Fight for the floor

Somewhere between Monteverdi and Miles is jazz of the '20s and '30s, variously styled as ragtime or Dixieland or New Orleans or trad, often played with banjos and sousaphones and plenty of brass (common instruments left over from the civil war) and with cut times and group improv and the like. Then into Satchmo solos and swing and big bands and off to bebop and the modern styles. But that early jazz, and later jazz played in a vintage style, remains immensely popular, not least with dancers, and Zackerbilks is a great local exponent. We caught them today at the Canberra Jazz Club's monthly event at Southern Cross Club, Jamison. It was packed. The dance floor didn't last 10 seconds before the swing dancers were up. Namesake Zach was in fine form, blowing a call of introduction (less sedate than his roles in CSO) then into song and dance. The dresses were full and bouncy, the guys wore waistcoats and the colour was on cheeks and lips but also in the lively, flouncy music. This is entertaining, fun, warmly welcomed. Not the steadfast seriousness of the jazz I normally attend, although still played with demanding skills. And was not just 2-feels. There was swing, too, but all pretty early in style, all bustling. Great fun from a great band. Much enjoyed by very many.


Zackerbilks played at Canberra Southern Cross Club, Jamison, for the Canberra Jazz Club. Zackerbilks are Zach Raffan (trumpet, vocals), Miriam Miley-Read (vocals, uke), Robbie Mann (piano), Christopher Harris-Scott (banjo), Thomas Manley (or Thomas Azoury , clarinet), Rob Lee (or Matt Ricketts, trombone), Scott Temby (bass), Simeon Staker (or Jamal Salem, drums).

Entanglement with a silent 'b'

Scott chose an intricate name for his band, Tembtanglement, with a silent 'b'. It's tricky, like my canbjazz with another silent 'b'. But the band's not silent. It's a very clever outing by a string of trained and professional players, from the Duntroon band or otherwise, from ANU music School or otherwise. The repertoire is a mix of originals from Scott and an intriguing choice from the pop repertoire. The final tune, Nirvana Teen spirit is a a common choice and a great crowd pleaser. But Kendrick Lamar and Outkast featured with Beyonce and Justin Bieber and Eurythmics and Valerie by Amy Winehouse. Then a string of tunes by Scott, funky or swinging, all scored for three horn parts upfront. My wardrobe exploded on Yamba Drive was a wildy syncopated and odd-timed piece with a common time bridge. Spilt champagne could have been a US TV theme, all jaunty and lightly latin. The playing was solid and steady and strong. Baba was a blow out as he is wont to be, busy and flowing and melodically convincing. Capable solos all round, from Scott and Josh and Clare and a short one from Sim and a long, virtuosic one from Barney on his firmly wooded Warwick. I love a fat, middy-toned bass and this was middy but also niced toned. Lucy Ridge joined for a string of songs, Teen Spirit and Valerie and more. She was polished and neatly embellished and with one satisfying scat spot. A very professional workout on a range of jazz through funk and pop, with lots of obvious prior work on charts.

Tembtanglement played at Smiths. They were Scott Temby (trumpet, flugelhorn), Lucy Ridge (vocals), Josh Hart (trombone), Rouslan (Baba) Babajanov (alto), Clare Fitzgerald (piano), Barnaby Briggs (bass) and Simeon Staker (drums).

Finally Merimbula 3

I caught one of two sets of the ANU Big Band under John Mackey. Big it is: 30 performers including eight singers. As you’d expect, it was lively and well turned out. I felt comfy from the first vibrant chords of a Bill Liston chart, and it was a roller coaster ride from there. Woody Herman played on bass clarinet and clarinet; a vocal choir performing Easy to love; a Bach cello suite performed on 6-string e-bass by Jack Schwenke. The Music School now joins students from jazz and classical backgrounds, so we get an idiosyncratic performance. Strange, yes, but also interesting.

Mark VI included several players I was to perform with in my own band, so I had to catch them. They are led by trumpeter Mark Durieu, performing hardbop and the like: David Sanborn, Scotch & soda, Sugar. It’s entertaining music and hardly profound, but I’m sure it doesn’t claim to be. These are good musos: good readers, good soloists, correct and capable. You can see the Army Band connections in the reading and accuracy and occasionally in the haircuts. I particularly enjoyed Noddy’s drive, Baba’s fluent solos and Barney’s easy reading. Barney had to do the set on double after he’d left his guitar strap in the car, but I didn’t notice anything lacking. Mark VI were Mark Durieu (trumpet), Rouslan (Baba) Babajanov (sax), Douglas Hill (piano), Richard Manning (guitar), Scott Temby (guitar – not sure he was playing this set), Barney (Benjamin) Briggs (bass) and Derrick (Noddy) Brassington (drums).

Don’t tell Megan, but I went to a jazz service. Well, actually an ecumenical gospel service, as I was informed by someone leaving a local Anglican church. It was in the Catholic church, an unfortunate ‘60s A-frame construction with a priest who mentioned Parsifal and his preferences for other than jazz. He railed against ideology and at one point even questioned Papal modernism. I can respect tradition, but I felt a chill breeze of Pellucid conservatism about this man. The readings were Psalms 158-160, all praise to the Lord. Some lines from the “responsive prayer” sounded like piffle to my ears: “Let us raise to the limits of time / And behold Your eternity / Let us run to the edges of space / And gaze into Your immensity”. I prefer words like “Blessed are the peacemakers”. I often hear music in churches these days; they can be some of the best spaces for music. This was jazz and gospel singing. Rhythm Syndicate was choir; Pippa Wilson was singer with a decent, mature, traddie band. The songs were Swing down chariot (what is it about chariots in gospel music?), Amazing Grace, God bless the child (lovely!); I believe (credulous pap to my ears); Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah (deeply uncertain and earthy and a paen for our times); He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother (unfortunate); Put your hand in the hand (lively) and When the Saints go marching in (inevitable). I enjoyed this. I sang along and searched for harmonies, no doubt annoying the couple in front of me, but it was fun and it loosened the vocal chords.

More chalk and cheese, pt.2

Joe’s band went second. I say I was formed by jazz of the ‘70s but perhaps the classic voluble swing of Oscar Peterson and Ray Brown and the like have influenced my playing more. I still love a swinger and I love the standards. Joe started with a piano trio, with Max and Luke – a quintessential jazz format - and the two opening tunes were classic standards of the American songbook that have reached into the lounges of the world: Cheek to cheek and Out of nowhere. Joe’s masterful in this style: fluent, inventive, playful, responsive and with big ears. This was just confirmed later when the larger band was playing and the solos were being passed around. Joe would mimic or paraphrase a player, and they would respond. Joe’s particularly good at it, taking ideas and changing key or underlying scale or intervals within the shape and repeating as a sequence. The later tunes were originals, mostly by Joe: Yesterday street, Yet to be named, Sleepless days about continuous daylight in the Norwegian arctic. The band also played Siberia by saxist Joe, a tune in 7/4 that maintained the temporary frosty theme. I heard the writing as filmic, especially after Bennie’s grooves, and at least one tune was from a film score: more melody, more harmony, more open sounding; less earthy movement, less bump and grind. There were some decent solos here, too, but I particularly noticed one guitar solo from Jack with a scratchy, staccato roughness and hints of Scofield. But I remain intrigued by the title of the session: Freshbace. Fresh is obvious; …bace?

Joe Chindamo led student group comprising Joe McEvilly (alto), Miles O’Connell (tenor), Scott Temby (trumpet), Rachel Cummings (trombone), Jack Palmer (guitar), Max Alduca (bass) and Luke Keanan-Brown (drums).

Cyberhalides Jazz Photos by Brian Stewart

Old and young guns, pt.1

The concert was entitled 21+75 because it marked the recent birthdays of each artist. Andy Butler was the junior; Bernie McGann the senior. If this expresses the quality of jazz in Australia as it has been and as it will be, I can only be proud. These were two seriously satisfying sets, and I was not the only one who left in thrall.

Andy led a big band (and for one tune, an octet) performing a series of charts that he’s developed with sponsorship and mentoring from Steve Newcomb under an Australia Council program. I know the band is brought together for this performance, so I was mightily impressed by how easily the band took to the charts. They weren’t easy, with odd times and syncopated conversational passages back and forth between parts. There may have been a touch of hesitation from the horns but nothing at all from Mark on drums. I particularly noticed his solo, which was solid, even magisterial. And a mix on a decent PA made all the difference. You always hear the snakey reeds and the blasting trumpets, but the tuba can be lost with its bell pointing to the ceiling. Tonight it was here and proud and speaking with its own voice. There were solos all round, of course, but the excitement here is in the tone and the orchestration and composition. The first tune was as yet unnamed and I heard it in 7/4 but perhaps with 4/4 passages. Poco was a highly syncopated unyielding pattern over 16 with a buzzing bee swarm as resolution. I missed the third tune’s title, but it was sleazy and slow and arranged for octet. The big band returned for Ode to Skype, if I remember correctly, in triple time. Andy later told me he communicates with Steve (and his girlfriend) over Skype. The final tune was Tightrope. There as a lively buzz in the foyer after Andy’s concert: for the pride in achievement as well as for the beer line. This gig was joyously received and Andy was talking of other gigs. But how to do this with such a large outfit? We can only hope.

Andy Butler (piano, composer) led big band comprising John Mackey, Niels Rosendahl, Matt Handel, Tom Fell (saxes), Miroslav Bukovsky, Alex Raupach, Ax Long, Scott Temby (trumpets), Rob Lee, Valdis Thomann, Patrick Langdon (trombones), Peter McGovern (tuba), Max Alduca (bass) and Mark Sutton (drums)

Cyberhalides Jazz Photos by Brian Stewart

An exception

I don’t remember why I missed last year’s Exceptions gig at the Jazz School, but I was glad I got to this one. The Exceptions are a new generation of students. I like to watch each generation as it comes through, with its different interests and skills and influences. I knew some of these players from previous gigs but what interested me was, as Eric Ajaye said in introduction, that they compose so they have something to say. And their compositions were impressive. When they started up I first heard latin, then a Tom Scott-like attractive commerciality, but as I listened there were altered jazzy blues and Scandinavian minimalisms and funk and rock feels. These were convincing tunes and well arranged even if the variation in styles suggested they might be still finding their musical way. The playing was capable, too. Scott and Jordan were fairly well known to me before this gig. Scott’s trumpet impressed me with considerable maturity in his melodic solos, sometimes simple and bluesy, but authoritative. Jordan’s an impressive bassist; his slap is tight and sharp, his electric solos are fluent and mighty fast, and he’s now added the double bass to his stable. I particularly enjoyed Tate’s piano. I heard tonal and scale running, smooth and loquatious, and occasionally northern Euro meditative. Joe was thoughtful in alto solos and and neat in melodies and was worthy of more dynamism. Rohan took a few solos, but was mostly neatly supportive. These were capable compositions that bode well for an expressive but also attractive and sellable band sound. Well enjoyed.

The Exceptions performed at the first of the annual series of student gigs at the Jazz School. They are Joe McEvilly (alto sax), Scott Temby (trumpet, flugelhorn), Tate Sheridan (piano), Jordan Tarento (electric, acoustic bass) and Rohan Moore (drums).

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.