As a matter or fact, all the ballads in the album have a high charged emotional density, without ever turning into melodrama — this is probably due to Libor Smoldas’ earthy lyricism, Jakub Zomer’s ability to create haunting sonic undercurrents, and Sacha Kloostra’s carefully timed explosions, not to mention Ingrid James’ masterful control of her instrument.
Back in Melbourne, we had a bunch of legends do group iso sessions, ranging from trad jazz to contemporary improvisation.
For me, Charlie Parker’s music will always be connected with my relocation from Athens to Australia; the moment I was boarding on the plane, by an act of ironic coincidence, my MP3 player (which had been set to shuffle mode) decided to accentuate the event by playing Nows the Time.
My intention for this short essay film was to create a pacey montage of archive footage, photographs, memorabilia and interviews with musicians and key personalities to reveal the unsung story of St Kilda’s significant contribution to Australia’s jazz history.
One thing I’ve learned, while I was doing my homework, was that Australia’s first jazz band – literaly trading as ‘Australia’s First Jazz Band’ was formed in Sydney in 1918 by Belle Sylvia. So this year, we’re not only celebrating the centennial of Australian jazz, but also 100 years of female leadership in Australian Jazz. Not a bad legacy for a scene.
AvengHer is another perfect example of electrically charged jazz fused together with hip-hop beats and west african influences and nods to post-rock and a lot more. It also makes testament of the trademark characteristic of his music, this understated intensity, like ripples on the surface of calm water, promising to deliver a storm.
Bennetts Lane Jazz Club version 1 was born on November 27th 1992. It upgraded to two rooms on the 14th of January 2000. And it closed on June 15th 2015. During its almost 23 years in the service of live jazz performance it helped usher in a new environment for musicians to bring their art to their community. […] The experience and insight we learned through mistakes, discussion and respectful negotiation have largely been retained in Bennetts Lane version 2.
“I wanted to do whatever came to my head, even silliness; especially, silliness. I was tired of rules and discipline. This is how I found myself in the realm of free jazz, which was natural. “
After the ‘Mother’s day’ overload, it feels a little strange, not being bombarded with ‘mother’s day gift ideas’ every single time you turn the tv […] Read More
“So, what’s new with Australian Jazz .net?” I can almost hear you ask. A lot and not much, at the same time. Setting up an […] Read More
