Chris McNulty is delighted to present the first series of An Evening of Vocal Jazz Artistry in Melbourne, Australia. Twelve stunning vocal musicians paired together to present a set each over six incredible nights/weeks
Tag: The Jazz Lab
“The broader aim of the Jazz and Social Justice project is to demonstrate the power of jazz as a force for justice, freedom and creativity. Jazz artists have used their music and profile to spotlight injustices since the Civil Rights era. The program I have put together shares the stories and music of jazz artists from 1930s to the modern day who have taken a stand for social justice issues including racial, religious and marriage equality and environmentalism.”
“Giving a label to music is difficult for me. I would rather give insight into the music by explaining ‘Provenience’ as a series of improvised responses based upon thematic material written within a standard song form framework.”
– What makes a torch song?
– Truth. The lyric is poetic truth, and the music frames the words and creates the mood.
When Michael Griffin’s lips touch the mouthpiece, he’s transfomed: the awkward teenager gives his place to a jazz master of superb confidence – and his pinstripe suit becomes a perfect fit. It’s uncanny.
“The Singh & Blanes duet is more about romanticism and flashbacks to a more romantic time, while my own solo work is about my intricate thoughts and emotions; it’s all about me being by myself, in solitude. It’s a bit more personal and reflects my individual take on the world. Then my jazz project is about my compositional ability and my fluency on the piano”.
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.