Hard Core on the Fly 2014

From the media release

Scott Tinkler | image © Laki Sideris
Scott Tinkler | image © Laki Sideris

Featuring young up and coming musicians alongside members of the Australian Art Orchestra. With special guest for two concerts only US saxophonist George Garzone.

Some of Australia’s most exciting up and coming musicians will collaborate with members of Australia’s premier large ensemble for improvising, the Australian Art Orchestra (AAO), during a month-long Hard Core on the Fly residency every Thursday night in August at Bennetts Lane Jazz Club. Renowned saxophonist George Garzone (USA) will join the ensemble in Melbourne on 21 August and Perth on 28 August.

This third series of Hard Core on the Fly will again be completely improvised with no set rules or formats for solos, duos or trios. There will be a  different combination of players each week who will meet sometimes for the first time one hour directly before the gig, for set up and discussion, followed by two hours of free flowing improvised music.

Hard Core on the Fly was conceived by trumpeter Scott Tinkler and debuted in 2012. The 2014 season will again be curated by Tinkler who has programmed a different combination of AAO elders and up and coming new musicians for each performance.

Scott Tinkler, series curator: ‘The idea behind these performances is to broaden the musician base of the AAO and introduce new energy and ideas into the improvising culture of AAO members, creating new musical relationships and recognising established ones.

‘Each of the established artists involved have very strong ideas about improvisation and varied but well practiced approaches. Each week will see some well established musical relationships with the added excitement of brand new ones lurking.

‘It is my hope that in the course of collaboration through performance that every one involved is challenged to find ways to relate and communicate with the other artists. My ultimate hope is that each week the joy of exploring music through improvisation is experienced by the artists. Audiences in past years have delighted in witnessing and sharing this experience and we look forward to welcoming them again.’

The series will tour Bennetts Lane Jazz Club (Melbourne) and the Ellington (Perth).

For the first time the AAO will also conduct private workshops specifically on improvisation at WAAPA (Perth), the Western Australian Youth Jazz Orchestra (Perth), and Southern Cross University (Lismore). Facilitators include Scott Tinkler, Stephen Magnusson, James Greening, Gian Slater and Carl Dewhurst.

Event details and bookings

Dates: Thursday 7, 14, 21 and 28 August
Times: Doors open 8:30pm at each concert
Venue: Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne
Cost: $20 / $15 + booking fee for each concert
Bookings: www.bennettslane.com
Website: www.aao.com.au
Also touring The Ellington, Perth on 28 August. See Ellington Jazz website

Watch & listen

A previous Hard Core On The Fly

Hard Core On The Fly from AAO on Vimeo.

2014 Personnel

7 August

Peter Knight – trumpet, electronics
Adrian Sherriff – trombone
Adam King – drums
Brett Thompson – guitar
Matthias Schack-Arnott – percussion
James Macaullay – trombone

14 August

Scott Tinkler – trumpet
Anthony Burr – clarinet
Erkki Veltheim – violin
Ren Walters – guitar
Dave Beck – drums
Jenny Barnes – vocals

21 August

George Garzone (USA) – saxophone
Simon Barker – drums
Scott Tinkler – trumpeter
Samuel Pankhurst – bass
Stephen Magnusson – guitar
Scott McConnachie – saxophone

28 August

Geoff Hughes – guitar
Eugene Ball – trumpet
Harry Shaw-Reynolds – drums
Joseph O’Connor – piano
Marty Holoubek – bass
James Macaullay – trombone

Author: Miriam

Miriam Zolin is a writer who enjoys jazz and improvised music. She was the founding editor of AustralianJazz.net, and was also responsible for publishing the extempore journal, and books by John Clare, Geoff Page and Allan Browne.