Tag Archives: James Mustafa

I have always loved horns and a big band sound so I wanted to inject that into the project. I also had to have piano because of the colour it provides. I was looking for a slightly theatric bent as well. Read More »

"My role, my job, is to make the best music I can possibly make. Be the best me, create the art I am supposed to put out into the world. I hope this will serve as a positive example for younger female musicians, because right now they don't have very many examples to follow. I also hope this serves as an example to my male counterparts and younger male musicians of what a successful female musician can look like." Read More »

"The big band orchestration is genius. The instrumentation of five saxes/woodwind, four trombones, 4-5 trumpets and a four - piece rhythm section results in literally countless and millions of different compositional formulas that will never be exhausted, even if every composer in the world was to write for the next thousand years." Read More »

"I would like to think that it is exactly that – a statement for Australian Jazz music. It is so important that we as a country and culture embrace, promote and encourage original Australian music – whether in the classical, contemporary, improvised or commercial scenes of music." Read More »

Mustafa’s sound is a coalescence of classical and jazz sounds, two passions which he has cultivated over a number of years. Listening to large orchestral music, particularly Romantic era works, Mustafa loved the way that the parts of the orchestra worked together (and he further explores this in his jazz writing) “It comes back to the fact that I love textures and instrumental colours. I think that is reflective in my playing as well”, he says. Read More »

It was a bright and starry night, one of mirth and celebration and camaraderie. It was the night that artists and supporters, musicians and afficionados, jazz elders and rising stars gathered to celebrate the accomplishments and creativity and everything that makes the Australian Jazz scene what it is. There was a ravishing MC, Helen Kapalos, and a member of the federal ... Read More »

The agony and speculation is over. The nominees for this year’s Australian Jazz Bell Awards have been announced. Among them appear, naturally, some of the best and brightest talents of the country’s flourishing jazz community. The winners – as well as the recipient of the Graeme Bell Hall of Fame, in recognition of an outstanding career- will be announced on ... Read More »

January 2013 @ Lebowski's Read More »