Thanks Sean and all

It's an amazing and fabulous thing that jazz players can come together and play decently with no history, or at least no personal history.  The history that serves is the studies and practice and listening that makes for the essence of jazz.  So Dave couldn't do this gig and Sean sat in.  And it was a great gig and very much enjoyed by us and well complemented by listeners as they left and even as encountered on the streets.  That's nice.  Mostly standards, and that's part of that history mentioned above, but also several tunes from James that aren't just walks. Congrats to Sean for his ear.  It happened a few weeks back, too, at Old Canberra Inn, when only I could make it and the sit ins made up 2/3 of the band, namely Ross and Mark.  But this was another entertaining and challenging gig to everyone's entertainment including us.  How I love music like this!  Casual with beer on amp but deadly serious too.  Jazz is something special.

Tilt Alt. were James Woodman (piano), Eric Pozza (bass) and Sean Kirk (drums) at Molly and Ross Buchanan (keys), Eric Pozza (bass) and Mark Levers (drums) at OCI.

Flooding

So much for pouring, our gig at OCI was flooded.  We were playing in the back room with a low floor in an old building and the rain was heavy and suddenly we were flooded.  The water arrived suddenly, rising fast enough to demand we interrupt a tune to unplug and move instruments and amps.  The staff got busy but there was still water when we left.  In the meantime we had a goodly laugh with the audience and each other and moved to the main room.  Thus a memorable gig, for the flood but also  for the music.  James had a family event and Dave had Covid so they couldn't play, so it was a makeup band with Ross and Mark and me, terribly out of practice after weeks away.  But it all came together for a great fun gig with an interesting twist.  So climate comes to effect our gigs, too.

Tilt alt. performed at Old Canberra Inn.  The flooded band was Ross Buchanan (piano), Mark Levers (drums) and Eric Pozza (bass).

Hot pop

It was pretty sophisticated popular music but I'll dub it Hot pop anyway because it was fun to hear and no doubt fun to play.  This was Elise leading on a range of sophisticated modern musics with a few visitors from north of Sydney and a few hot locals.  The visitors were Toby Hall and Pete Grey.  Toby has come to town for various jazz gigs in the past although I haven't caught him recently.   He was all pushing and playful and drawing all from Elise and the band.  Pete was new to me, playing a very sweet and inventive gig on a red JB, slinky and fingered and nicely busy and just one little slap line.  The locals were Matt Lustri, local guitar whiz, now also singing harmony and one front line as Matt "Bianco" Lustri.  I like his calm but explosive and well effected guitar, although this was more subdued than I've seen him before, given the more poppy material.  I admire singers and Matt singing was new to me.  Ross Buchanan is a common sight around town and this blow-out performance just confirmed why: busy, charging, unrelenting, staccatos or extended phrases on piano and organ.  I loved to see Pete's glances of interest following a few particularly driving fast repeating staccatos.  It worked a treat.  And Elise, leading on vocals, friendly in presence and with flute melodies and solos to add to the sounds, and with a fabulous repertoire of interesting tunes, a few new to me and worthy of investigation, and danceable beats.  Noel Gallagher, Matt Bianco, Derek Trucks to Bowie Life on Mars and Prince Diamonds and pearls and even Gil Scott-Heron Lady Day and John Coltrane.  And some blues and latin and always driving groove with just a touch of the quieter.  Great fun, tapping toes and some new and reappraised works of genius.

Bella Groove appeared at Smiths featuring Elise Walsh (vocals, flute), Matt Lustri (guitar, vocals), Ross Buchanan (keys), Pete Gray (bass) and Toby Hall (drums).

Tilt-ish

Tilt was booked but could only provide one member for this Molly gig, so it was Eric with Ross Buchanan and Mark Levers.  I'd played with both before on different gigs and they are immensely practiced around town, so other than getting a list of tunes and perhaps some approaches (eg, Giant steps as a bossa) this was no big deal.  It was fun though.  These are standards so I'd played most before and if you can do a latin and a walk and you confirm the key you should be right (I was caught out once on the key this night but only for a few bars).  And do your chare of solos.  In the end, all was well this night.  Pretty loud, outgoing, energetic, responsive to suggestions from Ross, tight and playful.  Ross decided to use his e-piano rather than the house grand, for tuning and projection and varied sounds.  I enjoyed the Rhodes and the rest and was somewhat surprised by an organ for one blues.  Nice.  And I enjoyed occasional stops to listen to a drum solo.  Also picking up a few riffs from ear.  Along with the relatively lively audience, this was fun.  Two long sets (2 x 90 mins; 90 mins is what I think of as a rock gig), a decent break, a few pics and a video and a chat with some heavy metallists, no less, and this was a fun night.  Thanks to Ross and Mark; much enjoyed.

Tilt appeared at Molly, this night comprising Eric Pozza (bass) with Ross Buchanan (keys, birthday) and Mark Levers (drums).

Normality

Ah, things start to go back to normal. This was my first gig after returning from Europe. Tilt played at Pialligo Estate for a private function. I was working through my bass that sounds great after recent work but feels distinctly different. James couldn't make it but old mate Ross Buchanan filled in and it went a treat. A few people came up in the last break to thank us. That's nice. Musicians? Yes, conductor. Conduct what orchestra? London Phil. London Philharmonic Orchestra?!? Yes ... and various other Euro orchestras. And you play too? Yes, flute, and involved with management of Sydney Youth Orch. This was Matthew Wood and Roslyn Perry, now in Sydney after some time in Europe and a cousin of the celebrating family. Lovely couple with serious skills. So the last set of a long night was a little more testing, being the last of a four hour gig and playing for such illustrious guests, but not for anything Matthew and Roslyn said or did. They were great listeners and eminently supportive of fellow musos. A pleasure to play for them and host Mycaila and her very lovely extended family. And to play it with Ross.

Tilt Trio were Ross Buchanan (piano), Dave McDade (drums) and Eric Pozza (bass) and our muso guests were Matthew Wood (conductor) and Roslyn Perry (flute).

Thanks each way

It was great fun to finally play a gig with Ross Buchanan. We played a piano/bass duo session for a few hours at lunchtime at Brindabella Hills winery. I was covering for Peter Barta who normally plays with this band but it was share and share alike. I hadn't been able to play our Tilt gig the night before so Peter subbed and Mark Levers subbed for Dave. Roundabouts. It's good to play with others - something like a paid jam session: jazz teaches you to do just this and jazzers have a fairly well known shared repertoire to help, too. We played standards and jazz tunes, bossas and swings and blues and one or two ballads. Someone once joked that the gigs like this always started from A in the Real Book so he never got to the later charts. We didn't do that. But how nice to play and to get out to the country to do it. And cheers to Brian, my mate who is winemaker there.


Ross Buchanan (piano) and Eric Pozza (bass) played at Brindabella Hills winery.

Raining jam

Or at least raining jam sessions. This was a new one, in its first incarnation, at Harmonie German Club, with guest band Dr Jawbone and the Restless Souls. Organised like the monthly blues jam with a tabulated chart for names each sets. This was somewhat less daunting than running with the masters, Wayne Kelly's trio at OCI on Wednesdays. Early this year, there was also a pre-tertiary jazz jam session, at Smiths, fortnightly on Thursdays prior to the jazz sessions. Haven't seen that mentioned recently. Nice to see some activity around the traps. Harmonie was a swing-latin affair. Dr Jawbone played several tunes, including some originals. Peter with his chordal 6-string bass and Ross very busy and bluesy, with Ken and an unknown tenor. Then various jammers, including Claude, Andrew, others. I enjoyed playing George Benson Broadway, but then I like a firm bass groove, and perhaps Footprints was the most conceptually modern take. Good fun for just a first incarnation and good luck for future iterations.

PS. One bit of history. The pic is of a piece of genuine Berlin Wall. Reinforced concrete sections like this (measuring 3.6x1.2m) have become relatively rare as the original was broken up and sold in bits or just broken up in anger when the Wall was demolished in 1990-92. This one features original West Berlin graffiti. Congrats to Gunter and the Harmonie German Club for appreciating the historical value of this early enough to buy a piece for Canberra.

The Harmonie German Club Jazz jam featured host band Dr Jawbone and the Restless Souls, with Ross Buchanan (piano), Peter Barta (bass) and Ken Nosworthy (drums).

Our small Smalls

I just dropped through on the way to Hannah at the Gods so I could only stay a short time but Wayne and Ben and Mark are welcoming and this was the monthly jam session night. Wayne's trio started with a ripper. Ross and I thought it was familiar. It turned out to be an original by Ben, a major take on Coltrane's minor Grand Central. Steady and quick and driving. Then I was up with Mark, Jim Fuller and Ross Buchanan for a blues and Stella. Then I rushed to Hannah. Thanks to all. Great fun and cosy on these cold nights. Get along and support this. Our small local Smalls. An open, welcoming local jazz community.

Wayne Kelly (piano) trio with Ben O'Loghlin (bass) and Mark Sutton (drums) perform each Tuesday 6.30-8.30 pm. Free entry; food and drinks on tap. First Tuesday each month is jam session. Tonight's jammers included Jim Fuller (tenor) and Ross Buchanan (piano).

Chalk & cheese

It was an afternoon of two different musics. Firstly, Tobias and Katie Cole and family at the High Court, singing religious song and modern. Then a Festival of Blues piano, with four of Canberra’s major blues pianists at the Brassey. How different!


The Coles gig was pure music sung mostly in high voices: soprano and countertenor (Tobias’ baritone in one song changed the effects markedly) and childrens’voices, mostly unaccompanied, although there were some instruments. I was intrigued by a violin walking pizz accompaniment on one. And there was an excerpt from the Magic flute played on glockenspiel with four recorders. The introduction was Britten carols spread overhead in the big space of the High Court foyer. This led to some Purcell including Sound the trumpet. There were a final few songs in front of the audience, three Island songs from Australian composer Stephen Leek: Monkey and turtle, Trade wind and Morning tide. But the most fascinating was kept till last. Tobias had the audience stand and split into four groups, learn a song, and perform as a conducted canon. Lots of fun and more active than usual. I was surprised by the audience’s decent intonation and memory for a relatively complex song. Well done to all of us ... and to the Coles.

Tobias Cole (countertenor, baritone), Katie Cole (soprano) and their three kids.


But then off to a darker space provided with beer and PA. Very different and more physical, at least for a few dancers. I just took a beer. Leo Joseph had organised a second Blues Piano festival, and this was it. Four great local pianists playing the blues: Wayne Kelly, John Black, Ross Buchanan and Leo himself. Now these are different stylists: Leo heavily into New Orleans, Dr John and the like; Ross all busy and virtuosic; John cool and capable from a lengthy professional career; Wayne authentically bluesy but letting in a touch of jazz chops. They mostly sang, too. I was particularly impressed by John’s calm and effective voice on tunes like Allelejuia I just love her so. Wayne sang Just a closer walk with thee with a strange key change for the vocals and with the heaviest, most authentic gospel piano. Fabulous. Ross wracked the piano with armfulls of notes, was it Billy Joel? Leo is just classy with his New Orleans presence, laid back groove, worthwhile lyrics, black and beret-arrayed. I was amused by John Black introducing a tune as “bulletproof”. Pianists need a few bulletproof tunes to play when requested at parties and such. As a bassist, I hadn’t considered this need. A few friends sat in – Juanita Cucinotta accompanying her singing with piano, and Lisa Pye – but it was really a day for the four, individually, in pairs, or even as a quartet avoiding stepping on each others’ toes, musically and literally as they swapped spots during songs. An amusing and bluesically worthwhile outing, the opportunity for a few beers and chatter and dancing, and they’ll be doing it again soon (Harmony German Club, 29 Nov, evening).

The pianists were Wayne Kelly, John Black, Ross Buchanan and Leo Joseph. Juanita Cucinotta and Lisa Pye sat in.