dale barlow quintet

the first act for me on the main stage on sunday at the wang jazz festival
2 legends of the australian jazz scene fronting a very appealing lineup
james 'pug' waples on drums again demonstrating the regard in which he is held
favourite-of-mine brother ben waples in charge of the double bass department
and an almost famous chap named bobby gebert tickling the ivories
dale barlow as leader, composer and instigator of this quintet on tenor sax
his old mate bernie mcgann sparring and harmonising on alto sax
so it's a old guard / new guard kind of combination on stage
barlow and mcgann having been strutting their stuff for many years
the waples brothers part of a bunch of young and talented musicians
and thus always good to see them being encouraged by their mentors
not that this is any kind of lip service (groan) that they are being paid
for they are supremely talented and can certainly hold their own
james waples is always a pleasure to watch at work on his kit
a quite hunched posture and unique grasp of his sticks
clearly absorbed and totally focused in the task at hand
always displaying exquisite timing and in the choice of flourishes
ben waples seems to be constantly looking everywhere except downwards
indicating a confident grasp (double groan) on the use of his instrument
bobby gebert - well - brilliant i am sure but kind of side-lined in this outfit
alto saxophonist bernie mcgann is just too solid for words - he delivers
and the man himself always seems to have a great time playing
dale barlow neither a young whippersnapper nor an old pro
not seen much on the circuit but always gives a great show
anecdotes, jokes, retorts, one-liners also rolled out
today he made great use of having an equal on stage with him
these two made it look all too easy as they jammed it up
some superb harmonies in many various tunes with solos to match
a rich, up-tempo, swinging, melodic, comforting sound filling the room (marquee)
which had me with my foot tapping thoughout and head hooked in
though running off on a tangent comparing this to other acts seen so far
there's been some very insistent noise-making improvisors
and an equal number of fresh and experimental combinations
but this kind of outfit sits squarely in the mainstream of australian jazz
mainstream in the sense of centred and totally essential
from which all else kind of hangs off as long as possible
and drawing in elements that can be further enriched
but putting all that aside they are just so easy to watch and enjoy
coming mid sunday afternoon and setting things up nicely
happy now to take whatever else comes my way

way out west

groundhog day at the wangaratta jazz festival of 2008
another midday start at the same stage to see a melbourne based outfit
way out west previously heard of but never actually heard
apparantly they have appeared at a few overseas jazz festivals
this according to the festival program which gave them a big rap
wonderfully atmospheric, intensely evocative - a treat
there's a big crowd in attendance and so the anticipation is high
presumably most of the crowd like myself well sated and into it
following on from a most enthralling day of music the day before
there's wine-sippers in abundance and a few little ones running around
and so a very easy and relaxed atmosphere as the band starts up
all very kind of gentle, groovey, cuban-ish sounding noises coming forth
sax and trumpet up front with 2 percussionists laying in the beat
composer, leader and main man peter knight on trumpet and flugelhorn
paul williamson making a nice deep sound on the baritone sax
dave beck on the regular drum kit now looking far more relaxed
last seen the previous night providing noises to an intense lost and found
ray pereira obscured at back of stage providing the south american percussion
howard cairns stands quietly at the back and plucking away on double bass
and to complete the lineup dung nyugen seated and on electric guitar
the sound is all very nice - an appropriate start to another long day
peter knight takes the time to introduce tunes with some background
on quite a few occasions making reference to their inner-city origins
suggesting a common bond that infuses their music - fair enough
it's all very pleasant latin-jazz-rock-eastern-mixed-up-stuff
though for these ears at this time maybe over-reaching a bit
trying too much to be all things to all people and kind of blanding out
though with a few notable exceptions from the man seated stage left
dung nyugen pulling some exquisite sounds from a precisely tuned guitar
then swapping to a dan tranh - single stringed lap-based instrument
his contributions adding something quite unique to the sound
in the end there was plenty of very polite applause
a lovely way to start the day really
but there's more....

trio apoplectic

part 4 of a continuous stream of a 4 hour stretch of amazing music
and in this case favourite band time at the wangaratta jazz festival
had seen this sydney based outfit just once before in a double-bill
on that occasion i was way impressed with their fine style
apart from looking the part these young chaps make a great sound
legend has it they met at the sydney conservatorium of music and kept going
presumably they welcomed the opportunity to play at this festival
but maybe didn't account for their billing before the megastars across town
lovano and scofield due to hit the stage as these guys finish
but the tyranny of distance presumably kept the crowds away
most i suspect preferring to secure seating there than be here
their loss - making this performance quite initimate and personal
st patricks hall has a nice ambience about it for their sound
dave jackson on a sweet alto saxophone that he has singing
able cross playing the most fluid double bass imaginable
alex masso on drums and percussion filling gaps with style
this is such a well-balanced trio it seems unfair to single out anyone
but dave jackson on alto provides the single largest point of difference
for he makes a floating, melodic, grooving, sweet and hypnotic sound
after a couple of sessions of hardened noise-making this was like manna
just so easy to get completely taken in by their accomplished sound
i'm sure there may not be much difference technically to other acts
but there's a freshness about trio apoplectic that is very appealing
and definitely that over-used cliche is very relevant here
the one about...the whole being greater than the sum of...
not much talk between tunes but the impression is they are all originals
also not much on-stage rapport or communication but not needed
there's a very pervasive sense of respect for each other's part
especially when on occasions a sax, bass or drum part is highlighted
me mr-already-a-fan taking note of the audiences on-going reaction
the first few tunes bringing polite applause from the small crowd
but before long the appluase became louder and longer
leading to a laughable outburst from one enthusiastic listener
as dave jackson pre-announced the last tune of the night
suggesting we would probably all be wanting to get to lovano/scofield
from the audience - to hell with scofield and lovano - this is heaven - i'm staying here
which kind of said it all for me - hard to imagine it getting any better
and so it was that a day of excellent music ended for me on a high
i just hope there was someone in the crowd with some influence
and that this superb performance reaps some reward for the trio
thanks guys - day 2 over and all good

lost and found

part 3 of a 4 part continual string of performances
each starting on the hour at alternate venues
these venues being a good 5 minute sprint-walk apart
so again a walk into a performance (just) underway
in this case there are 3 performers on the large stage
jamie oehlers centre stage and in command of a tenor saxophone
dave beck stage right in charge of drums and percussion
paul grabowsky stage left belting it out on the grand piano
the festival program promised another improvised performance
which in the right hands can be quite exhilarating
mr oehlers is no slouch on his chosen instrument
proof - winner of the world saxophone competition (2003)
the immediate prior performance saw scott tinkler hard at it
my first impression of this show was that of equivalence
a brass player center stage with the ultimate musical freedom
musical colleagues providing support on compatible instruments
but otherwise free to make whatever noise was possible
and in a similar way jamie oehlers gave it everything he had
an unbelievably generous physical performance to say the least
he's a tall and seemingly very fit and athletic chap
his position of choice is knees slightly bent and a straight back
eyes closed and vein-popping exertion of air into his instrument
it's a fairly random sample of sounds he lets rip with
though at times he hooks into an almost-melody that gets repeat play
it's a very commanding performance which dominates proceedings
easy to forget there are a couple of exceptional musos also on stage
paul grabowsky i sensed almost out of his comfort zone
i've only ever seen him performing set pieces for other performers
or presenting seriously complex works of his own composition
his job tonight was mainly to provide relief for the main man
and so as though inspired he gave his keyboards a real bashing
trying and mostly succeeding to be the total free improvisor
dave beck is one of those drummers with an amazing instinctive skillset
not too much indulgence but more a job of sound-filling
adding complementary noises to whatever else was going on
and very much succeeding in filling and not drowning the sound out
a very impressive set by any standard - mental note to get the cd
and as soon as it was over - high tail out of there
the next performance due to start immediately
part 3 - extraordinary - part 4 - coming up

the antipodean collective

walking in late to a performance is not a favourite pastime
but in this case one must-see performance ended as another started
and with the temporary placement of the main stage (tent)
it was a bit of a hot-foot trip through town to this performance
happening in a hall normally next to the regular main venue
(which is currently under re-construction for next year)
the place was almost pitch black and so a gentle tip-toe to the front
found a spare chair (the advantages of gig attendance in solo mode)
then sat down to try and tune into what was coming from the stage
this was a sound like none ever before experienced live
primarily scott tinkler letting rip on trumpet
blasting out every possible noise he could make
mostly full throttled, screaming, stabs of sound
not a melody or any kind of form to be heard
other musos on stage similarly belting it out
now this was a challenge for any audience to take up
improvisation as raw, loud and confronting as it gets
the darkness of the hall and the acoustics adding to the mood
a relatively large audience up for the challenge and taking it in
my thinking that it's a good thing when a musician is so inventive
i'd not seen scott tinkler before but he comes with a reputation
regarded by some as the best trumpet player in the land
and admittedly what had drawn me to this performance
i'm not sure that his medium tonight was entirely embraced
but some vocal audience members whooping it up
for me i found the performance very demanding
in a positive way though as noise is a favourite genre
this performance on this night being a fine example
barely time though to dwell on it at it's conclusion
as it was another dash across town to the next show
gotta love this festival - eclectic performances plus...

bernie mcgann quartet

mr bernie mcgann - he the man
have seen him and this quartet a number of times in sydney
always in a small-ish i.e. intimate venue with usually 30-40 others
so today was an opportunity to see him perform to a much larger crowd
he's on the main stage at the wangaratta jazz festival early saturday evening
my rough estimate would be that there may be 8-900 in the audience
good to see the rhythm section back in their familiar roles
having played part in the opening fiasco of the spare parts orchestra
my opinion entirely and also something way out of their control
ditto with mr warwick alder who was 1 of the 4 trumpet players there
putting the music aside this quartet have a great on-stage comraderie
every other performance i have seen has included plenty of in-jokes
which i think then directly imbibes the music they make together
a sense of the joy of making great music oozes from the stage
today the on-stage chatter was not so discernible
possibly due to the importance and physical size of the stage itself
but that did not have any effect on the quality of the performance
to these ears there is no sweeter sound than their harmonies
bernie mcgann and warwick alder so connected they sound as one
alto sax and trumpet perfectly in sync in timing, key and notes
some quite complex melodies being played but making it look easy
ditto for the rhythm section at the back of stage
while not needing to be so tightly bound they are also very solid
i'm sure bernie mcgann would command the very best performers
andrew dickenson sounds and looks the part for this quartet
nothing at all flashy or even adventurous but delivering the goods
complete with a unique upright seated position, smile and head rotation
making regular eye contact with brendan clarke on double bass
mostly absorbed and concentrating on doing the very best he can
there is no letup for the whole set for this excellent rhythm section
warwick alder and bernie mcgann in some tunes taking turns at solos
allowing the other to be seated or side stage and enjoying the music
bernie mcgann has recorded a heap of albums so lots of material to draw from
though i sense the live performance has been honed down to a regular set
names of tunes recognised as they are announced by the leader
in particular the regular and memorable closing number titled d day
i'm not sure how many appearances bernie mcgann has put in here
probably more than any other single musician or group i suspect
he deserves the accolades as a respected contributor to australian jazz
for me i'm glad i finally hooked into his music in the past year or 2
from here on it's a case of being in attendance at every opportunity
hopefully that means many more shows with this quartet
tonights show being one that brought respectful applause
tick - anything else seen at this festival now a bonus

ilmiliekki quartet

it seems the scandanavians lads were at it again
late on friday night working the cd stall was the first sign
a number of people asking for cds of this group post-performance
they were also the talk of day 2 at the wangaratta jazz festival
a few people i spoke to raving about their friday night performance
drawing comparisons with norwegian group the tord gustavsen trio
who blitzed the festival with 3 stunning performances 4 years ago
the relatively unheard-of ilmiliekki quartet hail from finland
1 other performance scheduled for late saturday afternoon
so i too headed for the main stage with most other attendees
it seems the word travels fast when a new discovery is made
mind you a program write-up referencing radiohead adds appeal also
its a standard drum/bass/piano/trumpet lineup that comes on stage
adding to the appeal is an average age i reckon to be 20-something
i love the old(er) guys but the inventiveness of youth is very appealing
trumpet player verneri pohjola assumes the role of band leader
quietly and politely thanks the crowd and takes it away
leading the band into a set of tunes delivered expertly
the impression being that each note has been rehearsed
the music seems complex and yet quite light and precise
the trumpet particularly sounding very lyrical when in charge
with the other musicians also given time to demand attention
it somehow sounded unlike anything i had heard before
though i couldn't really point to why that was so
tempting to put it down to a generic scandanavian sound
which really is quite a lazy way of describing a group
apparantly they include a few covers in their set
bjork and radiohead being favourite artists to borrow from
so my ears were trying to pick up any known melody
but alas nothing was recognised though highly likely played
each tune was disctinctly different from each other
most memorable though was the last tune in the set
where the trumpet player played a very impressive solo piece
with his instrument pointed well inside the body of the piano
so that the vibration of the piano's strings was picked up
and brilliantly added into the mix of the sound
providing a hauntingly melancholic piece of music
this had the crowd totally besotted and as one
leading to wild and generous applause at its conclusion
this show-closer a ornette coleman tune titled what reason could i give
their whole set justifying the mutterings at the festival
i encountered the band at the coffee stall post gig
thanked them for their eclectic performance
in turn politely and genuinely thanked for being there
methinks that's not the last we'll hear of the ilmiliekki quartet

blow

ted vining has the reputation of being somewhat of an innovator
the afternoon began with his very cool 3 piece the impressions trio
one hour later and that trio is back on stage and now augmented
2 brass players and an additional double bass player now on stage
bob sedergreen has done a 90 degree adjustment to take up electric piano
most interesting about this lineup is the double double bass configuration
as the band was introduced it was announced this was a last minute thing
there was supposed to be a trombone player (simon kent) on stage
but for some reason he could not make it and so ted vining got inventive
went off in another direction and instead filled out the rhythm section
mid afternoon on a quite hot saturday and there's a full house
their record label (birdland) have set up 3 cameras to record the event
so everything is in place for what promises to be a memorable hour
same as before the band kicks in very confidently from the start
dominating the sound is the electric piano at the hands of bob sedergreen
ted vining almost obscured but no doubt quite busy at the back
a very tight and nicely harmonising brass section - sax and trumpet
the double bass department working also in unison very comfortably
which was what held my attention for a lot of the set
having only ever seen a single double-bass player on stage
i had come to believe that mostly they played by feel
always impressively all over their instruments
free to improvise at will as long as the rhythm was there
but today i witnessed 2 players clearly very well rehearsed
almost always playing the same lines but with no cross-reference
which meant there was a solid, rich, fluent rhythm underpinning it all
peter harper on alto sax made the most of all this and let rip
some long, energetic and impressive solos at various times
on more than one occasion leaving him visibly breathless
ian dixon on trumpet also giving his all to the sound
more content i felt to lend harmonies to his foil on sax
i can't recall recognising any tune in particular
though there was a lot of variety in the tunes and delivery
afterwards i had the opportunity to exchange words with ted vining
back at the cd stall where i mentioned the unique lineup
his retort being that he loved the double double bass
would always use it if he had the choice
so we were very lucky to witness it
hope there's a dvd to follow

impressions trio

saturday afternoon at the wangaratta jazz festival
the day starting with a wander off to a side-stage for a gentle start-up
ted vining (drums) is a stalwart of the melbourne/australian jazz scene
i'd seen him previously a couple of years back fronting a serious noise-making combo
memories of a bunch of musicians going randomly hell for leather
probably my first experience of such chaotic live improvisation
and something i now tend to search out and embrace
but today the program's write-up promises something more laid-back
the impressions trio is part 2 of the apparantly legendary ted vining trio
bob sedergreen still at it tickling the ivories - they have played together since 1969
their long-time bass-player (barry buckley) passed away in 2006
his place now being taken by melbournian michael meagher
sure enough the opening tune was gentle, melodic and easy on the ear
those in the crowd sipping on the local wine seemed well pleased
lots of smiles also on stage with the band obviously enjoying the moment
ted vining at centre stage dominates both visually and aurally
nothing too flashy but a solid drumming performance is provided
he seems well happy to be on stage with his old mate stage left
bob sedergreen also content to enjoy the moment and just play
lots of melody, chords, foot-tapping, wine-drinking and smiling
meanwhile stage right is michael meagher laying in the rhythm
looking completely at home with these 2 older jazz proponents
there's a few words from ted and bob at various times
mostly in praise of their newest member whilst mentioning he who is r.i.p.
i suspect the majority of the material was original and even familiar
a very solid mix of piano based up-beat melodic jazz music
the audience lapped it up while i was happy to kick back and relax
a hour long set in the middle and start of a long musical day
nice one - impressions trio - an appropriate name