Pleasant surprise

I booked the internationals for the Capital Jazz Project, given that I've seen many of the locals over the years and would more likely see them again. One international act was the Ospina Brothers form Colombia and I knew nothing about them. They were two brothers and two South American support players based in NYC. Each brother led a trio for one set. Colombians; latin fusion was mentioned. Since the days of Diz, jazzers have loved latin for the rhythms, the patterns, the clave, the space for improv and the life of it all. I lucked on a great night. These brothers were young, on an early tour. At least one had studied at Berkeley. There was enjoyment and energy and enthusiasm here. There was a source in the rhythms of Colombia, from the seaside and the mountains and the plains. There was some singing. There were arrangements. Andres' e-bass was modern, 5-string, playing with slap and fingers and chord style, and plenty of nice solos and nifty little written lines. The drums weren't drums but percussion. Marcel sat on a cajon, had bells on one leg, played two djembe and another drum and several stacks of cymbals with sticks and hands and brushes and brooms (yes, brooms! You could have used these for cleaning the floor and the sound was soft and fat). There were some very nice divisions of the beat here. I especially liked the congas with their more cutting, higher tones. Juan Andres played the first set with his jazz-influenced takes on Ecuadorian grooves and plenty of effective jazz solos and just a few songs. Nicholas sat in for one tune on maracas and this was a revelation. I've only ever seen them played as something simple, but this was all body movement and rich rhythms and true interpretation of the tune: maracas as a genuine instrument. Nicholas led the second set on piano and plenty of singing. I guess he was more true to a folky Colombian music, more sentimental, less jazzy improv-ed. Juan Andres sat in for one song on some nicely effective melodica. I caught some lyrics but mostly didn't catch the titles. What a pleasant surprise! Young guys; enthusiastic, lively and likeable; interesting takes on Colombian latin grooves. Much enjoyed!

Juan Andres Ospina (piano, vocals, melodica) and Nicholas Ospina (piano, vocals, maracas) were supported by Andres Rotmistrovsky (e-bass) and Marcelo Woloski (percussion). They played at the Street Theatre for the Capital Jazz Project. They were introduced by Caroline Stacey (Artistic Director & CEO Street Theatre) and the Colombian Ambassador, Dr Clemencia Forero-Ucros.

Leggero

Stefano Bollani had the most incredible touch that made the Street Theatre's Yamaha grand sound astounding. And he was a monster who could play anything at any speed and drop into dissonance on call, even when it wasn't expected, not least by the audience. And his mate Hamilton de Holanda is probably the best 10-string mandolin player I've heard. He's even been described at the Hendrix of the mandolin, although I can't imagine his the Stars and Stripes would bleed quite like Hendrix' did. HdH was all speed and accuracy and all the right lines that spelt every chord. Not sure I caught dissonance here: mostly consonant but so correct. Correct like what I've heard before, but then I've heard a lot of soloing on changes just like this. Stefano was a great showman, too, prancing and feeding the audience for its entertainment value. That's good and it got a standing ovation and some serious foot stomping for the encore. Not sure I've heard foot stomping quite like this before. But I found it all a bit light, even if the chops were evident and very obviously impressive. I'd like to have heard Bollani in a different format. This one was effective for the latins they played, but tonally limited and didn't offer great variation. Both were obvious masters of their instruments, but just not quite my animator for the night.

Stefano Bollani (piano) performed with Hamilton de Holanda (mandolin) for the Capital Jazz project at the Street Theatre.

Class war

Class war ... got your attention? The Conservative press consistently claims it and specifically attacked Wayne Swan for it. But theirs is a flimsy argument (as are most of these emotionally ridden arguments, doctors' wives, latte-sipping, Howard's battlers and the rest - little evidence and maximum absence of thought). But fellow billionaire, Warren Buffett, laid it on the line “There's class warfare, all right, but it's my class, the rich class, that's making war, and we're winning” (interview with Lou Deed on CNN, 25 May 2005) and it's only intensified since, especially here in Australia with the Abbott Government. Now this is emotive stuff, so we need at least some evidence, like the increasing share of wealth held by the wealthy, the rates of taxation paid by the wealthy and the corporates, the loss of power by workers, the debased level of support for the disadvantaged, the denial of science for short-sighted profit motives, the last two budgets even if 2014 was more transparently serving wealth, the profligacy of the Howard government in good times (take OECDs word for this, not mine; too much here on matters of economy: evidence disproves that the Libs are the better economic managers, certainly not in recent years) and arguments against expenditure on the rebound. I could go on, but my purpose is other.

I heard Wayne Swan speaking at Politics in the Pub. WS was the class war bette noir for the conservatives. BTW, he was also the treasurer that guided Australia successfully through the greatest economic turndown since the Depression and a winner of international award for this very feat (Finance Minister of the Year 2011 / Euromoney magazine; previously won by Keating; on the other hand, the IMF found Costello was the most profligate treasurer for 60 years). Why did WS win the medal? Because he had the wit to follow Treasury Secretary Ken Henry's classic Keynesian advice "go early, go hard, go household". How he was ridiculed for it, and what a joke now with the shoe on the other foot and the budget deficit doubled in less than 2 years. So what did Swannie say? Inequality is the biggest international issue. The current government's approach is a combination of Fightback and Workchoices and this is a classic recipe for US-style economy. This at a time other UK and US (admittedly from the Center for American Progress) are seeking to emulate our model that shared benefits relatively well over the last 30 years. Budget 2015 has a "few bells and whistles" but is an "elaborate comb-over" (nice one!): the "stench of unfairness" remains ($80b cuts to states for education and health are still there as are deregulated degrees and family benefits cuts) and it "fails the growth test too". Labor kept unemployment at 5.n%; the budget is predicting 6.n% under optimistic growth predictions of 2.5% prepared by the Treasurer's office, not by Treasury (a political giveaway). They "bungled economic transition from mining to non-mining". They are "enthralled by trickle-down" so "all deficit or debt is bad" even when IMF is promoting borrowing for effective infrastructure at historically low interest rates. There was a passing mention of Larry Summers and his "secular stagnation thesis". I have long argued that the Right have taken on the radical position that the Left held in early-mid 1900s. Their issue is the role of government, not the economy: government should be minimal; the fittest will survive. Our Right is being Americanised: the plutocracy with its Tea Party rump is flexing its moneyed muscle. WS said the replacement of Workchoices with the Fair Work Act radicalised the Right ("just payback for Workchoices"): "their enduring solution is to tip the balanced between labour and capital in Australia". Howard had a RET and ETS and it was accepted by business but climate change is now a "proxy issue" along with the rest. And a certain media plays its role as "dangerous class warrior".

There were questions. Yes, carbon pricing and the rest was working and it was mostly dismantled, but "big reforms need to be done 2 or 3 times", viz. Medicare, tertiary education. This government may be the worst one in 50 years (the questioner called Abbott "the destroyer"; I have fretted over how easy it is to demolish and how difficult to build and Abbott has certainly demolished*). But Swannie reminded that it's hard to change first term governments, that long-term commitment is required ("hang on in there for a while") and argued that the Left, more idealistic and passionate, can be its own enemy by attacking its own side for smaller failures (recollections of the Old Left, here). He cited constant attacks from environmentalists despite the success on carbon pricing: "until we learn to compromise, we will always be out". Similarly, Labor was attacked from its own side on cuts to foreign aid, but now we see the real destruction. Amusingly, the next comment, that Shorten is not persuasive, was just an immediate example of Swannie's thesis. This government is "brutalising and dictating to the APS like never before". One proof is that the Treasurer's Office, not Treasury, did the forecasts for the last budget (!), and that Medical Research Fund investments will be decided directly by the minister's office (!!! consider this, given the scientific illiteracy and obstinacy of this government over climate change). Why doesn't some business break ranks? There are plenty of good people in business in Australia but the economy is essentially dominated by just a few mega-corporates: 4 banks, ~6 miners, 2 retailers, insurance and one media company. For this, read Clout or Libs as the "Billionaire's Party". Democracy can overcome but it's difficult when the richest can buy the biggest megaphones. China/US is the "biggest strategic challenge in a long time" and of greatest concern to China's neighbours. Why is a budget surplus such a big issue? Swannie didn't sound such a mad commie on budget management: "there's no magic pudding"; "build up reserves in good times"; "need to grow the economy to do good things". On the other hand, the conservative mantra is in denial, using a "starve the beast strategy" to shrink government and flatten taxation [and I reckon, talking in an echo chamber so they believe their own imaginings]. Perhaps the saddest thing for me is how counterproductive so much of this is, as we waste wealth and energy and time dismantling and rebuilding, while it's getting hotter, the rich are getting richer, our privacy and respect for government is being eroded and the rest. This rabid ideological and cultural war is pretty dumb and uninformed. After all, it's not as if the Labor party hasn't already moved well to the right of Menzies. Enough is never enough for the ideologues on either side, and at least at the moment the ideologues are on the Right.

Wayne Swan spoke at the UniPub for Politics in the Pub for the Australia Institute.

*Cumulative list of actions of the Abbott Government

Roiling

Eric Harland's gig was a writhing, roiling, rhythmic adventure. The band is called Voyager and he promised a voyage with his opening words. They played two sets with an interval. Each set was nonstop, a medley of 3 or 4 tunes from one or another album. I didn't particularly take note of the tunes or melodies. The whole merged into a maelstrom of groove punctuated, or perhaps more accurately, coloured with solos: solos more as features than as individual statements. They seemed to come and go. Some were particularly notable. Drums took a big feature towards the end (common enough and huge with a master like this). Piano had one display of unaccompanied classical chops and another bop-styled solo that stood out, and another that was described as a feature (on the encore, Maiden Voyage) that was, to my ear, more richly varied harmonic accompaniment than solo. Julian on guitar took frequent solos or inserted single line responses, all clear with just some driven edge from a Telecaster. He could play some devastating, light, lithe sweeps but these were not frequent. His approach was more formal, crisp, with regularity that spoke of exercises over octaves. Sax spelt much of the melodic movement while mostly immersed in a sea of groove although also making several clear solo statements. It was hard work for the bass, responding to this maelstrom; he took an occasional little spot, but job seemed to be mostly following Eric's kick while spelling the changes. Eric had two kick drums and the layout allowed Harish to see at least one beater. The compositions were nothing spectacular but the performance was to die for. To my ears, Eric Harland defined it all. He'd sit on most complex grooves, unyielding or mutating, moving accents and features and tonality at will. This was chops holding immense, sustained, unreleased tension. Bars split with 16ths, triplets, whatever, for dense colour and life. I was amused to hear a passage of occasional hits on kick drum backing the sax feature: he had two bass drums and the two tones became evident and the divisions of the beat was so clever, irregular yet spelling clear time. He smiled here, picked up some little hand percussion, took a drink from a water bottle. All in the line of work. There's a YouTube video that I have yet to watch that has Eric Harland explaining how to make a five interesting (Eric Harland on making 5 pattern more interesting, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHxMg4Dm6rs). Basically, it's by "accenting the 5th beat in every other cycle. Then moving it around for a different effect." Yeah, we had a lesson last night in just this and it was a thing of wonder. This was exhilarating and a display of just how good the best can be. Just one style, simple melody, interesting features, but some of the hottest, most intense and exciting rhythms I've heard.

Voyager were Eric Harland (drums), Walter Smith III (tenor), Julian Lage (guitar), Taylor Eigsti (piano) and Harish Raghavan (bass). They played at the Street Theatre for the Capital Jazz Project.

doubleplusgood

Capital Jazz Project looks incredible this year, timed and fed as it is by performers from the Melbourne Jazz Festival. First up for me was Bad Plus and they were very good. I'd known of them for the hubbub over their takes on Nirvana Teen Spirit and Blondie and the rest but they've now got to 10 albums and still visiting grunge and pop but playing plenty of their own compositions. This gig was all originals. They all composed fairly evenly. And what tortuous, fascinating, compositions they were! Heavy on complex and changing times and pauses and inserted bars and long, long bass lines and mutating rock grooves. And not just rhythm. I was intrigued by the flyover piano with dense dissonance, the rapid and long phrases, the repeating chords and single notes. Bassist Reid told me after that they all write on piano. No way they could compose these harmony changes without a piano (or a perfect ear) at hand. They had all studied classical con, and that too makes sense of the immensely dense and cerebral music and odd changes. I notice that John Shand heard it as a "collective predisposition to engage the intellect much more than the heart"*. I could feel that too but I wasn't at all disappointed, rather, I was intrigued. This was a performance of seriously considered music, created in the mind and performed in the flesh and considerably embroidered if not too much improvised. Not a gig of virtuosic flings and flourishes, but of thought and invention. Bad Plus play themselves; even when they are playing covers, they are identifiable. I wasn't particularly taken by any one solo, even if some piano had me intrigued, but I was fascinated and deeply satisfied by this gig. Not just swing. Unexpectedly plusgood, even doubleplus.

Bad Plus are Ethan Iverson (piano), Reid Anderson (bass) and David King (drums). They performed at the Street Theatre for the Canberra Jazz Project.

*Good vibes in Basement as solos eschewed for fuller sound / John Shand in SMH 28 May 2015, http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/the-bad-plus-review-good-vibes-in-basement-as-solos-eschewed-for-fuller-sound-20150528-ghbbxf.html#ixzz3bmh0jpDe, viewed 1 June 2015

Goosebumped

Mike Dooley writes seriously good songs and not just out of the American songbook, even if he introduced one as "written in 2012, should have been written in 1942" and a bloke beside me said the music is timeless. They are both right. Mike has imbibed the styles and capability of the era, the changes, the lively grooves, the lyrical melodies, the witty rhyming lyrics. These tunes just sound right, never forced into a straightjacket by an ill-considered chord or uncomfortable line. Even when the words are slightly tortured, the phrasing twisted into a melody, it works, it's humourous, it's clever. But beyond the songbook, Mike's also written the mystical-sounding mid-Eastern Across the Gulf, several heart -on-sleeve sentimentals, Incurable and the immensely gorgeous Soliloquy, the funky Zymergy (the last word in the dictionary, to be the final tune in some future fake book), the latins Symbiosis and Kiss the sunrise, the ever-rising spine-tingling goose-bumping Upward spiral (a killer amongst gun-toters) and the immensely wistful theme (picked up for the local film, Locks of love) Edge of time. I've played these tunes and love them, but they took on a new life as I listened, with a mix of great support musicians: piano, guitar, bass, drums, a horn section for some tunes, a string quartet for others. And Rachel at the heart of it all, who has sung with Mike as the duo, In2Deep, for several years. She's such a good singer, lively, capable, interesting, great voice with long-term experience. And she and Mike make a great vocal pair, sweet harmonies over a satisfying musical conversation. I was not the only one tapping along. One couple danced with the excitement of it all, despite unlikely surroundings. This was a CD launch and Mike was chuffed that even the barman bought a copy. After all, this is not Sia's writing for Rhianon and Beyonce and Katy Perry; the writing may be timeless but not quite so pop-commercial current. But the crooners are still touring and there are winning songs here for more than just their ilk. This is the real deal. Mike, great writing; Rachel, great singing; band, great support.

In2Deep launched their new CD at the Dickson Tradies. In2Deep are Mike Dooley (piano, vocals, compositions) and Rachel Thorne (vocals). They were supported on the night by Camilo Gonz (guitar), Philip Dick (bass), Steve Richards (drums), Dan Bray (tenor, soprano), Rouslan Babajanov (alto, soprano), Mark Du Rieu (trumpet, flugelhorn), Rob Clements (trombone), Timothy Wickham (violin), Anne Horton (violin), Iska Samson (viola), Alex Voorhoeve (cello)

New however

This concert was 12 pieces from 12 composers played by 15 performers. It's new music, but not all experimental. A few were. Some were more through composed, lyrical even, although tarred with minimalism. That's cool: I like minimalism. These were some of my favourite pieces. With the best intentions, I can find classically trained noise is often tiresome. I warm to it with evidence of skills and otherwise, sometimes, even when I just close my eyes. But my favourite pieces were through composed and performed with traditional skills and a conductor. Wings by Nahed Elrayes and Quartet no.1 by Ryan Sanderson appealed most. But others attracted me for various reasons. Piece 2 by Andrew Ryan was a composed jazz-rock with oboe lead (!). Hodge Podge by Yee Ning Ellen Chan and Themed variations by Lachlan McIntyre were interesting and featured some impressive violin from Helena Popovic. There was more too; my apologies for not mentioning each piece. Alexander Hunter performed by had also guided the students in the process of development and rehearsal over the last six months. New music, new in style or in date. Whatever, it's what's being made at ANU now.

The past to hear now

There was nothing new to this gig, of course, other than that we'd never visited the Swiss Ambassador's residence before. But I enjoyed it immensely. Partly because the music was the standards, old and last century but timeless. It was set up like a concert, with rows of seats and the band out front, under lights which were dimmed for a much better atmosphere. It's a formal layout even if the atmosphere was fairly relaxed. I was interested that a string of people were tapping feet even if staring concert-like at the band. There were others who didn't move a jot and I wondered if this was all before their time or outside their experience. I dreaded there was maybe an age-component to the foot tapping. The band did a great job: relaxed, playing carefully, tastefully and nicely cool. Rachel's voice was not-unexpectedly controlled and rich in interpretation and subtle play. Lachlan was on guitar (I usually see him playing bass these days) and this was expressive with clear melody and limited flourish. Simon's bass was great, especially some nicely spelled solos, and Chris was a welcome return (I haven't heard him for some time) with careful detail and light touch. And those tunes! Some obvious but also some lesser known and some delightfully playful: Doodlin' and Centerpiece are clever and twisted in performance and humour; Honeysuckle Rose is just delightful; Just squeeze me and Love for sale and Do nothing till you hear from me are intentionally mischievous historical gems; The nearness of you is a favourite ballad of mine; there were a few others. These guys do the standards with the touch of the period, serious and well played but with the musical smile they deserve. Lovely.

The Here and Now comprised Rachael Thoms (vocals), Lachlan Coventry (guitar), Simon Milman (bass) and Chris Thwaite (drums). They played a gig at the Swiss Ambassador's residence. Thanks to Ambassador HE Mr Marcel Stutz.

First up, Salzburg

This is Mozart in three cities but I hadn't realised it was 3 concerts for 3 cities. For the first concert, Erin Helyard and Skye McIntosh were playing Salzburg. Its early in Mozart's career and the first sonata, for Keyboard and violin Eb major was clearly early The later ones were much more sturdy, adventurous, comfortable with composition and instrumentation. But they were all evident and hugely attractive. Mozart is like that, after all. And the pairing of Erin and Skye was similarly comfortable. They'd studied together at the Sydney Con, sometime, and played together in Pinchgut Opera and otherwise. Erin was playing a modern replica of a traditional fortepiano. Julie and I chatted of the different tones of these period instruments, not so forceful or loud, a softer bass and ringing trebles. And the violin that's gentler, less firm and forceful. But that's just period instruments. Erin's playing was confident, sure; Skye a little more reticent, and this fitted with what I felt was a lesser role. The violin spoke melodies but the busyness and audacity was in the accompaniment. Must be Mozart, I guess. They played 3 sonatas together (Eb, G, Bb) and Erin played one solo sonata (G) and a set of variations on Salieri. The tone was a nice fit for this lofty space with serried rows of listeners and a most unassertive stage. All lovely and informative and a first step in a performance history of Mozart's works for keyboard and violin. The next are Mannheim and Vienna, sometime in July and August. Looking forward to it. BTW, this all happens in the Great Hall at ANU University House with its massive Leonard Feather backdrop.

Erin Helyard (fortepiano) and Skye McIntosh (violin) performed early Mozart in the Great Hall of University House.

Afghanistan and implications

I've just been to hear Christina Lamb speaking to introduce her new book, Farewell Kabul : From Afghanistan to a more dangerous world, and I'm satisfied. Why? Because there was nothing that really surprised me. I've been worrying about the quality of democracy recently - of voters as uninformed, of politicians as self-serving and blinkered. It wasn't that I had my impressions changed by this discussion, by this veteran (in experience not age) foreign correspondent. Actually, her descriptions of the situation and the roles of politicians and the West and of the common humanity of people didn't conflict with anything I expected. And I don't think it's that she was ideological and I shared that ideology although she's of a post-Enlightenment and democratic world-view and that suits me fine. But she was informed and had contact with the place and people and the culture and she knew the story. She was critical of many aspects of the West's involvement in the Middle East, not least Bush and Blair (our own man of steel didn't get a mention) but she also disagreed ("a cynical view") with a questioner who saw the West's involvement as simply a means of pouring money into armaments industries. It's virtually always a mix of issues - ignorance, cockiness, money, influence, ideology and more - that underlies such tragedy. Some used to claim "it's all the oil" but I was always more comfortable with the less-dogmatic line "not just the oil, but would we have been there if there was no oil?". It's been a day of such awarenesses. An article by Krugman, who always speaks so clearly, arguing that The West in Iraq (under Bush) was "a mistake ... but worse... it was a crime" (Iraq war worse than a mistake, it was a crime, in Canberra Times, 20 May 2015, Times2, p.5). If you followed the story at the time, it was clear that WMD was not confirmed and the aftermath just proves that. This was one piece of evidence. Krugman offers more. And as for the status of democracy, another article looked at democracy in Australia and observed that "Winning elections requires a focus on the 'median voter' ... Median voters are assumed to be self-interested, short sighted and conservative, but also rational, family focussed and personally aspirational. This is common to many developed democracies" (Convergence theory explains the lack of choice in Australian politics, by Benjamin Reilly (Murdoch University) in The Conversation, 18 May 2015). Nothing unexpected in any of this, but there is disappointment and despair.

Excuse the preamble; what did Christina say? She noted that Abbott had decided, when the Australians left Uruzgan, that the war was worth it. She wrote her book to consider this question. It's informed by her diaries of 28 years as an Afghan correspondent and by her awareness of the costs of the war. She spoke of her arrival, meeting contacts, of the Russian invasion and the US's support for the mujahedin. Of people she knew, places she visited, of fundamentalists and Taliban and the disastrous and confused situation at present. Of how Afghanis have changed, of their poverty (ave. 80 pence pd pp) and of the increased poppy production (increased 30X from when the US went in!) and of the status of women. That some good has been done (education, health) but that monies ($US1 trillion) were squandered on foreign consultants and the rest. And who thinks we are safer now? Of the wars that spread from Libya to Ukraine (whack-a-mole wars that pop up where-ever). She noted we are now going in again, this time against IS, the fourth time in recent history. Of Karzai's dress sense and inabilities, of the West's (arrogant) ignorance, of the tribal complexities and corruption (2 months of every year's income is estimated to be lost to bribes in Afghanistan). Of Pakistan playing both sides and of lack of trust. Of Obama's "drones as a substitute for policy". Of a telling Afghan saying: "the Devil fell in Kabul when he was expelled from Heaven". Of lack of action in Syria and other actions that produced a "breeding ground" for ISIS. Lessons? "Listen to people" and "be determined / seize opportunities", "get to know countries" and "create contacts". Blair still thinks going into Iraq was the right thing to do, but few others (except perhaps Jeb Bush given recent reports). Another factoid: $US1m was spent per soldier pa in Afghanistan as everything was imported.

So my outcome from this day and this talk? I guess it's satisfying to test your awareness and not find it wanting. But that doesn't bode well given my pessimism on many fronts: climate change, inequality, political influence and the rest. Christina Lamb launched Farewell Kabul : From Afghanistan to a more dangerous world at an ANU / Canberra Times meet the author event. William Maley convened. Christina Lamb, Afghanistan, democracy, William Maley