Tasks mastered

The old Trident Jazz Trio was resident at Trident Bar in Dickson for years, from 2000 or thereabouts.  It was nice that Chris had checked out CJ to determine when they started the residency, but it predated my site (b.2005) by several years.  Whatever, it was a wonderful Tuesday night scene with some excellent sets and renowned visitors.  We heard that core group again at the Austrian Club the other night and they were a revelation.  I could only gasp at James' bass playing, on 5 string JB fretless: melodic, fast but only when called for, otherwise wonderfully relaxed and searching.  Lots of finger work, as in harmonics and chords and long intervallic pairs, thirteenths and the like, and edgy attacks.  And plenty of effects, deep octavers and the rest.  Just a lesson for a bassist.  And Lachlan with his clear guitar, blistering lines and especially his intriguing and leading chords.  He also provided the one original for the night, but said he tends not to play them even though he writes plenty.  Interesting.  And Chris with a most edgy polyrythmic experiments, solos that a sparse and astute, then mixed with African shakers and soft noise.  His kick drum, too, was deep, not fluffy but loose.  And that tom that sat above, thin as.  Fascinating.  These are the choices we make that make our musical character.  They played a string of jazz tunes but you wouldn't know it until a snippet of melody appeared from amongst the grooves or beats or colours.  This is jazz brought to the nightclub-now satisfying both art and night out.  Just an awesome outing and a muse for this muso.

Trident Jazz Trio are Lachlan Coventry (guitar), James Luke (bass) and Chris Thwaite (drums).  They played at the Austrian Club.

Trinity residency ends

The long residency of Trident is coming to an end this Tuesday night at Trinity Bar in Dickson. Trident has been involved various musos for its 4-1/2 year stint. It's developed into a cool, funky lounge-jazz scene: comfortable and very relaxed. Famed for long, solo-rich, grooves, that perennial Real Book favourite Madonna's Material girl, and a wonderful opportunity to play "Spot the (disguised) melody". Various players have sat in over time, but the main stalwarts have been Charlie Meadows (guitar), Tim Willis (guitar), Nick Horweg (bass), and of course the current lineup of James Luke (bass), Lachlan Coventry (guitar), Chris Thwaite (drums) and Ben Marston (trumpet). I'm expecting a wake on the last night.

London calling

The longstanding laid-back Trident gig had a London visitor this week, and I was lucky enough to attend. In case you don’t know, Trident have been playing a gig on Tuesday nights for several years (5+?) at Dickson’s Trinity Bar. Each week, they perform a few sets of quiet but intense funk/groove from 9pm. The tunes are based on well known tunes (on this night it was Footprints, Rhythmaning, All blues, Nostalgia in Times Square, Nica’s dream, and even Madonna’s Material girl) but the references to the originals are pretty obscure and flirting. It’s a style that is urgent but restrained, and still fresh and improvised despite numerous outings. And refreshingly laid back: set 1 comprised only 2 numbers: a reggae-infected Nica’s dream, and a 35-minute medley comprising 3 tunes (a groove on G, All blues and Nostalgia).

This week, Trident were joined by Mike Guy, keyboardist and ex-Jazz School student, who’s come home for a visit after 3 years in London. Mike sat in easily with his old mates, and played with conviction and involvement. His sounds were mainly Rhodes piano and Hammond organ, and both suited the soft and extended improvised tunes well. A fellow pianist commented on his melodic inventiveness, sense of space and control of tension. I liked the way he developed solos (an exercise in both tension and space) and his satisfying lines within the diatonic harmonies.

Overall the band is not so much harmonically out, as rhythmically complex (it is funk after all) and melodically abstruse. This is rhythm to die for. Chris was playing masterfully, with a big ear for all that was surrounding him, and constantly changing, very intense but superbly controlled grooves. No need for volume to express emotional intensity with this drumming. Always sharp, open and precise. Luke was in tune with a great sound on his active Fender fretless 5-string playing strong patterns but freely improvised. I particularly liked his chordal and harmonic work, his clear and well intentioned soloing, and one very syncopated walk against Nostalgia. But a highlight was some free rhythmic fills that left the groove then resolved, making playful mockery of the rhythm, but confirming it by its return. I saw it as a rhythmic version of going harmonically out then resolving. Lachlan was a steadying influence, bending melodies but soloing mostly diatonically and in a scalar form on a softly distorted guitar. There was lots of time taken to build and sustain grooves, and generally toy with subtle changes, considerable sitting out by various players, and easy passing of solos. This is playing in the pocket: very appropriate for a mid-week bar gig and a great pleasure. Like having a band in your living room; a gem of Canberra jazz.

Just some news from Mike to finish off. He seems to be enjoying his time in London. He leads the band Organum (which includes Niels Rosendahl), and has recently been involved in musical theatre, touring the UK with a Motown show and a Michael Jackson show that may reach London’s West End. He’s enjoying London and talks of a massive musical scene, with all forms strongly represented.

Mike Guy (keyboards) was sitting in with Trident. Trident are James Luke (fretless bass), Lachlan Coventry (guitar) and Chris Thwaite (drums).

Mike Guy on MySpace

Residential zone

Long residencies are a special thing in music. They develop a particular mystique. They engender a family following (“like our living room”) but also a sibling-like interaction between the players. The gig at Trinity Bar in Dickson on Tuesday nights is one of these. Members have changed slightly over the years, but the core is still there, and the approach remains, along with the competency and interaction, and sheer intense groove of the session. This is a hidden gem of jazz in Canberra, and should not be missed.

The band is Trident, or more correctly, Trident+1. Members are James Luke (bass), Lachlan Coventry (guitar), Chris Thwaite (drums) and Ben Marston (trumpet). Presumably Ben is the +1, although they’ve been “+1” both times I‘ve seen them recently. I wrote about the band when they played recently at White Eagle under Effects, anyone. Needless to say, they were playing with lots of processing and effects at that gig. James tells me they’ve recently dropped the effects, and it was a clean, clear performance at very moderate volume that they gave last night. But the playing was no less intense or capable. This was sharp, closely interactive groove based on well-disguised standards. Truly excellent playing, and perfect for the club venue.

The first set comprised Nica’s dream, Nostalgia on Times Square, Stella by starlight and a blues that I didn’t recognise. As I said, it was well disguised. I’d listened for 10 minutes of perceptive solos against sharp funk and rock rhythms before there was a recognisable head or chord sequence on Nica's dream. Even when there was something recognisable, it was not expected: the bridge was a strangely timed unison bass/guitar part against the standard melody. And then it dissipated again, this time to reggae and another trumpet solo. The others tunes were just as unanticipated. James blew me out with a great Fender fretless jazz bass tone, a variety of tonalities, chords, thumbs, slap and fingerpicked funk. Pity about his amp which was breaking up occasionally. Lachlan played with a clarity and traditional tone from a semiacoustic. Chris had a minimal kit, and Ben was playing clean trumpet. But they all soloed excellently. Chris against some terrific band unison work on Nostalgia. James played some interesting cross timing, including half-note triplet chords against 4/4, and splendidly expressive lines. Both Lachlan and Ben soloed with panache, and moved into and out of tonality with ease.

In all, a night of very capable laid back, varied and authentic grooves. Free entry, ubercool but comfortable surroundings and reasonably-priced drinks make this a must-do activity for a Tuesday night.

Effects, anyone?

Last night’s White Eagle seemed a detour into the 21st Century and jazz as it is now: a melange of styles and sounds, with clear references back to jazz history, but with newer tonalities and technologies. I’ve asked on CJ poll whether there’s jazz after Bitches Brew. I was not surprised that everyone who answered, answered “Yes”. But I was surprised that so few people answered. The question was a bit of a joke for me, and presumably for those who didn’t bother to answer, but it’s still argued in conservative jazz circles. Jazz suffers from such internecine dischords. The trad/modern standoff still appears occasionally and the argument over electronic instruments is ongoing. But I’ll choose to sit this one out. I’ll just return to my M-Base Collective and Branford Marsalis and amuse myself thinking about how this White Eagle would have upset the conservatives.

Trident+1 started the night. Trident are a trio comprising Chris Thwaite (drums), James Luke (bass) and Lachlan Coventry (guitar). The +1 is Ben Marston (trumpet, flugelhorn). James described the style as “made up on the spot, with some jazz standards to meet up … sometimes”. This is definitely the approach. It’s loose and improvised, but they have achieved this open and responsive relationship through playing together for considerable time. The experience shows. The set comprised 3 extended improvisations. There were soundscapes and funk and reggae and one hard swing. There were processed sounds galore. I guessed octavers, autowahs or synths, choruses, reverbs and echoes on trumpet, bass and guitar, and there may have been others. There were mesmeric repetitive rhythm passages, mostly set by guitar or bass. There were loads of solos from all instruments, variously standard jazz styles or more impressionistic. There were squeels of whales from flugelhorn, and didjeridoos emanating from bass. And there were lovely calls back to the jazz and even pop forms with melodies that rose from the highly processed, rhythmic substructure: Alone together followed by Nica’s dream over reggae; Madonna’s Material girl with a coda of Weather Report’s Birdland; Mingus’ Nostalgia in Times Square. The floor was littered with effects. There were two PAs on stage for the instruments alone, as well as the obligatory stage PA. It all sounded highly processed, compressed, full and fat, like recorded music rather than simple, acoustic jazz.

Chris played fabulously in this format: richly changing rhythms; great counterpoint to more or less regular grooves of the other players; some excellent, accurate, clearly intentioned solos. James played a fretless 5-string Jazz bass, through masses of effects and into a PA for clear, sharp, full-range sounds. He played confidently, mimicked Zawinul-synths and didjerdoos and more, and played some lovely solos along with chords and harmonics at various other times. Lachlan was relatively traditional in this context: attractive and not overwhelming effects, and some crisp, clear jazz soloing. Ben set the scene with known melodies played with simplicity and conviction, but also dropped into impressionistic sounds and effected solos, and the first time I’ve heard octavered flugel. Great, confident and convincing playing all around.

Trident+1 are a fabulously involving and developed outfit playing the highest level of groove-infected, culturally-inclusive music with a jazz sensibility. Trident play every Tuesday night at Trinity Bar in Dickson. Catch them!

The second band was a less processed and took a more standard modern jazz approach, but still displayed frequent effects on sax and bass. And it also featured electric bass (another one to upset the conservatives). The band was the Matt Keegan Trio out of Sydney’s JazzGroove stable: Matt Keegan (tenor sax), Cameron Undy (electric bass) and Dave Goodman (drums). The trio played original music in the modern jazz idiom, with frequent blues or funk feels, and some monster unison lines.

Matt mostly plays a considered, calm and melodic style with clear intentions and a considerable exploration of dissonance. On the other hand, he loosened up and played excitedly on the later tunes on the night, and also played with a range of effects on various tunes throughout the night. Cameron is a frequent visitor to Canberra, being a product of the town and the Jazz school. He plays with a strangely wooden tone on a 5-string electric bass: more woody than crystal clear; very satisfying on fast funky patterns and occasional blistering solos. I found it interesting to hear the way Cameron dug into the strings with strong double bass-strengthened fingers. It made for a very different and more traditional sound than James’ in Trident (although James also plays double bass). I was also interested to notice how much a statement of the underlying rhythm was Cameron’s soloistic style. It’s not unusual in bassists; I noticed a similar approach by Zoe Hauptman. Dave played a strong, steady and definitive role in this band along with a busy, satisfying solo later in the night. The band lifted for the last few tunes, when Cameron rose from his seat, and the energy level was turned up a notch. So, a strong and competent modern jazz outfit.

Matt Keegan's website