A bigger chamber

I'd attended an opera and several other small performances before at the modern opera house in Frankfurt, but never the Alte Oper. It's a building of the 1880s, bombed in 1944, rebuilt in the 1970s and reopened in 1981. I checked out what was on and lucked out with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe in the Grosser Saal (seats 2,500). I was chatting with some series subscriber locals (from Hanau, no less, which is already noted in CJ) before the performance and they were especially excited to hear the young Polish/Canadian pianist on the program, Jan Lisiecki. the program was fairly popular: Beethoven Coriolan, Mozart piano concerto no.22, Beethoven 4 and a few Chopins to finish up. I expected a smaller orchestra but it's representing a continent and this is a big chamber. I counted 46 including 3 basses. The opening of Coriolan felt a little wobbly on pitch to my ears but that settled quickly and I noticed such wonderful dynamics, quick expressions, long crescendos, huge variation, so lovely. It's not an easy thing to do. It continued throughout: sweet expression with intention and passion. Sometime a part might stick out, but maybe it should be that way. I wasn't sure. Whatever, I drooled over this ensemble playing. The piano was brought out for Mozart. Yep, a quick and attractive player, again expressive, perhaps a bit impulsive (I could say rushed) on the frequent semiquaver fills. And sometimes lost in the larger sound of the orchestra. Not his fault! It's a request we get often in orchestras playing concerti. Nice to hear it from the other side. I will be more careful! Then an interval and the Beethoven 4 and the Chopin and a warming applause. I think I was lucky with seating. I was in the final row, on a rise, under an overarching balcony. I've found this a good location in Llewellyn Hall, too, and a modest cost. Rear walls, especially those under a ceiling, seem to amplify parts. Nice to chat to a few locals, too, while sad that some conversations are welcomed but fade after seconds given no shared language. It's my weakness for being here not knowing their language, but their strength when they know mine.

The Chamber Orchestra of Europe performed under Andrew Manze (conductor) with soloist Jan Lisiecki (piano) in the Grosser Saal at the Alte Opera, Frankfurt.

Bach close to home

Concert day today. First up is Bach, specifically a cantata "Ach! Ich sehe, itst, da ich zur Hochzeit gehe" (= Oh! I see now that I'm going to the wedding) BWV162. This was embedded in an Evangelical church service at a church I knew but had not seen inside. Telemann Ensemble Frankfurt were the Bach performers, but there was an organist and of course the cleric. I had never attended an Evangelical service, but I recognised plenty from my Catholic days. But we never got Bach! The Telemann Ensemble was SATB singers out front with vln1, vln2, vla, flute, clo, violone and organ/director. The cantata had most sitting out most of the time, but they came together for the chorus movement 6 to finish it all. Otherwise there were snippets of organ and three songs for the congregation to sing with organ accompaniment and a psalm (36:6-10). And a recitation of Matthew 22:1-14 (wedding feast) with accompanying sermon and communion and out. The Bach was lovely. All period instruments so soft gut tones and those four lovely voices up front, mostly individual, but coming together for the final chorus. Bach, of course, was so ingenious, irrepressible, intelligent and other adjectives. The group were a little wavering at first, but settled to comfortable and sweet for long notes and triplet-feeling 12/8 and quick recovery semiquavers throughout. Hearing Bach in Germany just seems right. So to celebrate, I had a local beer in a local, old pub just next door with wattle and daub construction but laid on beer taps and TV and even disco lights. This is how you live with history, I guess.

Telemann Ensemble Frankfurt and Andreas Kohs (organ) performed at a Cantata service at Evangelical Dreikonigskircke (Two Kings church) in Frankfurt. The Telemann Ensemble comprised Simone Schwark (soprano), Anne Bierwirth (alto), Georg Poplutz (tenor), Konstantin Paganetti (bass), Leanne Hinnicks (transerse flute), Nebuko Yamahuchi (violin 1), Kerstin Fahr (violin 2), Keiko Suginaka-Munshgesang (viola), Petra Kohs (cello), Christian Zincke (violone), and Andreas Kohs (organ, director). Pfarrer Jurgen Seidl (liturgy, sermon) led the service. The local pub next door was Zur Glocke.

Thus they save the churches

I'm travelling alone for in Frankfurt so another a day to fill. Not another museum (there are plenty) but I picked up a brochure with a suggested route through churches in the city centre so this was my task. Central Frankfurt was flattened by carpet bombing by the Allies in WW2 so much of the buildings are new and unimaginative, but churches were often not bombed so they could serve to orient bombing raids. They were still damaged and often under repair to these days, so luckily, valuable movable art was also stored for the duration. The result can be disconcerting: paper thin rebuilt history with some glorious historical art works. I also dropped in on a Book fair showing: just a line of books to peruse, but events to happen in the space later. Meanwhile, I also heard an organist preparing for a wedding, met the bride and groom as they entered, heard some very poor bell ringing (presumably first lessons) and had a decent chat with someone I shared a bench with. Thus is the sole traveller yearning for conversation. And today's busker was Oleksander Darmits on violin; nice. Just some pics.

Smiths' sister

It's been a surprise to me that Frankfurt seems to have so few jazz venues. After all, it has 750k in the city alone, plus 5m in the broader metro area and it's a financial centre, so some cluey types. There were a few suggested online but just bars in upmarket hotels but then I found a more obscure place, Mampf. Strange name; strange story dating back to '60s and a place for "journeyman butchers, cone drinker and puzzle fanatics" which was taken over by free jazz in 1972. Now it's a cosy pub with a very small stage in the corner and an interesting musical outfit every night if maybe not professionals. This night was Trio 75, a guitar trio playing original tunes in the style of Abercrombie, e-bass, 16th note rhythms, effected guitars and some really decent interplays and solos. I enjoyed it, got to chat to the players, met an office of architects (the normal collective noun for architects is confusion or argument, but I prefer my invention) out for the Friday night. BTW, the drummer was a local town planner so a friend of the office. As I said, spacey guitar, sharp e-bass (mostly picked, I think) and tight, driving and also very relevant grooves. And grooves benefit e-bass. Plenty of tight little phrasings, stop and starts, unexpected changes, nice fusion chords. Plenty of solos, all around, too. Bass took longs ones; drums was ever ready and just right this night; guitar too, naturally. So a lovely night, but I mused on a few other things on the walk and at the pub. Firstly, it's seems common enough over here to order, receive and consume and only pay at the end of the night from a record jotted on a coaster; I've done it several times. An honour system. I admire it and I guess it works well enough for them to keep it. I like the social implications and expectations of such a system. Secondly, I walked some distance with Google's advice. First up I took the less recommended route and found myself in less comfortable streets, brothels, threatening guys. The return was through a lovely, busy, joyous mall. I've been surprised at how few cars there are here for the population, but a Euro city has density and public transport and a readiness to walk. I'd forgotten how nice that is. Whatever, if you pass through Frankfurt and you enjoy Smith's, I can recommend Mampf.

Trio 75 played at Mampf in Frankfurt. Trio 75 are a guitar trio comprising Markus Kramer (guitar), Chris Ries (bass) and Philipp Gutbrod (drums).

And ivory

Städel's offsider is a lovely but smaller gallery that collects statuary from Egyptian through to the last century or so, the Liebieghaus Skulpturen Sammling. Sadly it seems relatively unloved, or at least poorly attended whenever I visit. I wasn't the only one to notice it, but also not the only to note how undeserved that is. But then it's not a huge collection in any field, except an incredible basement full of exquisite works of ivory. Now ivory is not well thought of these days, what with its relationship to extinctions and colonialism, but the decimation of elephant herds was not of this era: that had to await the arrival of decent armouries to kill animals on an industrial scale. But regardless of the ethical issues, the artistic outcomes are breathtaking. Otherwise, I loved the visits to Egypt, Greece, Rome, Islam, mediaeval, baroque, rococo. All there and so close: touchable, but I don't, but so close to view and experience like an object on your own shelf. And not so large that you need all day to touch on it. Everything to love in a gallery in my book. And my little story of the day. I was looking at souvenirs and found a fridge magnet that's on our fridge. I asked if it's in their collection; I don't remember buying it there. Presumably I did. A staffer took me to see it and was surprised it had been replaced by a new exhibition on early science, the Antikythera mechanism and more. We both learnt something.

The Liebieghaus Skulpturen Sammling (sculpture collection) is in Frankfurt.

Another Frankfurt inevitability

Along with the Städel, the Jazzkeller is another unmissable when I'm in Frankfurt. Impressively, this is its 70th anniversary year. That's 20 years older than the Sydney Opera House and shortly after WW2. I think of the devastation of bombing in Germany and assume that basements were amongst the few usable spaces after carpet bombing. I guess they were used for protection then temporary accommodation, then became available for cheaper uses like jazz clubs. Whatever, it's a classic space with a noble history of major artist visits, if small and acoustically imperfect. This night Jazzkeller featured a quartet around Martin Sasse and Tony Lakatos; I think it was Tony sitting in with Martin's trio. This was good old hard bop done with considerable skill and plenty of solos all round. I heard Martin's piano as playing the changes but with frequently moving chromatic substitutions. Tony seemed mostly a big, fat tenor tone running though chordal cells, interesting in themselves without substitutions, but they were often enough thrown in as well. Vladimir on drums wrote some worthy tunes, not least a lovely ballad, and soloed solidly, heavy on toms and middy-pitched rolls. Martin, this time the bassist, again wrote some interesting tunes, not least one with several somewhat unconnected but effective passages and explosive melodies ending on descending tritones which were nicely played unison by bass and tenor. This Martin sat nicely, undemandingly, but could double up for some light flurries of notes at breakneck speed. Loved that! Otherwise, they played 2 sets of 5 and 4 tunes over a few hours. The Jazzkeller attracts tourists so there were departures in the break then mid-second set and urgently when the gig ended. Thus are the renowned jazz clubs in Europe. But it was an enlivening night out, hearing breakneck swing (the second take on a blues was at 260). The one non-original was Skylark and that was sweet and familiar. Otherwise originals by the trio. The night ws enlivening also for the chats with various people over for the Frankfurt Bookfair (400k attendees and 7k stands in the venue. Wow). I chatted with guys from New Jersey (bigger population) and Finland (smaller population, 5m). Like I chatted with two Fins from a Sami Museum at the Städel yesterday. This is all nicely cosmopolitan and part of why we travel. Oh, and a chat with Martin the bassist, about amps (Glockenklang Blue Bird and Acoustic 8-1 bin) and pickups (again Glockenklang) and strings (Spirocore Weich solo strings tuned down a semitone) and acoustics, but that's just jazz.

Martin Sasse (piano) and Tony Lakatos (tenor) led a quartet with Martin Gjakonovski (bass) and Vladimir Konstadinovic (drums) at the Jazzkeller, Frankfurt.

Catching up with old girlfriends

Catching up with old girlfriends: it's what I told my wife, too, with no repercussions. This girlfriend is a fave Botticelli in Frankfurt. Why a fave? Not sure, really. I have seen better, but this one just fell on me when I entered a room one day and ever since she's been a fave. Botticelli, of course, was a lively character as is trivially obvious in his painting. Pretty men and women with glowing skin and glorious clothing in sensuous poses. What's not to like? This is not the biggest and best past masters gallery, but it's got a nice collection and I get to visit it so it's a personal favourite. And today I noticed myself making connections. There's a Raphael here of Pope Julius 2. I thought I knew it from Rome, and sure enough that's also Raphael with the pope in the same pose. It happened with a Tiepolo, too, where the woman in the transaction if also Cleopatra in Melbourne's major Tiepolo. I suppose they are the same model. And I got bowled over again by the details in Canaletto.  And I love Perugino for having lived in Perugia for a time (and he was Raphael's teacher). But I like earlier periods, too, and more. A multi-part painting of deaths of the apostles was so gruesome as to draw a chuckle. A series of husband/wife portrait pairs had me seeing especially the women as feasible close relatives. And the ordinary life stories with exquisite detail of the Dutch school made me gasp for the beauty of a tiny group in a small painting. I took a break after the old masters and returned for the modern era. That was lucky. Nothing too much there of such beauty and interest so I could get through it pretty quickly. Not that nothing was interesting, but quite a bit wasn't. As a bassist, I feigned objection to a real double bass smashed then memorialised in resin. The artist had done it with 20-or-so bows, too, but they were just for violins. And a modern discovery was Max Beckman who did the most revealing modern portraits of people pairs last century.

And one little musical outing the day of arrival, suffering jet lag. I walked through the very touristy centre of town and heard strains of something I'd played a few years back. Not the original Four seasons, but the Max Richter take. Attractive and interesting. Then I saw the accordionist on button accordion. I didn't listen for so long, but I did catch Libertango and some Bach. Sergei Sadovoy is with an acquaintance who remembered him as an accompanist for a local professional dance group.

The Städler Gallery is the main art gallery in Frankfurt. Sergei Sadovoy (button accordion) played in Markt Lane, behind Römerberg, Frankfurt.

Limestone transforming

I'd been asked to record an expanded Limestone Consort playing Vivaldi Nisi Dominus and more at St Paul's, Manuka.  Always happy to do it if I can and this was an opportunity for my multitrack option which is better but more tension-inducing and time-consuming.  So be it.  Limestone can vary quite radically these days for their concerts.  This one had harpsichord and organ from Ariana, baroque flute and viola d'amore from Jennifer and John and three female voices from Maartje, Veronica and Greta, so a fascinating and very period outing.  It started mild and it was never going to be loud in such a space.  John's viola d'amore is quiet (and demanding to tune!) and the organ and harpsichord are none too loud.  The female voices, though, were strong as were the other strings, so it was very much a matter of balance on the day.  Christoph Graupner (new to me, too) Concerto for flute and viola d'amore was very restrained despite a few vivace movements.  Then two Vivaldi songs with Maartje and Giovanni Battista Vitali Ciaccona op.7 (no, not that ciaconne and not that Vitali: Tomaso Antonio was GB's eldest son).  And then the main work of the day: Vivaldi Nisi Dominus.  Again, not the only one, apparently.  This demanded all performers, although in varied combinations.  Three singers at start and end, with solos and a duet totalling 8 movements.  Religious again, obviously but with an inviting lilting, four-feel top and bottom and three beautiful voices in such lovely harmony: Maartje as alto; Greta as soprano; Veronica as mezzo-soprano.  It was a tight and close harmony at a lovely female pitch and so very beautiful!  So this was not such a long concert and not such a loud or intrusive one, but it had some things of great baroque beauty and a huge please to hear again in my recordings.

Limestone Consort performed Vivaldi and others at St Paul's Manuka.  For this concert, LC comprised Jennifer Brian (flute), John Ma (viola d'amore, violin, viola), Lauren Davis and Michelle Higgs (violins), Clara Teniswood (cello) and Ariana Odermatt (harpsichord, organ) with singers Maartje Sevenster (alto), Veronica Thwaites-Brown (mezzo-soprano) and Greta Claringbould (soprano).

All comes in twos

Today is the day of the Voice referendum vote (written 14 Oct but published 15 Oct, so the outcome remains unknown if predicted).  It's quite cloudy and dark and windy.  Not too pleasant a day, but not raining.  I walk to the local primary school to vote with our two dogs.  They are stubborn and slow but not too bad this day despite the distance.  There are two sides of the vote, of course, Yes and No, and we've heard lots on that over recent months.  Coming in there were two reps plugging their positions but none too intrusive.  A middle aged man wore the No t-shirt; a younger woman wore the Yes t-shirt.  They both responded to our dogs (they are cute; it's common) and the woman offered to care for them while I went to vote.  There were some other dogs tied up so I took her offer.  Nice to see they were civil enough and we could all chat about dogs.  I handed over the dogs and some treats.  Voting was quicker than usual.  Maybe I chose the time well or most were off to MOAD = Old Parliament House to vote.  Certainly voting there would be interesting.  I came back and the two chatted with me, about how the dogs went, how he'd had a long hair as a kid, how dachshunds were bred to hunt badgers, how they'd got a treat.  Then a walk home.  I'm awaiting an expected win by the No-s.  I remember the last referendum, on the Republic, and how Howard had managed that one and how the Republican movement had split.  Like this time.  And how "don't know, vote no" is a mighty river to cross.  For something so little and so undemanding, so powerless.  So what of the twos?  First up is two choices, Yes or No, an inevitability but a demanding hill to climb for any change, especially with two opposing political sides taken.  Second is disagreement on each side, especially the call for a more radical position that results in no change, so no Voice but also no Treaty.  Third is our two dogs and the pleasure of seeing the local reps for Yes and No able to talk to each other.  It's a sign of a relatively healthy democracy and country even while others despair.  Fourth is the two most recent referendums that have failed and how they have choked our ability or readiness to attempt constitutional change (you can add a third referendum under Hawke that also became a political football).  Maybe a fifth, for the ex-British colonies that have found some agreement with their indigenous peoples (Australia is one of the only Commonwealth countries without a treaty with its First Nations peoples  ATNS) and ex-British colonies that remain with British royalty as their head of state (Commonwealth realms Wikipedia).  I just wonder if the old joke of Britain getting rid of the monarchy before Australia will come to pass.  Thus was my outing this morning to vote.  Sadly I missed a pic of our Yes and No reps with our dogs so just a pic of Truffles and Chopper in their more normal habitat.

PS. Here's my recent letter to the Editor, Canberra Times (28 Sep 2023) relevant to the Voice, if slightly tongue in cheek: "Maybe we need more voices to Parliament, not fewer.  The Aboriginal Voice will have no power and presumably its arguments and requests will be reported with its own Hansard and Government and Parliament will make open decisions informed by this input.  But there are others with access to Ministers and pollies of which we know virtually nothing.  Why not create a Big Business Voice to Parliament so we know when and what they are asking for.  And why not others for miners, private schools, property developers, banks, professional services, unions, lobbyists.  Any other suggestions?"

PPS.  It's morning after the Referendum as I write this.  I am not surprised but I am disappointed.  What thoughts?  The ACT is the only area (not state, but territory, so somewhat impotent given the constitution) that voted for the Voice at individual and community level (~2/3 Yes).  Every other state and NT voted No and overall Australians voted ~2/3 No.  It's noted the ACT is the youngest and most educated population and this is some measure of why I like it here (despite the tram!).  As for politics, Albanese spoke of being "ambitious".  Surely, a Voice, an advisory committee, with no power is not ambitious (stop and think: how much less could our Indigenous peoples have asked for?).  It reminds me of Labor's climate action and more.  Maybe, ultimately, it's a winning strategy but it's disappointing in the meantime and I can only hope we don't lose it all from being too meek in the interim.  As for Dutton, his call for reviews on child sex abuse and expenditure smacks of blaming the underdog and he's laid plenty of blame, especially on Albanese.  All pretty obviously political to my ears.  Given recent politics here and overseas, all this is not unexpected.  And as for the radical No-s, what now?  If you can't get a powerless advisory committee in place, what can you achieve from a position dependent on 97% of others?  And as for our media and think tanks (both Warren Mundine ["symbolic declaration of war"] and Jacinta Nampijinpa Price ["... no ongoing negative impacts of colonisation"] are associated with the Centre for Independent Studies) and broader politics, I tend to desperation as with much else these days.  But desperation is easy: what action did I take?  Not much was required here in the ACT, but I was surprised by the misinformed elsewhere and did my little to carry out my "talking cure" (see The Pots!).  I doubt it worked.  And I did write my letter to the editor.  So Australia wakes up once again unchanged with the naysayers claiming just the approach was the problem, then presumably applauding their works at conservative conferences or on relevant boards.  Australia's basically a good place and Australians are basically good people, but it's easy given our wealth and we can be fearful and untrusting and so easily misled.  Referenda are big symbols so they can stop us in our tracks to ask of us and our future.  Our Brexit?  If so, just what is our future?

Dogs and bassists

It was a late arrival for me at Smiths for a visiting Swedish band called Lovi did this.  Now this seemed like a metal outfit with no drums or an indie excursion, with the description Twin Peaks-pop.  Late but I was expecting to hear most of the second set but the band just played one set, so my exposure was limited, but I loved what I heard.  The music and lyrics are from singer Karin up front.  Apparently, it's largely a solo studio endeavour with the band called in for gigs.  Given funding, she was just supported by three others for this tour, bass and two guitars, but Mathias told me of a bigger outfit for European concerts, to 10 players, even with theremin.  Now this is interesting!  From the few songs I heard and the patter, Karin plays with serious themes with honesty and curiosity.  I came in during (Are you the) Dog or the bone, heavy, insistent, offbeat rhythms interspersed with contemplative electronica and inquiring lyrics about power in relationships.  Then another in response to the death of a friend, and a final few tunes in Swedish, the second introduced as a melancholic Swedish wedding song, but beautiful like love.  There's an honesty here that's obvious but also somewhat obscured by subtle lyrics.  It's how I like it.  My hearing was too short, but I was taken by it.  So a chat with band and I learned more: about the tour and the band back home and the interest in travelling to Australia and the opportunity to visit during major political events, the Voice referendum and the NZ election.  And that 12 Oct was International Hug a Bassist Day.  Well, I never!  No doubt, we deserve it!  [Apparently drummers got their day on 10 Oct]. So did Karin with her intimate, intriguing and insistent music.  I wish I'd heard more.  Have a listen on Bandcamp, Spotify...

Lovi did this performed at Smiths during their tour from Sweden.  Ldt are Karin Beckérus (vocals, compositions, omnichord, melodion) backed by Sofia Ström (guitar), Tomas Isacsson (guitar) and Mathias Elovsson (bass).

This is CJBlog post no. 2,700

Dinantians

Another gig at OCI and a few visitors and sit-ins but that was not all.  We're playing differently recently, more varied, sinuous, changeable, and that's huge fun and satisfying.  I'm enjoying my solos all of a sudden where I'd been somewhat lost.  I have ideas why but not for here, but any muso knows the comings and goings of this game.   That's the nature of live performance , especially improvised jazz performance, but also for a band that doesn't play too often.  Summer is threatening and the audience at OCI is growing, if outside.  We had a few groups of mates, not least Annabel and Alysa and Cedric and Anna.  Alysa and Anna sat in for a few tunes in different keys, as is the way with singers.  All hugely enjoyable and somewhat a variation on the standard Tilt scene, although we often enough invite friends up to perform.  Also a visiting drummer from the days of the OCI jam sessions.  So much fun and quite successful.  We don't ask for much more.  As for the Dinant reference, that's the birthplace of Adolphe Sax and the destination of an outing with Alysa and Anna in Belgium some time back.

Tilt Trio performed at Old Canberra Inn with sit-ins from Alysa Ingles (vocals) and Anna Davies (piano).   Tilt are James Woodman (piano), Dave McDade (drums) and Eric Pozza (bass).

Missing hand(el)

Walking to the bedroom you know very well but half the floor is missing.  At least that's how Rowan explained his concert with a heavily bandaged and temporarily disabled finger.  Rowan's concert was entitled Faure and Handel but the program changed on Monday after an injury on Sunday but he still did it and it was still pleasant and really capable.  Maybe a bit more restrained and heavy on the right hand melodies while light on left hand chords, but it still happened.  Helen joked that Rowan had set a high bar for a cancellation at Wesley.  He had.  With a late changed program and an unusable finger, he played a few trad. Irish folk tunes, some baroque dances interpreted by contemporary Bernard Andres, a few Debussy hits including Clair de lune and Pachelbel Canon in D.  A popular concert of considerable pleasure carried out with some humour and a significant, happily temporary, restriction.  Very satisfying and also aphoristic.  After all, the show must go on.

Rowan Phemister (harp) performed despite an injured finger at Wesley.

Zone calls

Sean Coffin visited Smiths to play with the locals.  He's touring with the band name Zoning laws referring to his improvisation method, Flow zoning, that he's writing up into a PhD.  I found it a fascinating contrast after a similar lineup the previous night under John Mackay, another sax star although quite different in style.  Not sure I can express the differences too well, but John seemed more fluid, fast and mellifluous while Sean was loud, powerful and choppy.  Both were impressive performers at a very high level but obviously style-wise diverse.  I asked Sean about his method.  If I got it right, it's seven x five note cells that can be applied variously to chords and tonalities and made more complex and varied with a range of technical modifications and embellishments.  Best to await his PhD release, but I enjoyed the determined, abrasive, potent soloing.  The band played just 7 tunes, so were generous with improvs all round.  The tunes were all from the standards repertoire, but a note suggested his technique lead to compositions, so I guess that complexity is held for his regular band.  But this local pickup band was no slouch.  Interestingly, I overheard one person suggesting that Sean should tour with this band.  Certainly they were impressive.  Nick McBride was long known to Sean; Chris Pound and Lachlan Coventry were more recent contacts.  They all blew a storm and all took significant, extensive solo spots and defined their time with aplomb and improvisational interest.  I particularly followed Chris, of course, and was floored by a few particularly expansive solos.  He can play changes neatly and with interest and variation but those solos often reach to the heights, using big intervals and chordal-like hand shapes and one just stopped me with a quick descending harmonic pattern to die for.  Nick and Lachlan were pretty good too(!)  So was Sean, as I said.  So I enjoyed this gig.  The 7 tunes that spanned the two sets were Sonnymoon for 2, Stablemates, Darn that dream, Milestones (old), Alone together, Invitation and You don't know what love is.  So some personal, less common choices, but all in the fake books.  Sean ended by commenting on how jazz can be created with people who just meet.  I doubt he's ever played with this combination but you wouldn't know.  Just another fabulous intellectual jazz treat.

Sean Coffin (tenor) led Zoning Laws standards ensemble at Smiths with Lachlan Coventry (guitar), Chris Pound (bass) and Nick McBride (drums).