A return and an end

Daniel Hunter played the last concert in the Canberra Grammar Gallery jazz series. And what a wonderful little concert, well attended and well played. Daniel is back for a visit after leaving for Europe around 6 years ago. He’s been in Paris for the last 2½ years; I think it was Geneva before then.
I heard him once interviewed on the Net by French radio. He tells of playing the boisterous and hot Parisian jazz scene. I remembered it for seeing an uberhot bassist, Hadrien Féraud; Daniel’s played with him. Small world when you’re in a world centre. He returned to play with old friends: Phill Jenkins, who he’d played with over the long term; Aidan Lowe, a few years younger, who he’d met through Phill and has had his own European jaunt; John Mackay, teacher, mentor, blasting saxist admired by all. The tunes were all composed by Daniel and many were from the CD he was launching at the gig, called The Twentieth, for the 20th Arrondisement, Paris, end of the spiral. I heard Scofield often enough; that was easy. I was not so sure of his other influences, Jim Hall or Kurt Rosenwinkel. Phill was lanky, simple, beautifully toned, studiously steady. Aidan was aware, volume controlled, varied and rich in fills and colour. John was a blast and fresh with the new tunes; world class, thrilling. Daniel was a little muted in front of family and friends, but extensive in solos, stunningly toned with Fender valve amp and overdrive and a touch extra distortion for some solos passages, and nicely varied and coloured in comping. These a tunes worthy of a another listen, contemporary and instrumental and busy but tonal. It was a worthy concert to end the series and a nice opportunity to catch up with Daniel after some years away. I’ll expect to report again in a few years time. And here’s a pic of Pauline getting thanked for running the series.

Daniel Hunter (guitar) led a quartet with John Mackey (tenor), Phill Jenkins (bass) and Aidan Lowe (drums) at the last Canberra Grammar Gallery concert and the launch of his new CD, The Twentieth.

One and two of three

The Loft featured a pair of guitarists with their bands. Dave Rodriguez was down Sydney with his trio DLR after a night at the Phoenix. Jack Ray’s ’93 Project was the support. And the Smith’s jam later in the night was to feature another guitarist, but more on that in another post. So how different can guitarists, and conceptions, be? Very different.


’93 Project started gentle and moody with ballad-like chords and West Coast sensibility, Phill’s steady and determined and great-sounding bass and some cracking snare from Rhys. Jack has written the tunes and he laid out the heads with simple clarity on guitar, giving way to occasional effects, wah or overdrive over solos. The other main soloist was pianist Tate who can take a tune and express it in ways that are exploratory and expansive, but nicely unjarring. I was thinking while listening to Tate that most of what we hear is not new. I can almost say it’s all been played before; after all, there are only 12 notes. But good players interpret with a clear and fluent take on those existing, established themes, perhaps combining in their own ways on the day. Thus this quote: "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. Tate does this so well. ’93 Project is a platform for Jack Ray’s compositions. It comprises Jack Ray (guitar), Tate Sheridan (piano), Phill Jenkins (bass) and Rhys Lintern (drums).


DLR is Dave Rodriquez’s current trio. It’s so different, even so entertaining. I laughed with joy and some nostalgia for this music. Think guitar trio, Hendrix with loops, Fender bass. This was crossover to rock. There were also hints of jazz in some solos, but more lanky bass and preposterous drumming. This was also loud, effected, sustained, looped. The whole felt produced, rich, full, although this was only a trio. The effects and loops bring this, sounding like a complete and recorded electric/electronic sound. Very much unlike acoustic and jazz and classics. It takes different knowledge and skills; it has its own expertise; it’s mostly music of other scenes. It’s a refreshing visit, thus my smiles of nostalgia. There’s nothing new, and this too has its precursors, but I wasn’t the only boomer who enjoyed this visit to a world of guitar and electronics. Much enjoyed. DLR is Dave Rodriguez (guitar, electronics), Jan Bangma (bass) and Miles Thomas (drums).

’93 a good year

Another rare jazz event in Canberra. It’s got that way this year. This was just a little gig in a small venue, ‘93 Project at the Front, with a particularly small audience, but I enjoyed it lots. Leader and guitarist Jack Ray presented original compositions with a very nice local quartet. I mentioned to Jack that I heard it as Californian, or at least West Coast.
This was heavily jazz-influenced music of syncopations in melody and rhythm and inserts of complex fills and steady grooves behind solos. It was the overall laid back feel that said California to me. Jack was amused with the CA reference, but agreed the music was relaxed and easy-going. There was a ballad, some funk, plenty of ostinato basslines. East Brunswick was a sleepy, gentle Melbourne train trip with Cyndi and repetitive fifths on bass; Not was funky; Spare time was laid back with that West Coast groove; City was syncopated cool; Late night lights was memories of 505 and a commitment to jazz; 20 was the ballad, with syncopated bass giving way to a straighter bridge; Soundtracks was an inquisitive 4 to the floor. The band settled to a beautifully relaxed and responsive unit with dynamics building over solos, then settling to do it again for another. Tate’s solos were gems, classical colour and harmonic richness but then an exemplary single note style against funk. I thought Rhys’ awareness and humility in the drum seat worked nicely with Phill’s busy right-hand syncopations. This was responsive and undemonstrative but wonderful support. It was quite a gem of a rhythm section this night. Jack led with solos that were both intervallic with stretched fingers and sometimes choppy or overdriven. At times, I thought the grooves were almost poppy, even if the heads were more jazz-complex. This was presentable music that had one of the small, unexpecting audience dancing in her seat. Listening especially to the easy but responsive rhythms, I felt experience not just training, musos with a bit of time after school to define themselves and remember what personally clicks. It was only one set, but it’s one of few these days and I enjoyed it lots. Well done, especially given that ’93 was only 20 years ago.

‘93 Project are Jack Ray (guitar), Tate Sheridan (piano), Phill Jenkins (bass) and Rhys Lintern (drums).

Trio A Gog & Magog makes six

Al Kerr came to town with his Trio Agogo and friends, so his trio had six performers. Apparently ABC radio has commented on this too, but let’s not be too prescriptive. Trio Agogo plays Brazilian music and it comprises Australian musicians with Brazilian experience and knowledge and with a history of visits to the soul of the music. We all love bossa nova, of course. This was broader although I could hear the bossa sensuality in the sax melody of one tune out of Rio de Janiero. That tune actually sounded to me like Euro/Latin melancholy: smooth, sexy, romantic, somewhat desperate. But there was also lots of dance party music out of NE Brazil that was described by Al as jazz fusion. It was close. I heard cycles and descending chromatic chords and modally descending chords, so the structures weren’t all so difficult, and the soprano solo on one all the world like fusion. The grooves were rich and the arrangements were busy. But the rhythms were essential: deeper, more African, than fusion’s rhythms. One of Al’s solos had me realising their malleability. On drum kit, his limbs were playing different and unconnected rhythms that floated over the groove and came together at the end of a phrase. Who knows how difficult that must be. It’s wildly free in a rhythmic sense and I can imagine dancing to it would be strangely liberating. This was richly danceable music in a loose-limbed African way. I also loved the sound of two nylon-strung guitars which, with drums/percussion, formed the Trio, as they played unison lines or harmonies or solos against chords. The melodies were joyous things, bouncy, busy and consonant. This is sensuality with intelligence but without intellectualisation. Ben told me afterwards that they’d been playing the top 100 of Brazilian music. Their promo had talked of samba, choro, bossa nova, forro and Brazilian jazz. Suffice to say I knew of a few of these, but there’s variation in these forms that eludes my knowledge but not my pleasure. This was wonderfully infectious music and strongly foot-tapping. Much enjoyed. And congrats to our locals, Phill and Anton, who did all this with just one practice under their belts.

Trio Agogo are Alastair Kerr (drum kit, pandeiro, percussion), Paul Carey (guitar), Adam May (7-string guitar, cavaquinho) and their friends were Ben Carr (saxes), Anton Wurzer (accordion) and Phill Jenkins (bass).

Delightful standards

Every now and then I attend a standards gig and really, really enjoy it. It was only a short visit, but I really enjoyed hearing Natalie Magee’s Quartet last night at their unlikely (but longstanding) venue of the Dendy Cinema bar. It’s a funny venue with people milling around for tickets and lining up for films and a few people sitting to chat and a few even listening to the band. But it lends itself to a band having a good time with little pressure and this can result in some great music. This gig was like that.

Natalie is singing with such jazz invention these days, taking melodies and singing the harmonies, singing over and behind the beat, syncopating and bending lines into complex arpeggiated structures, scatting with comfort. This is sophisticated and richly embellished singing and I loved it. Luke Sweeting is every bit her match at toying with harmony and structure and throwing in musical witticisms and long flamboyant lines and symmetric patterns that clash then resolve against underlying harmonies. The standards are great for this, of course, and the droll and knowing lyrics just confirm it. But none of this works without a steady but communicative base and Phill Jenkins’ throbby gut tone on steady or lively walks and Namchoon Kim’s easy drumming gives the forward motion. And this is a relaxed outing, so they each take their shares of solos.

I caught tunes including Little girl blue (a new one for me), Lullaby of Birdland, Almost like being in love and I got to sit in for Love, which is a really cute song. (Phill was taking pics and threatening to review me! Damn! What goes around, comes around, I guess). It was only short outing, but quite lovely. Natalie Magee (vocals) led a quartet with Luke Sweeting (piano), Phill Jenkins (bass) and Namchoon Kim (drums) at the Dendy. It’s on every Wednesday, it’s free and it’s very relaxed.

Calmer than Shanghai

CJ started when I was rediscovering the jazz scene, this time here in Canberra. Some of my first posts were of the Wayne Kelly Trio. I’d first heard Wayne in the 1980s and he impressed me mightily. I drifted off to other interests, but when I returned, Wayne was there playing around town in a wonderful modern trio with capable players – Ben O’Loghlin and Mark Sutton – and was soon to record a CD. Wayne has since been to Macau and Shanghai for 3 years and recently returned. Last night was the first since his return that I’ve heard him playing his non-commercial side, and it’s as satisfying and impressive as ever.

Last night’s trio comprised Wayne with Phill Jenkins and Col Hoorweg. They played both lovely subtle or stretched out versions of Wayne’s original repertoire, including a few new tunes, like the boppy Shanghai taxi driver and a very lovely love song. The bop is the side of Wayne that I know: sometimes lyrical and hard swinging as in his dedication Mr Hank Jones, boppy for the blood-pressure raisers like Shanghai taxi driver and What’s the number, and strains of McCoy Tyner in his King of kings and others. An interesting addition to his repertoire this time around was a love song performed by Angela Lount and Steve Amosa, with male and female verses and a harmonised verse to finish. It had the presence of a musical: the final tender tune that ends a tragedy, like West Side Story’s Somewhere. Touching and quite beautiful; unexpected but much appreciated. Phill and Col did admirable service. Phill always underplays his volume, but he played some nicely challenging ostinatos and some solos that spoke the chords very nicely. Col played with energy and his characteristic varied percussive sounds. I particularly enjoyed a (metal?) pipe that he hit with a stick and damped with his palm. He expanded his palette further for a percussion solo that I found interstingly varied. There were a few sit-ins for the night: singers Angela Lount and Steve Amosa, who I mentioned above, but also Ben O’Loghlin, bassist from the earlier WK Trio. He’s now in Melbourne, and surprisingly still getting out despite very recent parenthood. Ben sat in for two standards, and the old magic was still there: strong sound, driving swings.

It was a small outing but a chummy local get-together, like a house party. Great to see Wayne back in town and I’m still loving his music. Thanks to Wayne. Wayne Kelly (piano) led a trio with Phill Jenkins (bass) and Col Hoorweg (drums). Ben O’Loghlin (bass) sat in for a few tunes, and Angela Lount (vocals) and Steve Amosa (vocals) sang one touching love song.

Cyberhalides Jazz Photos by Brian Stewart

Manuka night and day

Pronounce Manuka with the wrong accent and all Canberrans will recognise you as a visitor. Manuka is Canberra’s original upmarket nightspot even if it dates back only 90 years or so, and it can be pretty lively on pleasant evening. I was down there for SCUNA and dinner and was surprised to see bands sandwiching the concert at the local outdoor bar, Charlie Black. I didn’t stop to listen, but suffice to say the Funky Fedoras took the afternoon shift, and Groovilicious took the evening. On the day, the Funky Fedoras were Angela Lount (vocals), Dan McLean (trumpet), Paul dal Broi (piano), Phill Jenkins (bass) and Chris Thwaite (drums). Groovilicious were my dear Monica Moore (vocals), Hugh Le (guitar), Tim Power (bass), Scott Temby (keys) and Dave Sheville (drums). Here are just two pics.

Amongst the pokies

It was just a quick visit to the National Press Club for one set. Andy Butler was leading a piano trio with Phill Jenkins and Aidan Lowe. The bar was pretty quiet but there’s an acoustic grand piano so the sound is as it should be, even if it has to occasionally fight with the jangling musak of the pokies. They played standards and did a wonderful job. Andy was calm but inventive, moving away from obvious chordal statements, holding template lines that modulated with harmonic movements. Phill held the bass end admirably. His volume was too low at times, but his playing was nicely correct and in the solid lower positions. (I’m working on my right hand double bass pizzicato technique and that was the main reason for this visit. FYI, it’s a very physical but loose technique and Phill had it down nicely). Aidan moved through colours of cymbals to jazz grooves, mostly with brushes, as I remember. It was a lovely range of standards done with calm invention in a piano bar environment. Andy Butler (piano) led a trio with Phill Jenkins (bass) and Aidan Lowe (drums).

What a difference a day makes

Or maybe a few days or maybe a venue. Last weekend Daniel Hunter and his band broadcast from ArtSound. Last night it was Dan’s band live, with perhaps another practice, in the much more relaxed environment of the Loft. At least to me, the ease and comfort showed. From the top, they were calm, alive, committed and wonderfully musical in their approach to the charts. Not that the broadcast was poor, but there’s a tension in a studio that I didn’t feel at this friendly gig. Here the grooves were harder and more muscular; the solos were more irrepressible, and a few smiles showed the enjoyment by the band. Aidan later told me it was his third gig for the day and he was worn out, but there’s musicality in this exhaustion: the Round Midnight effect that is cheered and sought after. I certainly didn’t notice, savouring delicious rolls that just oozed like jelly from Aidan’s sticks. I was thoroughly enjoying his drumming: steady, informed and rhythmically and intellectually satisfying when the fours rolled around. Dan was leading with his often complex compositions. It’s a challenge to count some of these. I counted five and three and four and seven in one. I wondered if I’d got it right: I had, they were all there. I noticed Phill and Niels intent on the charts for this one. Dan had them down – no charts – playing the heads with ease and joy, then laying into a jagged and busy and turbulent guitar style, leavened with chordal fills and occasional blues or rock lines. One solo ended on a distorted rock scream that seemed to even surprise Dan. I just laughed. Niels was quite a contrast. Steady and lyrical, building solos from the most correct of lyrical statements with lovely tone and carefully formed notes, laying down eighth notes patterns that cruised through the changes, down then up to nicely formed high notes, and descending into devilish dissonance and speed and a return to the lyrical. I spoke to Niels about microtonality on the sax. I didn’t know of an established set of fingering for an additional 12 micronotes, almost like another instrument, but with new awareness I could hear them: not frequent, but effectively ending phrases or embellishing notes, always with that strange, unworldly (or should I say un-Western) effect. And bassist Phill. I always hear him as eminently solid and reliable: high praise, doubly so in a bassist. Great tone (Phill is known locally for his exploration of gear), always present with reliable grooves in the rich-sounding low positions and a frequent smile that confirmed my impressions on the night.

They may be old mates, but after years out of town, this is now a pickup band for Daniel’s interesting original music. I don’t know to what degree the music is Geneva- or Paris-influenced, but it’s mature and effective: bluesy grooves, modern swings, revisited bops, seductive ballads. This was a very enjoyable and satisfying night at the Loft. Daniel Hunter (guitar) provided the music and led the band comprising Niels Rosendahl (tenor, soprano sax), Phill Jenkins (bass) and Aidan Lowe (drums).

Chrissie, family time

Geneva-based guitarist Daniel Hunter is over for a family Christmas. It’s great when the local jazz family returns. The old bands reform with old off-siders coming out of the woodwork and maybe a few interlopers to replace unavailable players. The old tunes are revisited, more mature and developed in the mind of the leader, along with a swag of new numbers in the genre. Daniel’s outing was just this. Niels and Phill were of Daniel’s era. I think Aidan is a later invitee. The Daniel Hunter [Canberra] Group were performing for a Friday Night Live broadcast for ArtSound.

Phill was outside as I arrived at ArtSound. I commented on the original material. He mentioned the counting. Daniel’s tunes can be like that. Not contorted, but presumably led by melody, so the bars change with the flow of the tune. It makes for a direct and true relationship with the melody but it can be a cad to read. But there’s also plenty of space for solos. The formats are still head-solos-melody, although not obviously, and they still break out in solos and swap fours and the like. Daniel’s got a dirty sound, with an obvious bluesy, gritty Scofield influence (Daniel’s tribute Sco-feel gives this away). It’s earthy and authentic: not shredding, but true in form and lyricism and with comfy rhythmic sense. Niels is a lovely, strong and often understated player, but so reliable and honest and always ready to bend the harmonies to good effect. Rufus Reid says a bassist must be “at home, minding the store”, meaning he must independently state the pulse and the harmony. Phill may have played a solo during the set (I didn’t hear a solo but I didn’t hear both full sets) but I feel comfortable when he’s minding the store – he’s solid and capably reliable, not fancy notes but right ones. Aidan is the go-to drummer around the jazz school and his solidity and aptness showed with precise fills against up bop swing on Circulation, or mallets on the more pensive L’alchemiste.

This was a very nice get-together with original tunes in a sophisticated but earthy guitar-based style. Very nice. Daniel Hunter (guitar) led Niels Rosendahl (tenor, soprano saxes), Phill Jenkins (bass) and Aidan Lowe (drums) as the Daniel Hunter Group. Catch them this coming Thursday (16 Dec) at the Loft.

Once in a blue moon

It’s rare that I will attend a big public event to hear a party band, but I did last night and the band was Who’s ya Daddy. It was truly a rare night, that of a blue moon that fell on New Year’s Eve at the start of a new decade. A blue moon is the second full moon falling in any one month (in the most common definition). It happens because the lunar month is shorter than most calendar months (the synodic month, timed from new moon to new moon, is just over 29.5 days). But a new moon to mark the New Year’s Eve of a new decade is not common. Neither is my party banding, although I usually enjoy it.

Who’s ya Daddy? is an odd name and I’m still pondering it. But the members are well-trained Jazz School graduates playing for the corporate scene, and so they are good. I heard one set, and it was literally a barrage of non-stop danceable pop from early R&B through a good dose of Michael Jackson to hip hop. One long medley of endless snippets of tunes: perhaps 30 or more in their 45-minute set. What a lot of work! All arranged and charted and tightly played. Solid, heavy stadium drumming from Hugh (drummers must love big PAs and so do I); unpretentious but reliable grooves from Phill on bass; busy and involved performance from Damien on guitar with occasional keyboards and harmony vocals. There was a tight, full-ranged horn section up front of Tim, Niels and Richard on trumpet, tenor and baritone sax and even some bari features, which I liked. And Della up front on stratospheric Michael Jackson vocals or smoother soul or very convincing rap. The PA was pumping, the band was jiving and the audience was dancing and counting down to the new year. I was thinking how horn players never feel the groove quite like the rhythm section. Bassists must get it: Phill did and was obviously enjoying himself. Good, clean fun (it was a dry event) and a memorable celestial event on a cool evening. Much enjoyed, and recommended for your next corporate event.

Who’s ya Daddy? is a Canberra corporate band playing party music with a twist: much more than your average covers band. Anthony “Della” Dellamarta on vocals and keyboards; Damien “Axle” Foley on guitar, vocals and keyboards; Phill Jenkins on bass; Hugh Deacon on drums; Richard Burns on baritone sax; Niels Rosendahl on tenor sax; Tim Bowyer on trumpet.

Of families and tentacles

Canberra may be a small hub in the world of jazz, but Canberra jazz and its jazz school puts out tentacles: in Melbourne and Sydney, where there are influential groups of players, but also outside Australia, to Europe, Asia, the Americas. We occasionally get jazz tourists from NY and far afield, often with Australian or Canberra connections. Look at the Canberra Jazz group on Facebook, and you’ll find members throughout the world keeping in touch with their roots. I bought my double bass from an ex-Canberran who’s now in Shanghai. The world is massively smaller now than it was only 20 years ago. Money moves instantaneously with just a card; air travel is much cheaper in real terms; communications are trivially easy; we share so much with similarly wealthy people around the world. We also share jazz.

Last night at Trinity was just an example. Daniel Hunter is temporarily returned from Geneva. He led a quartet with some strong locals including Niels Rosendahl, who has also recently spent several years in London/Europe. The band played originals and a few standards including uber-standard All the things you are. Daniel’s originals were in a few different styles: guitar-styled and chordally rich arrangements, some funky blues rhythms, a clear post-bop walking number. I noticed Phill Jenkins here, with a joyous and heavily swinging walking bass. Phill strikes me as a very competent and reliable working player (high praise). He confirmed it this night with rock solid playing and a lovely sound that cut through clearly: strong on midrange but with no honk or harsh edge. Ed, of course, was his masterly, dynamic, expressive self that I’ve been writing about for just about every gig recently, given I’ve heard him so often. He’s fabulously controlled and impressively responsive; like when he stunned me by instantly morphing from loud and emphatic to the softest and most precise cymbal work. Niels struck me first with his strong and ringing tone up and down the range, then those pleading high notes that give the sax such emotional effect. He’d play simple and obvious lines (Niels understands the beauty in simplicity) but then unexpectedly fall into long, sustained lines of chromatic extravangance. One of these had me wondering if he would ever end it; so much startling contrast, but not a thought of it being out of place. Daniel’s approach was very different. He uses a clear, percussive, ringing jazz guitar tone that doesn’t lend itself to wallowing in seductive tonality. So he’s fast and busy, expressing harmony with showers of notes rather than counterpoint, sometimes with a big-city feel of enthusiasm and some little disjointedness despite some pretty cool original tunes. So, cool in composition and accompaniment, but more vivid in solos.

Canberra jazz is somewhat like a family. Pretty small, with cousins passing through town, kids off to test themselves in the big, wide world, always someone keeping the hearth warm. Octopi and families are contrasting metaphors, but they both fit to some degree. Daniel Hunter (guitar) led a quartet at Trinity with Niels Rosendahl (tenor, soprano sax), Phill Jenkins (bass) and Ed Rodrigues (drums).

Visiting the family

It was a hot, relaxed day, so it was a perfect opportunity to visit the family, and they were playing down at Manuka. The close family is the jazzers, but the first cousins are the blues players. Leo Joseph’s Key Grip is a blues outfit, and today Leo was playing with several jazzers in his ‘lite’ quartet. So there was that intriguing mesh of the intellectual and complex nature of jazz with the simpler but true and involving sounds of the blues.

Leo started with a solo stride instrumental and continued with various twelves bar tunes in different keys (but common favourite Bb) and different meters. He accompanied a few with vocals, interspersing all with amusing and very natural banter. “We’ve settled on a song. We’ve had a committee meeting. I was overruled … again. This is an arty song …” Amusing and engaging, and presented with good humour. The rhythm section was tight as. Phil and Mitch locked in, with Mitch providing a wonderfully steady, pure and simple brush pattern (I think he played brushes for the whole set) and Phill playing fairly simple blues lines with evenness and clear statement of the underlying harmony. With such a rhythm section, the soloists could play with abandon. Leo made simple but apt blues statements from the heart of the tradition. So did James most of the time, but then occasionally he’d let go with a speedy line, or some dissonance that lifted the level of abstraction. I’m currently reading Alyn Shipton’s “New history of jazz”, and he writes of just such combinations in the early days of black music, with the “syncopated orchestras” and the great female blues singers in the time of Bessie Smith.

Route 66 is uber-common, but their sleazy, slow, down-home version was lovely. There was Percy Mayfield, and a string of other 12-bar numbers with various feels and occasional lyrics. There was even that “arty song” mentioned above, which seemed to still be based on I and IV but with some cycle of fifths turnarounds. Not too complex, but not fundamental blues, which appears to be Leo’s love, and which he does so well.

Leo’s a strong leader (I’ve played with him and I know his sense of clarity and correctness), and his band’s a capable mix of the jazz exotic and the initiated blues-men. I enjoyed the visit to the family. BTW, Leo also plays in a larger format with a full horn section, thus the ‘lite’ moniker for this incarnation.

Key Grip lite was led by Leo Joseph (piano,vocals) with Mitch Preston (drums), Phill Jenkins (bass) and James LeFevre (tenor sax).