Adam James, whose career saw him travel from North Stradbroke Island, to Nashville to Europe to Canada and back home, is at his core a proud Quandamooka man with a vision: to champion First Nations songwriting, in that most theatrical, smooth and engaging singing format — jazz crooning.
If you have been even vaguely familiar with this here website, you probably know Zela Margossian. You know she is a pianist of spectacular prowess, a composer of hear-melting lyricism, and a musical explorer blending the many dialects of jazz with the classical tradition, and the musical heritage of her motherland, Armenia. You might even be aware of her journey in life, that brought her from Beirut to Sydney via Yerevan. Here, she chooses some of the tunes that have been her companions in that journey, leaving an imprint on her life, and influencing the way she creates her version of ‘ethno-jazz’.
If you like highly nuanced contemporary jazz performed with energy and flair by one of Australia’s finest jazz ensembles then a Hammerhead is for you!
Hamed Sadeghi: “With the political situation in the world, especially in the Middle East, it breaks my heart. I can’t do anything about it. That sadness comes through in the music.”
