“I’m not a big fan of the word fusion, because it feel binary to me, and I’m trying to achieve a sound that is multifaceted and fluid. And I think this sound reflects our world today, one which is increasingly more complex and interdependent”.
Category: News
“How I’ve evolved as an artist is parallel to how my life has evolved: new experiences, new friends, moving countries; I think that all changes the way I play in some way”
Self Aware of Myself weaves together song, interview fragments and spoken text to form fragmentary portraits. At the core of the project is set of interview questions by Georgie Darvidis that are whimsical, candid, and quietly revealing.
Those who saw the Shaolin Afronauts last year shouldn’t expect the sequel to be just a repeat of the original. “We didn’t want to repeat anything that we had used; we wanted this to be a completely new experience for the listener”, says Ross McHenry. “This time, we’ve actually written a lot more new material; we’re working towards a new album so it was a bit of an opportunity to ‘try some new material”.
Since 2011, The Street has put a spotlight on jazz when it began developing a national forum around jazz in Australia’s capital city through bringing leading jazz artists together in Canberra and creating endless possibilities for new audience experiences and expectations.
The inaugural recipient of the award is the talented saxophonist Scott McConnachie. It will enable him to record a solo album and trio album for release later this year.
Through unique, international and Australian collaborations, new commissions and masterclasses, Artistic Directors David Theak and Simon Barker have curated a program that sets the Sydney Con International Jazz Festival apart from other Australian jazz festivals.
“I wanted to surround myself with musicians that made me want to play. I would have been happy just to sit back listen to them play together in that setting. Apart from how easy I find it to make music with them, they all have strong personal voices and I wanted them to put their own mark on my tunes, which they did”.
This year’s headliners include Eclectic young Singapore band The Steve McQueens; three musicians from the legendary Buena Vista Social Club orchestra teaming up with popular Perth jazz crooner and musician Adam Hall with the Velvet Playboys; UK-based jazz singer and recording artist Karen Lane with her four-piece band, and festival favourite the vivacious Cathrine Summers.
“Everything I write has an element of jazz in it. It’s a flavour, it’s spice, it’s warmth, it’s colour that no other music can give. Jazz is probably what I’ll still be able to do if I ever lose some of my other faculties.”