Category: Concerts and tours

Concerts and tours, Interviews Posted on

Leigh Barker: ‘Objectively speaking, the best repertoire is from the 1920s and 1930s!’

When Leigh Barker moved from Australia to France, a decade ago, our community lost a champion of hot jazz, a dedicated ambassador of the sounds and stylings of early-to-swing-era music. (Actually, we lost two, as he was joined by his partner in life and music, Heather Stewart a spectacular jazz vocalist and violinist in her own right.)

Now the bassist, bandleader, and composer is back, with a new album, Cross Street, and a heavy schedule of performances throughout Victoria, NSW, and ACT. Just before stepping on stage at the Wangaratta Jazz and Blues Festival, he took a moment to talk about his approach to music, his admiration for his talented partner, their life in Paris — and how to close a formal letter addressed to a French person.

Concerts and tours, Interviews Posted on

Liv Andrea Hauge: ‘I’m not a fan of concerts being too strict or formal’

But make no mistake; Liv Andrea Haugue has a voice of her own, her influences — be it jazz, pop, contemporary, everything — seamlessly blended in her compositions, and perfectly displayed through her nuanced, perfectly balanced playing, and her interactions with her trio.
It’s a setting that suits her, and she makes great use of it, combining elements from the classic piano trio jazz albums of the ’50s legacy, to the modern Scandinavian/ Nordic jazz tradition — spacey, serene, classical-music-infused — and more than passing references to Keith Jarrett.

Concerts and tours, Interviews Posted on

The Cloud Maker: How Aviva Endean put together a band of Goddesses

Of course, it’s wrong to call The Cloud Maker ‘Aviva Endean’s project’ — it misses so many marks. First and foremost, this is a collective project, featuring four unique female artists, each with her own trajectory. More importantly, this is quite literally a case of divine inspiration.

Concerts and tours, Festivals, Interviews Posted on

Alexander Beets: ‘Create your own jazz club!’

There’s a reason Alexander Beets has been nicknamed ‘The Hurricane’; yes, the nickname refers to his tempestuous playing and his big sound, but if you talk to him, you can understand how the sound is a natural byproduct of a big personality.

Concerts and tours, Interviews Posted on

Tom Ollendorff: ‘The guitar is an essential part of my identity’

Who is Tom Ollendorff, you ask? Great question! He is simply one of the brightest shootings stars of the jazz guitar in Europe at the moment.

Concerts and tours, Interviews Posted on

Benjamin Creighton Griffiths: ‘If you can think of it, it’s being done on the harp!’

Benjamin Creighton Griffiths: “The explosion of jazz harp has absolutely been noticed — and it’s a long time coming! I have a number of excellent colleagues around the globe striving just like me to bring the harp out of its box and into the jazz clubs, world music festivals, and the mainstream music scene.”

Concerts and tours, Interviews Posted on

Emily Sanzaro: ‘Storytelling is a big part of my performance’

‘The program is really a representation of me and my journey — songs I love, that have brought me to where I am. There’s a wide mix: originals I wrote at MONA, jazz and blues pieces, Celtic traditional music, and some contemporary covers — probably from the ’90s, because I love that era.’

Concerts and tours, Festivals, Gigs and concerts, Interviews, One Question Posted on

Q: Mary Ancheta, who are you?

“I have a great band, I feel very supported, but with that support I can also take some musical chances, it’s kind of like jumping off the edge of a cliff and knowing that someone will catch you, something will break your fall.”

Concerts and tours, Diaspora, Interviews Posted on

Hetty Kate: ‘there’s a deeper parallel between Jazz and British New Wave’

“In reimagining this music we are able to uncover hidden depths and mine for musical gold. But importantly, and I think most importantly, the music is very, very fun.”

Concerts and tours, Festivals, Interviews Posted on

Nicole Zuraitis: ‘Love is beautiful and heartbreaking’

“What I hope to bring out in jazz music as a songwriter, is still that element of storytelling and form — a good song with a hook, or a good song with a memorable melody, as opposed to a composed piece with lyrics.”