The Coverts

The Coverts were also playing at the CJF. Again James Luke (bass) and Chris Thwaite (drums), but this time with Charlie Meadows (guitar). Standard repertoire, plenty of interesting and capable solos. Entertainment for the wine tasting public, outside Red Gecko. BTW, great name for a band.

Lachlan Coventry Band

Also seen at the CJF. LCB are Lachlan Coventry (guitar), James Luke (bass) and Chris Thwaite (drums). Intelligently played jazz standards in the mainstream tradition. Clean guitar, ringing bass.

Barney McAll's Modas

Barney McAll was one of the two out-of-town stars at the CJF. BMcA is past winner of the Wangaratta Piano performance prize, long-time sideman for Vince Jones, and now resident in New York. He's touring Australia with a local band, performing music from his recent CD. The CD was influenced by Barney's several visits to Cuba, and especially by music he heard there at a ceremony dedicated to the Yoruba goddess Yemaya. He recorded the rhythm tracks in Cuba, then added further tracks in NY. The Australian band was very capable, providing an intense latin experience unlike anything I have heard before. The band is made up of: Barney McAll piano, Jamie Oehlers tenor sax, Shannon Barnett trombone, Nashua Lee guitar, Phillip Rex bass, Craig Simon drums and Javier Fredes percussion. Loud, involving and complex. Good readers only should apply!

Wayne Kelly Trio

The Wayne Kelly Trio played at Tossolini's yesterday for the Canberra Jazz Festival. They tell me they have just finished recording a CD. The performance was all original tunes which were obviously well rehearsed for the recording. I found it excellent modern jazz, played in a quiet and relaxed fashion but with great intensity, and with interesting and well-defined lines. Wayne Kelly piano, Ben O'Loghlin bass and Mark Sutton drums. I also like the historical context, eg, post-bop heads of triplets and flat fifths. Paraphrasing Newton, we stand on the shoulders of giants. Congratulations on a terrific performance. Apparently the CD is out in the new year. They play at Hippo's on 30 Nov.

Addendum. I saw them a second time today. My guess is the richness comes from lots of complex extended chords on piano make for the modern sound. But plenty of post-bop lines still in the solos and heads. Great stuff.

Canberra Jazz Festival soon

The website for the CJF now has details - programs, players, etc. Mostly, if not all, are staff, students, or ex-students from the Canberra School of Music Jazz School. No problems with that - they are excellent. The dates for the event are strange (Wed to Sat), but again, they are students. So, check out the program and venues on the CJF website, and good luck to them. I'm looking forward to it, and I hope they continue in future years. http://canberrajazzfestival.com/

Victorian Jazz Festivals

Wangaratta Jazz Festival is coming up next week http://www.wangaratta-jazz.org.au/

Also, see a list of other Victorian jazz festivals at http://www.whitehat.com.au/Melbourne/Music/Jazz.asp

Moruya Jazz Festival

I just attended the Moruya Jazz Festival over the weekend. It was a pleasant little town for a festival, and there was some excellent music for little cost. The Air Raid Shelter was home of the Canberra Jazz School, and they provided excellent and varied modern jazz on the Saturday that I was there. Otherwise, Galapagos Duck, Strange Weather Gospel Choir, and George Washingmachine were the featured acts. I enjoyed playing two sets with Pierre's Not 6 (usually Hot 6, but given there were about 8 players, renamed as Not 6). Thanks esp to CSM for the excellent and inspiring music. See the website at http://www.moruyajazzfestival.com.au/

National Press Club

NPC is advertising blues and jazz. Lots of names for blues, but none for jazz. However, it does promote jazz from 6pm every Friday, no cover charge. NPC is hardly a hot jazz club, but there are nibblies on Friday evenings, drinks are obviously available, and there are several pool tables. See their website for who's playing. Given very poor web design, you will have to download a pdf doc, which even changes file name every month. http://www.npc.org.au/entertainment.htm

Jazz at Kamberra Winery

Kamberra Winery is a nice place to be on a warm day. Free entry for jazz on the last Sunday each month. Brendan sings standards. Last Sunday (perhaps every month?) he was supported by Charlie Meadows on guitar, plus acoustic bass and drums. Bottled wine and snacks available.

Canberra Jazz Festival

Here's a new one on me. Hippo is advertising it's a sponsor - "hippo...major sponsor of the Canberra Jazz Festival...Nov2-Nov5 05 canberrajazzfestival.com". That's a Wed-Sat event (strange not to include Sunday). There's a website, but it just says "Canberra Jazz Festival 05 / Coming soon". Keep an eye on http://canberrajazzfestival.com/

Winter Concert Series at Lanyon

I saw Eric Ajaye's new trio at Tharwa the other day. Lanyon is conducting a Winter Concert Series, with a range of different musical styles. Last Sunday was "Straight up", with Eric Ajaye, lecturer in jazz studies at the ANU Canberra School of Music, drummer Chris Thwaite and pianist Michael Azzopardi. A great and intimate concert held for a very few people (despite this, it was standing room only!) in a converted stable. It was billed as "exciting modern jazz originals". Tunes were mainly written by Eric Ajaye, and the playing was stimulating. Look out for this band. They are collecting a mailing list to advertise their performances: contact Eric at the Jazz School.

For info on the Lanyon Concert Series, see http://www.museumsandgalleries.act.gov.au/lanyon/

You can also see Chris Thwaites at Trinity Bar (Dickson) on Tuesday nights from 9pm, and I've caught Michael Azzopardi at Das Kapital (Narrabundah) and Hippo's, and of course, Eric Ajaye at the Kurrajong Hotel on Fridays after work, from 5.30pm.

More venues lost

Tilleys announced it's pulling otu of regular live music. Tilley's is famed, and offered a pleasant, dark, sophisticated environment which attracted some very big international names. The mix of music was eclectic - blues, jazz, folk, etc. But some of the names were fabulous. Thanks to Tilleys, but such a loss.

As I understand it, Canberra Southern Cross Club recently cancelled an upcoming Jazz Club event (a mini festival) and it seems they may be pulling out of their 25-year support for jazz. CSCC was a good (if fairly sterile) environment for lots of good jazz when I first came to Canberra. They've been relegated to tame series of festivals with obvious names and traditional interests recently. Not all bad, but not at the challenging end of the jazz spectrum. I don't feel this as a particular loss, but apparently it's indicative of the closing live music venues around Australia.

Canberra Jazz Club

I've never had much to do with the Canberra Jazz Club. I met the stalwart (Margaret Moriarty as I remember) when I first came to Canberra in 1985. They ran a series of Valentines Day Jazz Festivals in the 90s. They seem to have organised a few small, one-day jazz festivals at the Southern Cross Club in recent years. But they are represented in the phone book, so they are public and contactable. See in the Canberra White pages under "Canberra Jazz Club".

ANU concert series

Keep an eye on the ANU School of Music website for concerts. They are mostly from the classical school, but often enough from the Jazz School. There's a lot happening at the School, mostly for $15 adult entry. Nice to see these people in small, intimate surroundings, although I can miss the noise and commotion of a club venue when I attend concerts like these.

Tonight I challenged myself with Fritz Hauser, a German drummer, playing with Gary France and ANU's DRUMatix. Drums as soundscape, without the rhythm. I thought of Ellington's "It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing", but the performance really demanded more seriousness that that.

See the ANU School of Music website http://www.anu.edu.au/music or contact the Concert Manager to get on the mailing list for program of performances.

ValleyFM radio jazz

I just met Ron Robinson of ValleyFM last night at Hippo's. Ron presents a session at 10pm-12midnight (or later) Thurs nights on ValleyFM (FM89.5 the the Tuggeranong Valley here in Canberra. More info from http://www.valleyfm.com The session is called Blue Trane (how could you fault a name like that?)