Honouring Aaron

Concert 2 for the day was Victor Rufus' band playing at Smiths. Victor has recently returned from several (5?) months in NYC. Does it show that he (and the others in the band) chose to play the music of Aaron Parks, along with some originals, mostly by Victor. Victor writes some very decent tunes. The band was Tate Sheridan, Brendan Keller-Tuberg and Jamal Salem and it was sharp as. Tight as. Clinically sharp. Jamal may be the primary source for this as he's restrained but tack sharp. Tate sounded more laid back to my ears this evening with influences of pop and blues amongst some jazz harmonies and more complex chords. He has a lyrical presence that shines through. I hadn't heard Brendan for a year-or-so and I was stunned with his current virtuosity, and not just fleeting playing but also interesting concepts, fills, structures, counterpoints. He fairly recently finished his degree and I can feel some extensive woodshedding in his playing these days. As I've seen in one or two other serious players over the years. Stunning. And Victor, professional and affable as a leader and melodically clear as a guitarist and soloist, nicely toned and avoiding the too-common guitar excesses. I like his compositions, too: he excels here. I listened to the channelled Aaron Parks album after and was surprised by the effectiveness of the performance I'd heard. Sharp, clear, with intent and sympathy for the original. Interestingly, they also played a tune by Harry Rasmussen, another drummer of recent years at the ANU. Victor's tunes were perfectly in synch with the evening: Truth be told, Intermittent schmitz, Song of sonnenblumen. All telling his own stories. This was a tack sharp evening of art but also of comfortable professionalism.

Victor Rufus (guitar) led a band comprising Tate Sheridan (piano), Brendan Keller-Tuberg (bass) and Jamal Salem (drums) at Smiths playing the music of Aaron Parks, Victor Rufus and others.

Grooving

James Whiting was touring a new album and his offsiders here in Canberra were a choice group gathered at Gary France's Groove Warehouse. It's the second concert I've caught there, and it's a nice intimate space, surrounded by the paraphernalia of percussion and with a very nice grand piano. A keen little venue. Gary was playing, and Eric Ajaye and Tate Sheridan, all great musicians and too little encountered in recent times following the devastation at ANU. James is a hot vibes player, this his second album was recorded in NYC, he's commencing a Doctorate in 2016 and he's heavily involved in all manner of musics, classical and musical theatre. Impressive. I enjoyed his mostly gentle and thoughtful originals and particularly grooved to an edgy jazz/rock piece with a heavily funky beat and odd twisted melody. Great: this is something I like immensely. He mentioned Gary Burton, as vibes players do, used four mallet for some and two for others, and could lay down some very tuneful solos and effective comping. The rest of the band were no slouches, of course. I particularly enjoyed hearing Eric after some time: smooth and very cleverly embellished on EUB and funky and driving on e-bass (both 5-string, high-C). Gary was absolutely spot on, tight, sharp, edgy and professionally sparing with his fills: nothing overplayed and superbly solid. Tate is a Triple-J unearthling and soon to be touring with Elton John, no less. He's playing with precision and care and some very nice chromatic play. Still early in this career, but seriously notable from the earliest days. They did play some covers: James Taylor, My foolish heart, but mostly originals, mostly from James' recordings, and that superbly funky slap number with fragmentary time and melody was my fave. Great night out, attractive and varied music and a nice catch up.

James Whiting (vibes) led a quartet with Tate Sheridan (piano), Eric Ajaye (bass) and Gary France (drums) at the Groove Warehouse on his CD launch tour.

Jazz diminuendo

Tate was playing in duo at Old Parliament House Cafe for their Sunday afternoon jazz. Turns out he was playing with Liam. This is Australia Day weekend and there's sound checks for the big concert tonight and visiting bikies and the Sovereignty sign is well attended. And cops, little parking, free entry to the Museum. I heard one set of Liam and Tate and this was intriguing, skilled stuff. Tate is skilled widely, but I particularly love his sense of the historical, the bass lines and especially the swing and the honky-tonk right hand and the eminently comfortable stride. It was electric piano, but the feel shone through. And Liam. He's back from a year in NYC including singing at Dizzy's, no less. He's the genuine article as a jazz singer, twisting lines, singing unwritten chord notes, playing liberally with time. He was a pleasure, as was the duo. Relaxed, skilled, clever, but subject to big PAs being tuned and divergent other noise. I increasingly think this is the way for jazz and likely for any form that requires commitment and time and intelligence. The quick, to build and to forget, is increasingly the object of our affection. It's the essence of celebrity. Except maybe for sport that still demands the chops. As I drove to this gig, I heard on ABC (RN? NewsRadio?) observations that sport remained one of few growth industries in Australia (except carbon, surveillance, detention, and the like, I guess). Certainly jazz in Canberra is shrunken. How long has this been going on? Think jazz school and despair. But for the moment we still have some remnants, Liam and Tate amongst them, and we can only enjoy it ... till they, too, leave.

Liam Budge (vocals) and Tate Sheridan (piano) played and afternoon gig at the Cafe in the Old Parliament House.

But in Canberra there's always the distraction of politics: not our politicians, but the politicians sent to us by the rest of Australia (Canberra is represented by just 4 Federal MPs - 2xReps, 2xSenate). The annual Behind the Lines exhibitions was on and I got some laughs on the way out. Just a few laughs. This is no time of joy. A few cartoons following the outpouring of emotion at Whitlam's death were telling. "Remember when politicians didn't just exist to meanly chip away at the nation? How remarkable having politicians that could lead and inspire and transform. To show us what was possible." (Thanks Gough / First dog on the Moon, in The Guardian, 21 Oct 2014). But I didn't get a good pic of that one. Here's one that tells a related message from a recent point of view: Open for Business / Andrew Weldon, in The Big Issue, 20 Oct 2014.

Behind the Lines 2014

wc

I was sitting pretty much dumbfounded listening to John Mackey and watching his fingers skate over tenor keys. Quite astounding. To see it from two metres away, and hear it with that immediate acoustic clarity, is awe-inspiring. My mind wondered to that small-town concern, "world class". I don't like to use this term, but I pondered it anyway and decided: "world class" probably means quality to play with the big names and wc players pop up everywhere. The issue in outposts is that there are limited numbers of them, so limited community. Places like NYC or Berlin attract players and the community develops. To some degree, our Jazz School did that. It attracted keen and developing players and provided a string of established masters as mentors / teachers. We have yet to see the medium term outcome of changes at the ANU. It was a decimation, but I wish them well for recovery.

But getting back to the gig, it wasn't just John who had my attention. I particularly watched Aidan and Tate. Aidan was back from Berlin and I was enamoured by his ever-responsive rhythms. Tate has just finished studies but was a force of extended sequences and easy keyboard knowledge and often playful stylistics. Greg was mammoth in quick guitar lines as always, perhaps more flightly than usual. Lachlan introduces a different presence with the Bass VI. It's remarkable as a melodic take but he's also got a firm touch with sustained ostinatos that works a treat. On the night, and seemingly with little preparation for the band, John introduced a new mode that he's studying a ANU. John can expound further in his thesis, but in short it's built with pentatonics around the lydian mode (if I got it right). He calls it the Talvian mode. All mysterious and intriguing. The band played a few improvs on this tonality over a Bb pedal. Otherwise, the night was a string of stunning takes on standards: a simple blues in Db, All the things, Sophisticated lady, Footprints, Miss Jones, Tenor madness, Freedom jazz dance. These are standard blowing tunes and common at John's gigs. Just a blow outing from some of our wc players. Informal, intimate, friendly, essentially testing and exploratory and a blast. Our best musos would not be out of place at Smalls, but with small numbers, the band would be pretty repetitive after the first night or two.

John Mackey (tenor) led a quintet with Greg Stott (guitar), Tate Sheridan (piano), Lachlan Coventry (bass) and Aidan Lowe (drums) at Smith's Alternative.

A world away in Civic

Tate Sheridan was just a few hours later and a few km away, at Smiths, but this was another world. Tate was launching his CD. Again, this was a piano trio, Tate with James Luke and Aidan Lowe, but there were no standards here. The music was much more moody, more punctuated and arranged, more melodic or minimalist, rather than changes through chords. There were still solos passed between players although less obviously than in standards territory. There were passages of solo piano that led to some complex compositions. There were more ostinatos, more edgy arrangements and stops and starts, but they were playing arrangements that were prepared for a CD. There were stories and references. Final hour was a story of a 240km, month-long Mounties chase culminating in a shootout and the death of the Mad Trapper of Rat River in Northern Canada in 1932. House arrest was a punctuated medium-fast swing. Lone gunman was a ballad, mostly piano solo, but joined later by bass and drums and a wordless vocal overlay from Tate. Baile is Spanish for "to dance" and was a lively number with unison features and later solos over a quick latin groove. Grace was another ballad developing into a repeating rising phrase that Tate said sums up his time in Canberra. Please no questions is another lively swing and Run don't walk is a dedication to Gonzalo Rubalcaba. Tate's piano is developed and skilled and classically formed. James' bass is quick and clear, commonly into thumb positions and melodically phrased. Aidan sits discretely as part of the music, setting grooves with subtlety and always flexible in tone and sharp in accent. This was not a light outing, the music demanded involvement and concentration, but it was a work of seriousness played with requisite skills. Great night. Looking forward to hearing most of this in its recorded form.

Tate Sheridan (piano) launched his new CD at Smiths with James Luke (bass) and Aidan Lowe (drums).

And the ambassador played the bass

It's not often the tickets for a jazz gig are sold out but this one, a celebration of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Adolph Saxe, in the lawns of the Belgian Embassy, was. It was an attractive offer. Events at a Canberra embassies are often a hit with the locals. This was huge. The numbers swelled to 500, but the garden was generous and the evening was perfect and there were hors-d'ouevres and Belgian beer on offer and a great band. In a twist that's a local jazz secret (until last Friday) Jean-Luc Bodson, His Excellency the Belgian Ambassador, is also a conservatorium-trained bassist with a love of jazz. That alone would bring the inquisitive, but the jazzers were also drawn by a pairing of the brothers Mackie, both excellent saxists with Tate Sheridan and Mark Sutton. They just played one set but it was strong and well received. It was interesting to again hear Carl with John. Carl played alto on this occasion, fitting for a string of bop numbers, and John played his tenor. Their approaches, perhaps from the different instruments, were more diverse than I remember on John's CD, where Carl also played: different in solo development, phrasing conventions, approaches to dissonance and the rest. But both were excellent and intriguing listens. Jean-Luc held it together very capably with solidity and drive and clear tone, along with Mark, un-extravagant on this evening, but essential. Tate is only a young-un but he's a young gun playing with great energy and passion and real interest. This was reliable, bop-heavy blowing repertoire: Confirmation, My little suede shoes, Round midnight, Tenor madness and Footprints. It's not a steady band, of course, and I know for one that Jean-Luc had a few busy days with other duties, but it was a truly interesting occasion and possibly unique in ambassadorial circles. Following the main band was the Telopea Park High School Big Band. Just Year 10 students, but playing some surprisingly decent big band jazz and finishing with a twist of Nirvana-like guitar dirt. Cool. I can't resist including the pic of three gathered bassists. And if you're interested, I was drinking Leffe Brune. Good on the Belgians, not least for beer and bassist ambassadors and Adolph Sax.

The Belgian Embassy celebrated the bi-centennial of the birth of Adolph Saxe with a garden party on the grounds of the Embassy. Entertainment was a band comprising Carl Mackey (alto), John Mackey (tenor), Tate Sheridan (piano), Jean-Luc Bodson (bassist and ambassador) and Mark Sutton (drums). The Telopea Park High School Big Band also performed.

What Honours does for you

I didn't know Tate Sheridan had played sax. He'd played through the classical grades as a kid then turned to piano and played through those classical grades, then to Honours which he has just completed. I'm sorry I missed his recent recital but I caught him playing solo for the U3A Jazz Appreciation Group and with any luck will catch him at his CD launch next week. This was intimate, sometimes chatty, nicely open sounding so his playing was clear. He played an electric piano, so the clarity and life of the acoustic was not there, but Tate took the opportunity to use various tones, Rhodes, perhaps organ, funky bass for various tunes. He played 7 tunes. First up was a take on Honeysuckle Rose, introduced with a moody impressionism, then into stride and through time-relevant lines and some more modern dissonance and rhythmic variations. I love this contemporary style that visits the traditions with respect but also treats them with contemporary sensibilities. Jazz has its historical sweep after a century. An individual may prefer one era over another but it's all worthy and I personally like some catholicism. Then through a series of originals. Run don't walk is a composition related to Tate's honours thesis on Cuban left hand piano and it explored all manner of approaches: lh ostinato; rh single note comping; rh improv; a more even rh/lh style that had classical balance; syncopated lh bass line; perhaps more. Tate praised the pride, patriotism, energy and passion of Cuban musicians. Energy is obviously a concern; he mentioned it several times later. Then a short ballad of 8 bars and #11 harmonies that suggests a B-section but stays short and beautiful. Tate talks of writing words for this, saying lyric writing is a compositional technique that assists with phrasing. I didn't know that Oscar Peterson writes lyrics for most of his tunes, even though no-one knows them. Nebraska 1978 was different; a funky number with Rhodes tone, perhaps organ lh, written with Calum Builder for their duo CD. Tate talked more about pianists, Keith Jarrett, Art Tatum, blind pianists, handspans (Art Tatum and Oscar Peterson can/could easily span 11ths; most can just manage 10ths), Blind Tom, Gene Harris ("great energy; really important"), lessons. A final lively but exploratory Billie's bounce. During the visit, there was a quote of Miles saying that "jazz is the thinking man's music" although Tate was at pains not to denigrate the skills and capabilities of classical musicians. Talk of music as a language, for communication, like spoken words: "You have no script when you wake up in the morning" as a parallel to improvisation. Talk of solo piano as "daunting", more demanding than playing in an ensemble. Talk of his teachers and varieties of perspectives, and mention of some of our impressive local pianists. These visits are a chance to talk to practicing musicians and to hear them unadorned, transparently present. A terrific experience.

Tate Sheridan (piano) chatted and performed a set for the U3A Jazz Appreciation Group.

Composition is key

Composition is key to me. I love the standards and they are a great pleasure and terrific vehicles for the individual statement that is the solo but original compositions are special. Calum Builder presented his quintet at Smiths and the music was all freshly composed, virtually all by Calum but one co-composed with pianist Tate. I heard references to floating Coltrane and Jazz Messengers and '60s/'70s so it was grounded in history. This is not music that's unexpected. There are comfortable and satisfying references but it's an individual statement none-the-less. I was impressed. They played 8 charts, including a "suite" (Calum doesn't like to call it that, but he forgot to offer an alternative title) which extended for 23 minutes and ran through a series of conceptual segments. The other tunes were shorter, perhaps 8-10 minutes, often with a core of obligato bass groove and passed solos. The heads were nicely stated by trumpet and alto, or sometimes just by sax or by piano and sax. Tate provided introductions and solos of deep intent and exploration and I'm trying to place the fabulous comping. Tate is noted locally for good reason. I liked Brendan's bass. I've heard it described as melodic by a respected source, and he certainly impressed me with a freedom over bars and through chords. The whole band was a little uncomfortable to start, but settled through the first set and were sitting comfortably into that set. It says nothing to give the titles - Serpent or Narcissus or My Lord or Nebraska. I really enjoyed a beautiful ballad dedicated to Bernie McGann, What if I called again. Apparently Calum spent considerable time on the phone to Bernie. Tate's floating introduction to Narcissus with a backing of bass octaves on 1-3 was lovely. Despite his busy accompaniment, Sean's drum solos surprised me when they stepped out. Eddie provided trumpet parts for heads and laid some effective solos, even hinting at New Orleans in the first blues. This was some capable writing, some superb piano, and when the band settled, some effective ensemble work.

Calum Builder (alto sax) led his quintet with Eddie Bernasconi (trumpet), Tate Sheridan (piano), Brendan Keller-Tuberg (bass) and Sean Connaughton (drums) at Smith's Alternative Bookshop.

Good for the gander

... Tate was running off to play with Victor Rufus Reverberation at Smiths. It's a common run these Thursdays: Thursday is performance day School of Music and jazz night at Smiths. I came in to a decent crowd and a band playing Dave Holland Conference of the birds. I enjoyed hearing that. It's well know but not too often played. This was a medley that ran into Nirvana Teen Spirit then Kurt Rosenwinkel's Next step. Difficult electric jazz. Then Brian Blade Fellowship Evinrude-fifty and Donny McCaslin Casting for gravity. Nothing like the preceding ballads. This was outright boys' blowing and skilled reading adn chops on hot stuff heads with no thought of love and life. Boys and girls: long last the difference. I enjoyed this hot flashy stuff, especially the contorted heads, some considered and structured and very controlled solos, including one that let go of diatonism and the planet, from Tate, a fluent and fast bass solo form Barnaby, an impressive drum solo from Rhys that was based on a very jumpy, stop-start groove, intelligent tenor and Victor's generous presence and guitar. It was only a few tunes (they had started before I arrived and Tate moved faster than I did, having to farewell some friends on the way) and it seemed short. An encore that was unplanned, on a Bb blues (Victor chose Bird's Relaxing at Camarillo) and the end. I was recording, and I had almost one hour. I was surprised. It didn't feel so long. Lively and choppy; the other side of Tate's interests. Nice one.

Victor Rufus Reverberation comprised Victor Rufus (guitar), Doug Hall (tenor), Tate Sheridan (piano), Barnaby Briggs (bass) and Rhys Lintern (drums).

Balladic icons

It was called Icons and the songs certainly were. This was a group of singers from the ANU School of Music performing pop songs: five women and one man. Tate Sheridan was the man, and at one stage he argued for the depth of the popular song, being about love and life. I can easily agree, at least with this set of songs, but then they are the cream of the cream: Elton John, Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Stevie Wonder, Kate Bush (who is more visible again recently, and must have been a challenge and fascination for these women). They sang 19 songs over two sets in Biginelli's Cafe, upstairs in the School of Music. This was civilised with cafe tables and provided with antipasto, and it was generous. I was not surprised by the age of the attendees (the performers were younger) and the music fitted. These were great songs, no doubt, but also none too recent. No grunge here, let alone hip-hop. These were also overwhelmingly ballads with overt seriousness. Perhaps too serious rather than entertaining. I'm more worried about climate change and the recent budget than love stories, but then I'm a bloke and past a time of hormones. There were some wonderful harmonies to such special songs. There were arrangements, some digging deeper into introversion. I loved the Kate Bush by both Rachael Thoms and Bec Taylor. Rachael especially had me poring over every controlled note and liquid vibrato and precise embellishment in Wuthering Heights. It shows that she's the teacher here, opera trained and an older (but not old) woman with a mature voice. They tell me that singers' voices improve with age and it's not just a matter of technique and experience. Not just that, though. She's jazz trained and was playful and daring when she performed a version of Come together with loops for bass and drums and harmonies and used effects for an authentic guitar solo. Fun and astonishing and obviously new for many in the crowd. [Hint: TC Helicon]. I loved Tate's commitment and unexpectedly decent voice and his dissonances and flexibility on piano. Seriously good. When he was playing Your song, I was reminded how the best musicians can just play the tune with all the right lines and chords and feels. Weaker musicians twist tunes because that's what they know. Tate was just spot on. Ben Taylor is a local star of the Canberra Musicians Club but I've heard her too little. I enjoyed her professionalism and presence and some decent piano and voice, and particularly admired her take on Babooshka. She did Joni Mitchell's Woodstock, too, and this was apt. Kirrah Amosa, Jacqui Douglas and Amy Jenkins perform as a trio called Kaleid (pronounced as in collide) and it was obvious that they'd played together a bit. These are quite different voices. Kirrah's is deep and powered, Jacqui higher and Amy in the stars and it works nicely together. Kirrah also accompanies on guitar and Jacqui on piano. As Kaleid they performed Carole King's Natural woman, but they also supported each other otherwise. The final song was Let it be, and everyone was up and we could sing along and wave electronic candles and that was fun. It was pretty serious stuff for an older bloke, but it certainly was a wonderful collection of songs which most of the audience remembered from their first releases and there were some great performances to convey them. Much enjoyed and would gladly do this over. Then it ended and Tate ran off, with me in hot pursuit...

Icons was a celebration of the great singer / songwriters of our time, performed by Tate Sheridan (piano, vocals), Jacqui Douglas (piano, vocals), Amy Jenkins (piano, vocals), Kirrah Amosa (guitar, vocals), Bec Taylor (piano, vocals) and Rachael Thoms (piano, vocals). Kirrah, Jacqui and Amy also performed as Kaleid.

Meditation in groove

In many ways, this was unexpected, but in others it was not. Alec Hunter is the new bassist at the Music School with a background in both classical and jazz and a musicology PhD to boot. The band was presented in a formal layout: seven players spread around an inverted U open to the audience. Individually lit with strong overhead lights for a contrasty view. Two drummers and marimba/vibes. The grand Steinway next to mikes for seated trumpet and saxes. And two basses, or rather a double bass and a violone, lying on its back, in front of several laptops. Also, a screen above it all, a dark room, mics and recording gear. This was a seriously prepared event. Then I read the program: "short open works", "improvised (or not)", "set melodic cells to free improvisation", "order ... decided ... during the performance". And more: "simultaneously projected video", "audio and video ... tow independent creative events occupying the same space and time". And even: "the doors ... will remain open ... audience members are encouraged to come and go as they please". Interesting. Some of the recorded voice accompanying the video spoke to similar conventions, of art and dance and music. No-one much moved or applauded or made noise during each set, but we are a arts-respecting crew. So what did we hear? There were passages at top and bottom that grooved like jazz-rock era Miles. There were times of quiet and meditation, with double-bowed violone and more. There was authentic jazz improvisation from Charles on vibes and deeply rhythmic improv from Tate on piano. There were two drummers, sharing leads, finding openings for percussion. There were Miro and John, two masters thrilling with some deeply responsive interplay and swapped segments and some great tones with a digital harmoniser. And Alec, leading with hand gestures and raised fingers, meditatively seated on the ground with violone or holding jazz-infused riffs or spelling melodic themes on double bass. I liked his sharp edged tone that was balanced, often note for note, with softer rejoinders, with what sounded to my ears as the most precise intonation. It's jazz and modern classical but also performance art and video. Not rare these days, and shouldn't really be unexpected, but a change from Bird on the one hand or Bach on the other (although we all love them both). Refreshing and pensive.

Alec Hunter and Friends played in the Band Room at the ANU School of Music. Alec Hunter (bass, violone, electronics) led his friends Miroslav Bukovsky (trumpet), John Mackey (saxes), Tate Sheridan (piano), Charles Martin (marimba, vibes), Jamal Salem (drums, percussion) and Jonathan Warren (drums, percussion). Lauren Hunter (video) created the projections.

School's in

It's that time. The ANU School of Music and Friends launched the New Year at the Sitsky Room on Thursday with champagnes and beers and chatter and a sneak preview of the concert program for the coming year and a few student performances. It's a promotion for the Friends, but the deal is good: a decent discount on all performances and some special, invitation-only events, so it looks good on financial as well as artistic grounds if you are a concert goer, but then you may as well be. The International Chopin Piano Competition returns in September; there's a performance of Monteverdi's opera, L'Orpheo in August; The Australian Haydn Ensemble is appearing in four concerts and providing workshops as the ANU Ensemble in Residence; there are various other prizes, for accompaniment, chamber music, jazz/contemporary music; there's a concert series and Ensemble performances and recitals and public lectures. As for performances, Ciaran Edwards-McKeown (guitar) played Rodrigo, Aaron Chew (piano) played a Schubert Impromptu and Tate Sheridan (piano) and Calum Builder (alto sax) did a take on Scarborough Fair. Calum played some indistinct, breathy alto and I was amused to be asked if it was a jazz technique. It's pretty standard, of course, and nowhere near the experimentation of SoundOut and the like. Another reason why there's strength in combing the musical streams.