“[Elysian Fields’] aim of creating a beautiful recording has well and truly been achieved, and once our lives return to some semblance of normality following the emergence of the virus that has shaken the world, ‘Fika’ will indeed bring people together.”
But of course, this is a band overflowing with imaginative musicians. Jenny Eriksson’s electric viola da gamba is the anchor around which the good ship Elysian Fields sails. She was clearly enjoying herself onstage, relaxed and on fire.
Kevin Hunt on his own is a jaw-dropping live experience, but teamed with the rock-steady Karl Dunnicliff (who may’ve started out listening to AC/DC, but now owes more to the cool groove of, say, Ray Brown) and finessed Dave Goodman, each adventurous soloists in their own right, The Kevin Hunt Trio becomes an entity of exceptionality; an Australian jazz jewel.
I’ll always remember the complete elation I felt when I first played a set of drums. I also remember the feeling of responsibility that came about once I decided to answer to my ‘vocation’ and to be a professional musician. These feelings continue to grow inside me by the day and I love it. To me, the essence of what jazz is all about is in there somewhere.
