Emerging Artists Matt Bray & Crystal Choi

November 28, 2013 / JazzLocal32.com / Leave a comment

It’s an institution that the CJC (Creative Jazz Club) dedicates a handful of gig nights to emerging-artists. This is often the musicians first public performance. Performing in a club is a step up for any emerging artist, as audience expectations must be confronted. In a Jazz club they’re expected to entertain; communicate something special. It is not an exercise in ticking the ‘must demonstrate chops’ box. Audiences have to like what you’re doing, rather than thinking how clever.

The sets attracted good crowds and that is important. Supporting this music starts by supporting its emerging artists.

The first set up was Matt Bray’s, who varied his pieces to reflect his many influences. There were standards, original compositions and even a ‘Radiohead’ number. Matt plays guitar and he has been keen explore the tonal and voicing possibilities of that instrument. We saw him on the bandstand only the week before, as he plays in the AJO (Auckland Jazz Orchestra). With the AJO he had tackled complex Cuban melodies and rhythms. On this gig he was free to explore a wider vista; looking to modern guitarists like Kurt Rosenwinkel whose influence was evident. He had chosen his band mates well and especially with the experienced and multi faceted drummer Cameron Sangster. Cameron is the resident drummer with the AJO, but he is also featured to advantage in several well-known local bands.

Conner McAneny was on piano (+keys) and he’s already performed several gigs at the CJC. He’s a reliable performer and well able to keep out-of-the-way of the guitar, while shining in solo spots. The last band member was Eamon Edmundson-Wells who recently graduated from the Auckland University Jazz School. He was in both sets and is unfailingly impressive. At the rate he is going he will soon be chasing Cameron McArthur and the fact that he is stepping into the gig slots normally taken up by Cameron (who is playing in the Chicago Musical pit band) tells its own story.

The second set was Crystal Choi’s and it puzzled me that I had not met her until recently. Crystal is a very fine pianist and she oozed confidence and style (she started her studies as a classical pianist but wanted more freedom to explore music). She has emerged from the Auckland University Jazz school as a well formed and supremely confident pianist and to hear her perform it was hard to get my head around the fact that it was her first club performance. I tracked her down later and put a few questions to her. What year was she? (A third year graduate); had she performed with this trio/quintet outside of the Jazz School? (No). She said that she had not felt ready before, but now she did. Well she certainly showed us ‘ready’ that night. The audience went wild after her set and kept yelling for an encore. A superb first outing by any measure.

The first number up was Bud Powell’s ‘Un Poco Loco’ and she skilfully moulded it to to her purpose. This was a burner with plenty of flash, but a lot of soul besides. I wondered if her handling of a ballad would be as assured, because ballads can reveal weaknesses quicker than any fast paced number. I soon found out that ballads were no obstacle either and in addition her own compositions took interesting directions. Her quintet was Peter Ruddell (tenor saxophone), Michael Howell (guitar), Eamon Edmundson-Wells (bass) and Tristan Deck (drums).

The charts were textured and interesting; often augmented by Crystal singing unison lines. I have chosen a clip of Crystals rendering of the standard, ‘In Your Own Sweet Way’ (Dave Brubeck). I was impressed by this as it was slightly reharmonised and the implied notes spoke as clearly as the notes played. When a musician knows what to leave out and what not to, they are well on the way.

Michael Howell certainly caught my attention, as his clean soaring lines told me that he was a modernist but with a good sense of history. Tristan Deck I have heard before and so I was not surprised to see how seamlessly he handled the changes in mood and texture. A good drummer to have on board. The remaining band member was Peter Ruddell on Tenor saxophone. He only played briefly but he had a lovely tone and his lines were clean and imaginative. This band played well together. They we’re tight, but they never once strangled the music.

I look forward to hearing Matt Bray and Crystal Choi as they develop further.

What & Where: Emerging Artists gig @ CJC (Creative Jazz Club) 1885 Britomart, Auckland 13th November 2013

Who first set: Matt Bray (leader, guitar), Connor McAneny (piano, keys), Eamon Edmundson-Wells (bass), Cameron Sangster (drums)

Who second set: Crystal Choi (leader, piano), Peter Ruddell (tenor saxophone), Michael Howell (guitar), Eamon Edmundson-Wells (bass), Tristan deck (drums).

No Square @ CJC

November 20, 2013 / JazzLocal32.com / Leave a comment

Auckland’s CJC (Creative Jazz Club) hosted two European Jazz Acts in as many months. The most recent band ‘No Square’, is from Switzerland. This is a top rated European unit who have been together since 1994 and their tightness, focus and intuitive interactions reflected that. Having played many European festivals to acclaim, they ventured further afield, assisted by the Francophile cultural organisation the Alliance Francaise. Michel Benebig is another artist often supported by this worthy organisation.

The journey down from Europe is particularly gruelling and even with New Zealand gigs tagged onto an Australian tour it requires a big commitment from the musicians. I am not sure whether New Zealand audiences always grasp that. After hearing about how poorly attended the Wellington ‘No Square’ gig was I cringed in embarrassment. This is a truly amazing band and they deserved the respect of an attentive and decent sized audience. Thankfully the audience at the CJC was reasonable, (but it could have been better). If we don’t support visitors then why should they support our musicians who travel? It is too easy to blame the lack of promotion, as our web-based and word of mouth networks are generally sufficient to pack out gigs. All that’s required is a commitment to get off the damn couch. Roger Manins goes to great effort to organise offshore acts and the audiences must respond in kind. If we love this music we should pay it the respect of attendance.

Europe has been deeply involved in the Jazz world since the early 1900’s and it was so popular that Hitler banned it as depraved. There could be no higher recommendation. Euro Jazz is not a slavish imitation of American Jazz, as each region has developed distinct flavours of their own. This is particularly pronounced in the Mediterranean region and with the ebb and flow of migration the process has accelerated. France was arguably the original centre of Euro Jazz but her near neighbours Switzerland, Spain, Germany, Belgium, UK and Italy have all contributed significantly to the development of the music. This band originates from French-speaking Switzerland, with their most recent album recorded in beautiful Lausanne on Lac Lemon. While they referenced Coltrane it was also evident that middle eastern rhythms and themes informed their work as well. This well-travelled band is extremely tight as a unit. Whatever twists and turns the music took they intuitively coalesced around each new theme. No charts needed here.

The first few numbers were denser and more complex than what followed, but as the evening progressed an airy feel and a deeper groove established. I could discern many European and American influences from Debussy to Coltrane. This distinctive original music was Euro Jazz at its best. Andre Hahne (bass) took care of the introductions (presumably because he has more English than the others), but the band is billed as a collective of equals. It would be impossible to single out any particular musician as they all shone in one way or another. On saxophones was Matthieu Durmarque, piano Matthieu Roffe and drums Alexandre Ambroziak.

This was not a night to miss.

Where: CJC (Creative Jazz Club) 1885 Britomart, Auckland

Who: ‘No Square‘ – Andre Hahne (bass), Matthieu Durmarque (saxophones), Matthieu Roffe (piani), Alexandre Ambroziak (drums)

What: Their 8th Album ‘The Laws of ephemerae’ (Les Lois de L Ephemere)

Natalia Mann update from Marseille

November 19, 2013 / JazzLocal32.com / 2 Comments

I interviewed Natalia Mann after the release of her very successful Rattle album ‘Pacif’ist’ and since then we have kept in touch . Improvising harp players are a rare commodity, but things are slowly changing. This year the Columbian harpist Edmar Castaneda won a major Jazz poll. Natalia is simply killing at whatever she undertakes but her new trio brings her squarely into the jazz orbit. Having gained a considerable reputation playing with various symphony orchestras and after undertaking a number experimental music projects, she is more than ready to enhance her improvisational credentials. She has recently been playing to critical acclaim at Mediterranean Jazz festivals and this video clip was made for the AKBANK Jazz festival in Istanbul. Her compositions are beguiling and exotic, while retaining an elusive mysterious quality. This is music that leaves you wanting more.

Natalia is of Samoan Kiwi extraction but for some years she has lived in Istanbul. She’s married to the Turkish percussionist Izzet Kizil who appears in the clip below. She was most recently the recipient of the ‘ARts Pacifica’ award in her hometown of Wellington. Having recently studied Jazz at Skopje University she is now engaging frequently with the improvising world. This stunningly beautiful piece swings to its own pulses and rhythms; aided by solid bass work from Dine Donneff (Greece) and the perfectly executed percussion of husband Izzet Kitil (Turkey).

I have promised to take her to the CJC next time she is in Auckland and just maybe if we are lucky, we could talk her into performing?

Natalia is in Marseilles at present and she sent me this clip of her new Jazz trio a few days ago. Kiwi musicians certainly do well in the world.

Gai Bryant’s Cubanos w/ AJO

November 13, 2013November 14, 2013 / JazzLocal32.com / 1 Comment

We get a lot of interesting overseas acts passing through these days but seldom do we see Cuban musicians. This is not about what they have to offer or even about the tyranny of distance, but more about politics. When this band was booked it was a bigger lineup, but getting short-term visas to enter Australia and New Zealand proved an insurmountable barrier for some of their number. In my view this is an arcane and ludicrous legacy of the cold war. In spite of an easing of sanctions by the EU and others, those old suspicions remain. These talented musicians are the very best of ambassadors for their country and their indigenous music. Its time to get real Australasian immigration. The few that were allowed into the country gave us a great nights entertainment and not one sought asylum from John Key.

The tour was organised by Australian band leader Gai Bryant and she arrived here with barely enough time to hold a few brief rehearsals with the AJO (Auckland Jazz Orchestra). I am a fan of the AJO as they always tackle interesting projects. They are a Jazz Orchestra with great dynamics and under the direction of Tim Atkinson, Mike booth and others they continue to produce the goods. The personnel had changed a bit since I last saw them and especially the front horn line. Even though it was dark and crowded I could make out a number of the long-term AJO regulars such Jo Spiers, Callum Passells, Cameron Sangster, Mike Booth, Jono Tan, Cameron McArthur and Matt Steele. This band is scandalously under utilised and the city fathers and corporates should be engaging them for important occasions.

I am picking that this music would have been testing for them, as very few Auckland musicians have had a chance to work in authentic Cuban styles before. It is one thing to play a Rumba or Bolero in a looser jazz idiom but quite another to follow charts like these. At the heart of Cuban music is a set of complex mesmerising counter rhythms and the clave. This is a delicious fusion music and the most influential of all of the ‘world musics’. It reaches deep into the shameful slave past of Cuba. West African musicians had retained knowledge of the ancient percussion instruments, chants and melodies which had travelled with them. Along the way a plethora of other influences enriched and extended their music. There is a strong Spanish influence and a French influence among others. These influences were absorbed into the polyrhythmic music of West Africa. At the very heart is often the clave rhythms and central to that is the five beat pattern so much emulated in popular music and Jazz. These days the forms are codified and so jumping into this as a novice is a big ask. I don’t know enough about Cuban music to judge this performance against others, but suffice to say I enjoyed it immensely.

I was deeply impressed by the percussionists but also by Cameron Sangster (drums), who took his cues so well from the Cubans. Other notable moments were delivered by Callum Passells (alto), Cameron McArthur (bass) and Matt Steele (piano).

With the percussion instruments playing and the orchestra and soloists weaving around the beat it was easy to see how those old stories of voodoo and trance music took hold. These beats defied all attempts to rationalise the sound. The rhythms entered every pore, almost like body blows, driving me out of self and into the arms of some universal force. An ancient joyful celestial dance from which there was mercifully no escape.

Who: Gai Bryant’s Cubanos (the photos on this gig were all taken by Ben McNicoll)

Where: The CJC (Creative Jazz Club) 1885 Britomart, Auckland, Wednesday 30th October 2013

NOiCE @ CJC

November 9, 2013November 17, 2013 / JazzLocal32.com / 2 Comments

The North Island Creative Ensemble is a project dear to Rosie Langabeer’s heart and one of many projects that she has on the go. Rosie has been out of New Zealand for some time although NOiCE did perform at the CJC over a year ago. Her musical journey most recently took her to the USA where she worked for three years with leading experimental improvisers and artists. Her compositions and playing have won various awards and so I made certain that I there as I missed the last NOiSE gig.

This is music that is hard to pin down, as it deliberately defies conventions while somehow flirting with them. There is a sense of structure which provides a touch stone, but don’t grasp too firmly as the forms will dissolve as quickly as they appeared. This is music which carries you forward if you let it, holding you in the eternal moment.

NOiCE is an assembly of highly creative musicians; coming from a variety of North Island towns and cities. The music is experimental in nature and it is definitely adventurous. Most of these musicians are well-known and leaders in the field of New Zealand experimental music. Jim Langabeer (Rosie’s father) is a stalwart of the Auckland Jazz scene, but he has also worked with international musicians like Gary Peacock, Sammy Davis Jr and even the Bee Gees. He is a multi reeds and winds player and because of his proficiency on a variety of instruments he has been in demand over the years. I recently saw his name come up in the music credits of the New Zealand film ‘Mr Pip’. His innovative flute work is probably what he best known for.

Jeff Henderson is also a multi reeds player and he is at the very heart of Auckland’s experimental music scene. He can often be seen at ‘Vitamin S’, a small club dedicated to experimental music located just off Karangahape Road, Auckland. Jeff has worked with a large number of cutting edge musicians over the years, William Parker, Steve Lacey, Mike Nock and many others. He delights in pushing against the boundaries and when he performs he seldom holds back. While his scalding solos often reach beyond mere form, his ability to integrate seamlessly into an ensemble creates a filigree of contrasts and textures. A delicious aura of inventive unpredictability hangs over him.

Chris O’Connor (drums) is a firm favourite with CJC audiences. A recipient of the Chapman Tripp Award for original music, he has also worked with the soprano saxophonist Steve Lacey, avant-garde pianist Marilyn Cryspel, Don McGlashan and numerous other well-known groups or individuals. Chris is one of those drummers that other drummers revere and the last time we saw him at the CJC was with vibist John Bell.

Ben McNicoll (reeds and winds), Joe Callwood (guitar), Gerard Crewdson (brass) and Kingsley Melhuish (brass), Nicky Wuts (vibes) and Patrick Bleakley (bass) round out the ensemble. They are all experienced musicians and most of them have worked with NOiCE for some time. Ben McNicolls is the best known to CJC audiences as both the technical director of the club and a frequent performer. A good reader with a nice sound he, is happy to take on any project, from standards gigs to out-ensembles. Gerard Crewdson and Kingsley Melhuish are versatile and sought after brass players and both have played the CJC before. The musicians that I was less familiar with were Patrick Bleakley (bass), Joe Callwood (guitar) and Nikky Wuts (Vibraphone).

I’m relieved to see another mallets player on the scene as New Zealand has very few of them. John Bells departure earlier in the year left a yawning chasm.

All contributed something unique as this is a truly democratic ensemble. One where individual voices rise and then subside; emerging seamlessly into the collective consciousness of the group

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Month: November 2013