything, it was the rhythm players, bass and drums, that were playing for colour while the lead instruments spelled melody. This is free that's easy to partake of: stella. Michelle came on and the style changed. Still overwhelmingly capable and satisfying and beauteous, but based on the standards repertoire: Once upon a dream, Too marvellous for words, I like the sunrise, Do nothing till you hear from me, Drop the smile Ellington Diga Diga Doo and Caravan. These are standards but done with great agility and freedom and interplay and with the addition of two star horns. It was an expansion on the tone of Michelles's band. I drooled over solos by both Miro and John, richly toned and improvisationally intriguing, but they retained a professional reserve as the sit-ins on the night. (That's a good lesson for excitable sit-in-ers). All things of wonder. Stella(r) playing and stunning vocal skills. What a wonderful concert.

Michelle Nicolle (voice) sang with Geoff Hughes (guitar), Tom Lee (bass), Ronny Ferella (drums),Miroslav Bukovsky (trumpet, flugelhorn) and John Mackey (tenor) at the ANU School of Music. The band without Michelle performed free jazz as Palaver.