Gai Paris
Canberra Jazz blog - Sun 9 Nov 2025
C'est vrai!  Paris is strong on jazz and, as I understand, also on earlier jazz styles and we have our own authentic Canberra-cum-Australia reps in the midst of that scene.  This weekend they were home to visit family and we caught them at Smiths, upstairs, in McGregor Hall.  Leigh... ... More...

Science and mythology and time
Canberra Jazz blog - Sat 8 Nov 2025
It's a work of art and myth but I find it difficult to think of the planets other than in a sense of astronomy, that being a hobby of mine in the past, and in doing so, Holst Planets also reveals its age.  It was written 1914-1917, the time of WW1 and after Jules Verne War of the Worlds, tha... ... More...

Breathtaking
Canberra Jazz blog - Fri 7 Nov 2025
The Evans  Robson Quartet were on tour and they are royalty in Australian jazz and I was lucky enough to be free for their Smiths gig.  This was the last of their tour and it showed.  They are always capable and correct but this was the neatest and most precise that I could imagine... ... More...

Just another Canberra lunchtime
Canberra Jazz blog - Thu 6 Nov 2025
Robert Schmidli has other work but an abiding interest in music and his piano performance and an impressive history in younger days of performances in NZ and Australia and I remember him as one of my early classical recordees.  This was a powerful, intense, outspoken and Chopinic concert of ... ... More...

Small world
Canberra Jazz blog - Thu 6 Nov 2025
The world is pretty small now.  I was free to catch London guitarist Tom Ollendorff playing a solo gig at Smiths on a Tuesday at lunchtime.  It turns out he was on a world tour promoting his new album with Aaron Parks and others and he came up from Sydney for the day to play a solo gig.... ... More...

Challenges
Canberra Jazz blog - Tue 4 Nov 2025
It was a challenging program and a professionally demanding MD and our time was cut by various things and then I had a family event in Adelaide so missed further practices but it went OK in the end.  I was massively embarrassed by a miscount, of all things playing a pizz latin groove in the ... ... More...

Most worthy rehash of rehashes
Canberra Jazz blog - Mon 3 Nov 2025
I recorded the first of Mike Dooley's set of compositions in the wtyles of a string of styles and renowned composers, from baroque and classical to the romantics and impressionists, Mozart, Bach, Haydn, Beethoven, Clementi, Chopin and the like.  I guess it was a learning tool but more. ... ... More...

Animals
Canberra Jazz blog - Fri 31 Oct 2025
Monarto Open Plains Zoo was last week but I got some good pics so this post.  I'm not so big on visits to nature, but it's a worthy establishment, associated with the Adelaide Zoo, private but with government sponsorship and essential crew of volunteers, doing good work in supporting species... ... More...

Adel local
Canberra Jazz blog - Tue 21 Oct 2025
I remember a school reunion finishing with a walk with fellows to Norwood Parade in Adelaide and a chance meeting with two performers from the Norwood Symphony Orchestra, apparently having a coffee before they performed.  They weren't too chatty  but I returned to see NSO in rehearsal a... ... More...

COMA not at all
Canberra Jazz blog - Tue 14 Oct 2025
I've mentioned COMA (Creative Original Music Adelaide) on CJ before.  This time I managed to attend a gig.  Basically it's pretty much a fortnightly event on Mondays at the Wheatsheaf Hotel in Thebarton (the Wheaty).  Two sets for two groups playing original music in various forms.... ... More...