Here be intellect

These are people I've heard a million times (or thereabouts) but even still it can be magical. Ambassador and bassist Jean-Luc had gathered John Mackey, Greg Stott and Mark Sutton to feature at a charity gig for Fijian schools. It was held in a relatively bush-like area of the Belgian Embassy gardens. ArtSound provided sound. Attendees were not huge but close and appreciative. Thanks also to donations from a few supporters and refreshments from Stella Artois and Tasmanian Ninth Island winery. I was in front of John, seemingly hearing every nuance from the bell of his tenor and following his uber-developed sense of melody. All the factors were there: time, form, harmony, substitution, extensions. It's in the book of jazz improv but it's a special pleasure to hear it unfolding in real time in real life. There's emotion of course, but not without immense intellect. On that score, I was disappointed to read the recent report on the ANU School of Music fiasco where I found jazz lumped somewhere with rock/pop as a lesser art relative to classical. Jazz is nowhere near a lesser art given its demands for theory and technical and emotional skills to improvise in real time while responding to others. But back to the pleasure of hearing this sophistication at close quarters. The clear sound from playing in the open helped. The notes that started or featured in a phrase, the lightly flashed fills, the sixteenth note run that fell endlessly, the scales of various colours, perhaps interrupted by quizzically repeated notes. All immensely satisfying in its exploration and interplay. And a solid band behind. John mentioned later how he often prefers his companions to hold when he goes out. Greg, Jean-Luc and Mark could do that. Mark might be more playful at times, kicking or snapping an accent or two. J-L played his walks and latins with consistency and skills that surprised me, given this is now a hobby for an otherwise busy ambassador and father. But his training shows. And Greg, playing a George Benson model semi-acoustic, simple, crisp toned and unaffected melody with lovely chordal fills and accompaniment. Understated but so pretty and so correct. They played a few of the most obvious standards - Cantaloupe, Softly, All the things, Blue bossa, Stella and the like - but these were anything but ordinary in their hands. Just a grand pleasure of the highest sophistication. Then the Telopea Jazz Band. This is a school band, but I chuckled when someone said "they don't make school bands like they used to". I think that was after Weather Report's Birdland. Birdland? This is demanding music and they pulled it off well. Some Motown, some jazz charts. Lots of kids playing surprisingly well. Again, Birdland, school band? Wow.

John Mackey (tenor), Greg Stott (guitar), Jean-Luc Bodson (bass) and Mark Sutton (drums) played for an "Adopt a School" Fiji fundraiser at the Belgian Embassy. Telopea Jazz Band followed.

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.