ROI
Canberra Jazz blog - Sat 5 Sep 2026
I'll put a spot here for Tilt Alt. gig at Molly just because I really enjoyed it.  A Thursday night, shorter but later, 9.30pm start.  The room wasn't too busy but it was responsive and I enjoyed the playing immensely.  The mystery of playing continues.  I guess I've had those... ... More...

Thursday on Wednesday
Canberra Jazz blog - Thu 3 Sep 2026
It's a different gig when Ben Hoadley plays with Ariana Odermatt, not for the music itself or the competence (both are mightily worthy) but for the tones.  Ben plays bassoon and that satisfyingly fat deep tone that merges into more reedy in the higher reaches is so satisfying and his playing... ... More...

Visions no fear
Canberra Jazz blog - Tue 1 Sep 2026
Maruki always aims for a challenge and this concert was no different.  Strangely, we started with a symphony, then ended with smaller works, smaller but still with their challenges.  Suffice to say, Tchaikovsky symphony no.4 is no lightweight outing.  Mvt.1 is all odd counts and of... ... More...

Articulations
Canberra Jazz blog - Mon 31 Aug 2026
Many jazz players tend to post-bop and instrumentals but I have huge respect for lyrics and love a singer.  Tilly Street is a walk back to the glorious history of women singers in jazz, to the love songs, the '30/'40s musicals, the '50s/'60s which she spoke of as Beatnicky (nice!).  Eve... ... More...

High peaks
Canberra Jazz blog - Sun 30 Aug 2026
I reckon hard bop is the fave, the high peak, of any jamming jazz instrumentalist.  I dropped in on Molly after the Cowboy Shakespeare and that's exactly what we got.  This was like a jam session but at the highest level.  Tunes I recognize but can't always name (lyrics help to rem... ... More...

Aces in the hole
Canberra Jazz blog - Sat 29 Aug 2026
Well, how do you conceive of this?  Actors with glasses, presumably of plonk, or beer cans performing Macbeth as a cowboy play.  Given the company has the, perhaps temporary, title Sloshed Shakespeare, maybe it's apt. And maybe they were drunk.  Dunno.  Certainly they had a go... ... More...

Unexpectations
Canberra Jazz blog - Thu 27 Aug 2026
This was fun.  A session recording at ANUSOM that ended up in the recording studio, although I wasn't on the massive Neve desk.  But a decent Yamaha piano and comfy space and Rhodes and more gear to inspire in the background, even if not in use.  We were there to revisit a track by... ... More...

Promising futures
Canberra Jazz blog - Wed 26 Aug 2026
Piano teacher Elena Nikulina returned to Wesley with 3 current students and they were mightily impressive and this was not unexpected.  It's a daunting task to learn these tunes by memory given demands of Handel, Brahms and Bach but they did it with panache while all still at school.  T... ... More...

Pleasures and confusions
Canberra Jazz blog - Mon 24 Aug 2026
A day of both pleasure and confusions but it all worked out well in the end.  I planned to record Apeiron Baroque and expected a 3pm start but that was the start time for AB's children's concert.  It interested me and I enjoyed it immensely, if not really quite so closely involved. ... ... More...

Things of wonder
Canberra Jazz blog - Sun 23 Aug 2026
The National Gallery appears to own all the Arthur Boyd tapestries in his series on St Francis and they are all on display together for the first time.  There are 20 huge tapestries taken from "source images" 20x smaller and often enough monochrome, so the experience of the tapestries is som... ... More...