sima piano fundraiser night

sima - sydney improvised music association
piano - a brand spanking new yamaha c7 grand piano
fundraiser - they now need the funds to pay for this $50,000 item
night - 6 local pianists playing in solo mode on this stunning looking instrument
it's a full house tonight with a buzz of anticipation in the air
the piano centre stage under the spotlight looking the part
a couple of quick and appropriate speeches and into the music
andrew robson (sans saxophone) playing mc for the night

judy bailey is first up and announces her nervousness at this responsibility
i've not seen or heard her but understand she is well respected
particularly amongst her peers and the jazz fraternity
her first tune sounds like a scott joplin ragtime piece
which sounds out of place to my ears in this venue
but at it's conclusion judy informs us of her intention
tonight she is going to play a sample of tunes from the greats
ellington, waller, monk, corea some of the names quickly mentioned
30 minutes of lovely music which sets a fine standard for those to follow

chris abrahams is next and for me one of the likely highlights of the night
i'd got there early enough to have a choice of seat and so well positioned
looking directly onto the pianists and able to clearly see their hands at work
which is the most striking thing about the playing of chris abrahams
his body remains largely motionless throughout his performance
tonight his hands and fingers flutter continuously across the keyboard
this piece of improvisation totally beguiling in it's form and presentation
building to a climactic and familiar sounding conclusion (the necks?)
chris quietly exitting the stage to rousing applause from an engaged audience

mark isaacs is then introduced - he being the instigator of the purchase of the piano
so this his first performance on it is of special significance for all concerned
in contrast to those who have gone before mark isaacs is a visual performer
legs stomping, head swaying, sitting/standing, voice and mouth at work
and in one part of his improvised performance his head resting on the piano
while his hands continued to be used to demonstrate his dexterity as a performer
one of his favourite tricks is to stand and manipulate the strings in the piano's body
which had me thinking this piano is now well and truely inducted into the sound lounge
his performance providing another example of the diversity of the local talent

matt mcmahon provides another contrasting performance for the evening
choosing to stand at the microphone before each piece to explain it's source and inspiration
so back into compositon rather than improvisation for his time under the spotlight
matt explains that unaustralian of the year has been written for the ocassion
thereby demanding complete attention from a quiet and respectful audience
there's a very strong sense of melody with his lightness of touch on the keyboards
this and every other tune highlighting the beautiful tones the piano is emitting
his music to me not far removed from the george winston windham hill 80's sound
which may be an unfair comparison for this accomplished contemporary performer

mike nock would hold a senior position on the board of trustees for jazz music
a much loved and admired musician, composer, mentor and entertainer
tonight he is on stage and giving his verbal blessing to the significance of the new piano
essentially providing a guarantee that it alone will be a major drawcard
he then tentatively takes his position and gives us a sample of his own skills
in a way providing a summary of all that has gone before in this evenings performances
he is a confident improvisor, but his sense of tune and melody is also apparant
so in a very short time he is well in command of the instrument
but it's all over very quickly - perhaps things are running late - we settle for quality

rai thistlethwayte has been included on tonight's bill in a touch of genius
i'm sure there would have been a few sneers in the audience - a pop singer!
but this chap is also an accomplished jazz pianist with his own large audience
so he is more capable than most of moving sima and it's music to a bigger place
tonight he set the scene by striding on stage and reciting a poem from his blackberry
then proceeded to belt out 2 long pieces of stunning rock-infused jazz piano
i spent most of the time looking on in wonder at his skills and sense of timing
thinking that being lead singer of thirsty merc must be like a day job
providing the necessaries to indulge himself as tonight in some serious piano-playing

all in all a very special night - musically sensational - hopefully financially so also

mongol

there's been some very mixed reviews of this epic film
i'd seen the trailer a couple of times and was drawn to it's scope
some stunning looking scenery shots highlighted in the trailer
the opening scenes confirming the intention to capture scale
so that sprawling shots of outdoors mongolia are quite beautiful
drawing the viewer into a sense of another time in a healthier world
it's a slow and gentle start with genghis khan as a 10 year old child
travelling by horseback to a village to select a future bride
and already displaying some strong character traits
the return journey sees the murder by poisoning of his father
meaning the young boy becomes the khan of his tribe
grown up before his time and forced into various violent confrontations
at this stage of his life there is hostility between neighbouring tribes
in the first of many on-screen battle scenes the brutality is evident
even if the effects used to portray the bloodletting are dubious
but the point is made - he lives in a very violent time and place
similarly the director is at pains to point out his virtues
a noble leader, a loyal and doting husband and father
which surprised me as i had always thought he was a total despot
and so it was that i resigned myself to this being a good yarn
though thankfully from a russian director so subtitles were required
meaning the sense of authenticity in the language at least was preserved
and on this night thankful for subtitles with a long outage in the theatre sound system
during this period i did sense a strong lord of the rings deja vu
particularly looking on at the big climactic battle scene
with a huge massed horseback mounted army of masked warriors
outnumbering genghis khan and his forces many times over
the final scene a battle of epic scale between the 2 opposing forces
including a resurrection of the dodgy effects used earlier in the film
genghis khan is shown to employ cunning battle strategies
to finally emerge the victor and then move on to expand his empire
my impression of the film overall was that it was almost grand
a unique story, a great setting, some fine acting and directing
the soundtrack at times featured some appealing throat-singing
but the desire to be a hollywood-style blockbuster came through
sanitising and somewhat glorifying the main character
trying to match the scale and granduer of other epics
but not quite getting there - and then the final straw
heavy-rock music playing as the credits rolled
just seemed so out of place to me

up the yangtze

a bleak winter's sunday afternoon seems a good time to see this one
not much to go on except a review by david and margaret
both of them giving it 4 stars and so the promise of a rewarding viewing
the film opens with a voiceover by the director yung chang
explaining he lives in canada and has returned to china on a visit
but that's about all we hear from him as he steps back
in a very deliberate way to let the images tell the story
being the effect of the 3 gorges dam project on the yangtze river
that will lead to the displacement of 2 million people
the facts surrounding the film in itself are quite impressive
200 hours of film shot over 12 months editted down to 90 minutes
all done discreetly without official permission or funding
the film is centred around 2 young locals working on a cruise ship
this ship carrying mostly american tourists up the yangtze river
there are a lot of scenes on the ship focussed mainly on interaction
as the workers are trained, then seen dealing with the passengers
there's the expected patronising of the workers by the tourists
some front of house shots of the crew entertaining the passengers
and various scenes on and off the boat as the crew are off duty
some finding their way in riverside cities offering mostly shopping
jerry is a teenage boy confidently entertaining and fleecing the tourists
cindy is all of 15 years old and works in the kitchens on the boat
she has been sent to work on the boat at the insistence of her peasant family
who come to visit at one point in some quite heart-wrenching scenes
her parents are well out of place and there seems little affection
there are also various scenes of the parents in their own hut and at work
making preparations to relocate as the river level rises
peasants are also shown working like slaves on the riverbank
high above the waterline laying tiled slabs of concrete
the significance of these scenes obvious later in the film
showing the river's level now up to that much higher point
i'm not sure that i would rate this film as a must-see
it does show a lot about a people and country not normally seen
but intentionally it is up to the viewer to form connections
rather than lazily expect that a narrator will be doing that
for me i felt i had not learnt much from the film about the project
which was something i should not have been expecting
for really it is all about gently showing the situation at hand
the heavy hand of can-do attitude and the insatiable need for energy
having a direct and quite sad effect on those living off the land
there really is no happy ending in this quite gentle film
no lectures or posturing or protestation
just a quiet resignation to the march of progress

ten part invention

woo-hoo - second sydney show this year for this ensemble
a full house tonight confirming the respect they command
we early-birds treated to a late sound-check come rehearsal
seems the logistics involved means that private rehearsals are rare
though probably hardly necessary with the skilled musicians involved
and possibly even adding an edge to their performance
early arrival meant for the best seat in the house again
centre, close, p.a. pointed directly at me, easy path to the bar
and most importantly every musician in eyeshot
the first tune providing instant rapport on and off stage
putting the music aside this is the great thing about them
the sense of enjoyment and mutual respect is there for all
so a few bars of music in meant it was like a homecoming
some amazing acts seen in the sound lounge of late
but it's always a good feeling to be in the company of old (ahem) friends
john pochee in fine form tonight as drummer, leader and storyteller
his foil tonight being long-time collaborator bob bertles on baritone sax, etc
john explains he and bob have been on a whiskey diet to force a loss
and this week they lost....tuesday, wednesday, thursday (boom boom)
thus typically providing laughs all round for band and audience
but of course it is the music that we are all here for
tonight they started confidently and got better and better
7 brass musicians harmonising or contrasting with ease
making for a sound quite unique in my limited listening experience
sandy evans rightfully centre stage as usual giving her all
in particular while soloing in her own piece titled rendezvous
putting all her energy and focus into her saxophone
while we looked on in awe at the physical effort she exerted
her fellow musicians equally appreciative of her playing
and presumably inspiring them as they took the spotlight
james greening on trombone is another one who excels
relatively quiet tonight in voice but big on noise contribution
i doubt there is another trombone player around of more significance
especially when teamed up with master trumpet player mike bukovsky
or for that matter anyone else in the band at any point in time
which is what is so compelling about ten part invention
in a live format there is just so much to look at and enjoy
not the least being the support given for each other
as they give and take various hand and mouth signals
particularly charlie watts lookalike and saxophonist ken james
he providing the sharp-dresser component of the group
but it is their music that is strikingly complex and adventurous
the tune titled tall stories in particular with a unique timing change
the brakes being applied then released very effectively
the sign to me of a good band is the loss of the sense of time
and so it was that before we knew it the big finale was upon us
blues for clancye is their traditional closing masterpiece
one listened to on high rotation on the mp3 player
but tonight in all it's live glory right there in front
affording a moment or 2 of closed eye reflection
confirming that musically this is as good as it gets
a rousing rendition, wildly enthusiastic applause
and unusually for this venue demands for an encore
but time limits denying both audience and band
hardly an issue though the deed had been done
all involved seemingly well satisfied
now looking forward to the next one

gest8

a clever name for this 8 piece ensemble lead by sandy evans

she is one who always enthralls with any outfit she plays in

here she takes the role of sax/clarinet player, leader and composer

her partner tony gorman on the sidelines as co-composer

gathered around her are a bunch of eclectic musicians

including stage left greg white on imac contributing electronica

stage right is satsuki odamura on the more traditional koto

sandy is centre stage and flanked by her fellow brass players

phil slater on trumpet and paul cutlan on bass clarinet

back of stage is ring-in cameron deyell on electric guitar

the imposing steve elphick ready to lock it down on double bass

the prolific and versatile simon barker on drums and percussion

that's me down the centre front ready to be overwhelmed

a gentle start with cameron deyell doing some solo noise-making

providing a pointer to what is likely to follow from the band

then into the first tune proper and some glorious brass sounds

a rich, harmonious, melodic combination from the 3 players
the whole band quickly into the groove and the moment

plenty to look at and listen to from this large ensemble

a quick dismissal of prior expectations of 10 part invention-ness

with instead a recognition of wanderlust styled adventure seeking

sandy herself stating their desire to explore and integrate

demonstrated here with the amazing sounds of the koto

a strong harp like sound with the obvious asian twang added

worked beautifully into the mix of all the other instruments

and so providing a unique and absorbing aural experience

in both sets the band worked through tunes from their cd

each piece offering a different mood, sound, arrangement, feel

all complex pieces played with precision and obvious enjoyment

sandy counting in movements and directing her fellow musicians

and informing her audience with pride about the tunes
there's also a great on-stage comraderie that informs the music
so that each musician seems to want to do their absolute best
such is the respect for the music and their fellow musicians
totally unfair to single out one member of the band
so best summarised as a sum of the parts experience
in this case the sum exceeding the excellence of the individuals
and tonight the experience matching the publicity -
seeing and hearing them live is a sensory delight
absolutely, totally, unquestionably so
my feeling is gest8 are in a unique place
a compelling mix of originality, diversity and skillset
they totally deserve a much larger audience
may their sound travel far and wide

20th century dog

interesting name for what promises to be an interesting band
the pre-show publicity also tantalising in its enthusiasm -
one of the most revolutionary bands to have emerged in australia in the last decade
i'd previously seen sax player matt keegan and guitarist james muller
for me the stars of the mark isaacs resurgence band
drummer simon barker also a known force
cameron undy tonight on electric bass and leader
these 4 started the evening tentatively with a warm-up tune
though leaving no doubt that tonight would be different
the promise of some big noise possible with this lineup
for the second tune their keyboards player joined them
the quintet complete with gerard masters on pianos
yamaha grand c5 and rhodes electric both set to go
a quick shuffling through of sheet music and off we go
another tune with a very definite nod to electro-jazz
a very solid and fluent bassline with other splashes of noise
with guitar, sax and piano featuring at various times
otherwise all 5 musicians independently filling out the sound
which is about where i started getting a bit suspicious
a reminder of a recent conversation bemoaning this scene
some wonderful musicians and eclectic combinations
maybe in fact too many of them with too much cross-membership
meaning combinations are often under-rehearsed
and therefore relying on skills rather than connection
but we the (lack of) audience no doubt are also a factor
tonight we were all trying to get to musical nirvana
this band happily heading off in a electro-jazz-rock direction
with a distinctive 70's/80's funk sound mixed in
the first set over quickly and not entirely convincingly
even cameron undy promising a bigger and better second set
after a long break the band re-assembled on stage
gerard masters leading off on a long solo piano piece
very well played too on the yamaha grand
reminding me of locomotive breath by jethro tull
and similarly followed on by an all-in rock-out tune
what happened next though was beyond belief
lack of material, rehearsal, ideas and possibly enthusiasm
meant for the longest, most mediocre, embarrassingly bad tune
a jam session with no leadership, direction or spontaniety
gerard masters trying to wig-out with some electronica
cameron undy justifying things by telling us they are jazz musicians
as though that means anything goes - nope - sorry not here not now
i'm feeling a bit sorry for them all as i suspect they want it to work
but by now the damage has been done and the weak material exposed
the big ballad with matt keegan on sax also fell mostly flat
and not through lack of trying by one of the best sax players around
but...all is not lost - as he and james muller step it up
one of the final tunes of the night sees them finding a connection
harmonising brilliantly and effortlessly on a quite melodic tune
each of them also soloing most convincingly on their chosen instruments
at times such as this the band seems capable of it's promise
the rhythm section providing all that is needed for the stars
but in the end it's all too patchy and inconsistent
the audience were mostly polite and gracious
but certainly no demand for an encore
which was just as well really
cameron undy tells us they hadn't rehearsed one
thereby summing up my impressions of the performance

ned rothenberg trio

saxophonist ned comes all the way from new york u s of a
as does collaborator phillip johnson on clarinet and sax
chris abrahams is a local hero on piano with this outfit
tonight is a very special night for sima at the sound lounge
sima = sydney improvised music association
this is the first time their new piano is used in performance
so it seems appropriate that chris abrahams has that honour
a brand-spanking new yamaha grand piano complete with price tags
i walked into a full house which rather surprised me
though thankfully another lone fan had taken over a table in front
so i had a great spot initially for the induction of the new piano
then the introduction of tonight's highly revered performer (it seems)
ned started out on a solo piece on clarinet that set the tone
fairly obviously he is a highly skilled and inventive musician
within a few bars of music he had some amazing sounds happening
significantly throat, instrument and fingers working in unison
so there was a melody, a drone and percussion all concurrent
completely absorbing to listen to and to watch for all concerned
the second tune sees the arrival on stage of his collaborators
which then just added even further dimensions to the sound
chris abrahams doing what he does best with this deftness of touch
adding flourishes of sounds mostly from the upper end of the piano
phillip johnson providing complimenting sounds on clarinet
apparantly he and ned rarely play together though are longtime friends
but for me it sounded like they do this habitually
sheet music was present but so too was an amazing connection
pre performance the lack of rhythm section had concerned me
but as with nearly every performer seen at this venue recently
a trust in the performers judgement and choice pays dividends
so tonight it was to be a virtuoso display of an unusual combination
ned several times credits new york saxophonist steve lacy
indicating this now deceased musician has had a major influence
ned himself moved comfortably between various instruments
but one in particular was quite visually and aurally stunning
a long-neck silver saxophone complete with a prong for support
so it is played quite comfortably while seated on a stool
one solo piece played using this instrument was particularly impressive
again using fingers, throat and instrument for multiple sounds
in this case working into a rapid and repetitive motif
sounding very much like the looped track from dark side of the moon
but done completely solo and with no electronica in sight or sound
throughout both sets he had both his peers coming and going
another highlight being a beautiful melodic piece with chris abrahams
by now seemingly enjoying working sounds from the new piano
in the end this turned out to be a great night at the sound lounge
a treat of a performance in front of a large and receptive audience
plenty of local musicians also spotted at various times
which always confirms the merit of the performer
plenty of cd's on display also in reception
confirming his standing in the musical world
yet again - a totally rewarding outing

the band's visit

the band being an egyptian police band
the visit being a journey into israel for a ceremony
but things go wrong at the airport and they are on their own
then a mix-up in the spelling of their destination sees them quite lost
it's a very spartan landscape in historically hostile territory
so i'm feeling a little uncomfortable about what may follow
but it doesn't take long before those feelings are dispelled
for this is a human story - no politics, no religion, no hatred
the town the band ends up in takes them in as their own
there's a striking resemblance to middle america
and some scenes jim jarmusch could put his name to
but also a feeling that the location is quite irrelevant
as the connections between strangers are developed
the band has 8 members and are hosted in 2 homes
band leader tawfiq seems very stoic but has a sad story
which he reveals to dina his host who is equally lonely
trumpeter and violinist haled is a huge chet baker fan
on the lookout for a kindred spirit in this unlikely place
he also has great life-coach skills that are put to use
assisting an under-confident local hook up with his admirer
the scene providing multiple laugh-out-loud moments
and a maybe unintentional nod to a classic monty python line
during the film i kept wondering if we would see the band in action
a feeling that the director was deliberately holding out on that
though the importance of music highlighted in discussion
so there is hope that we would see the band take up instruments
in the penultimate scene they bid farewell to their hosts
with an aching moment we want to see an embrace
they finally get to their intended destination
the final scene seeing the band performing
our melancholy leader conducting and singing
the music being nothing that was expected
this police band uses cellos, ouds and violins
meaning their sound is both sombre and rich
and hence in line with the whole film
beautiful, emotional, organic, real
i already want to see it again

tim bruer quartet

i thought i was running late for this one - hate walking in on shows
but things are a bit behind schedule at the sound lounge tonight
so bum hit seat as the first note was struck in front of me
i'd taken the empty table again centre front
all but on the stage with the 4 musicians
and so a push back required to best take it all in
tim bruer stage right tickling the ivories
sean coffin under his baseball cap blowing on the sax
brett hirst leading the dance with his double bass
and surprisingly simon barker on drums stage left
last time i had seen him was with his duo showa 44
making an amazing improvised noise with guitarist carl dewhurst
so tonight in a much more conventional line-up
first impressions - hmmm - could be a long night
all a bit loose, held-back, under-rehearsed possibly
sheet music being the main focus for some
drums overwhelmingly loud in my position
tim bruer back-announcing his compositions
which kind of saved the day for me - all originals
3 or 4 tunes played capably but not convincingly
my mind unfairly harking back to the last visit to the lounge
when the aaron goldberg trio dazzled with similar material
and on that ocassion demonstrating an unbelievable connection
tonight the skills were there but the clocked up hours were not
though in the last tune for the first set things got much better
tim bruer introduced side-step as a funky number new to the band
here they let go of the disciplined approach and indulged
the 4 of them obviously enjoying a new found connection
the audience also responding appropriately with enthusiasm
though not explaining the dwindling of audience numbers during the break
something i do find quite common with the jazz set
see and be scene then high-tail it out of there
though a well-known reviewer makes a habit of that also
odd behaviour really as typically the best music comes in the second set
as with tonight after the band were back on stage
picking up where they left off and playing much more confidently
sean coffin in particular really making his sax sing very nicely
with the whole band now sounding like something very familiar
closest i could come up with was dewey redman a-la 80/81
a very melodic, up-tempo, balanced sound coming from the stage
by now i had also figured out why simon barker was there
improvisation is his gig i suspect but structure must also appeal
he himself referring to sheet music at times
and clearly enjoying his role in this band
tim bruer is not a flashy or hugely impressive pianist
seems content to write and play for and with a full band
which probably was a standout feature of the entire night
the emphasis being on group performance more than soloing
so that when they hit a groove their sound was just fine
allowing for self-indulgent, eye-closing, no-better-place enjoyment
another successful outing to the sound lounge