For an album filled with gems of the Great American Songbook, it is telling that the songs that mostly stand out are Tamara Kuldin’s original compositions. ‘Maisie’s song’ in particular, has all it takes to become a modern classic – a sweet, catchy melody; simple, honest lyrics; a warm, compelling delivery by a vocalist at the top of her game.
“The best part of being in Koi Kingdom is how open and free each member is with each other’s compositions. The foundations lie in the players that we are, so you hear heaps of Marcos’ signature whammy sound and b9 chords, Cheryl’s rhythmic and sometimes atonal blowing and Stephen’s songlike phrasing and free-blowing grooves.”
“All songs have to do with Tides and emotions rolling in and out and finding our balance and equilibrium in the face of all the waves that keep crashing on our shores.”
“Playing double bass and electric bass, Elsen Price invites us to join him as he rides the rivers, enters the woods, explores luminescent caverns and encounters freakish bees (buzzing included) in what could easily be categorised as eight mini-suites, each of three movements.”
A great deal of art is description, or at least representation. Describing or representing love, hate, the universe. None is the right description. Nor the wrong one. This is art after all.
In a program of jazz, blues, a touch of hillbilly bluegrass and a dash of gospel, Dianne Cripps shared some of her experiences growing up in the South, regaling the audience with stories and explaining why particular songs were special to her.
“I wanted Butchers Brew Bar to be in Dulwich Hill as I’d been living here for 20 years and while I loved the area, there was very little to do here at night.”
“This might sound silly, but as a kid my parents gave me this dumb quote on a bit of wood to go on my shelf. ‘The best way to get something done is to begin.’ This sickly phrase actually sits really well with me, and has totally been a call to action for me many times. For me creativity requires action.”
Back in Melbourne, we had a bunch of legends do group iso sessions, ranging from trad jazz to contemporary improvisation.
“One negative aspect of being a male jazz musician is that sometimes people will hire you just to fulfil a quota of males that they think they need to have in the group (usually 100% is the quota). I think people should be hired based on talent and merit rather than on the basis of their sex, and it kind of sucks when you realise you’re only in the group because you’re a bro.”
