Australian Jazz Musicians

Tyler Cooney ~ Modern Ideal

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Since emerging from the shadows in the 50s, the Jazz guitar has become one of the most popular instruments with Jazz audiences. And, despite the plethora of styles appearing since then, most modern jazz guitarists defy stylistic pigeonholing. ‘Modern Ideal’ by Brisbane’s Tyler Cooney is a case in point as it is forward-looking and yet the richness of the lineage is evident as you listen. Since its release a few short months ago the album has received critical acclaim and that is not surprising. If you love jazz guitar you need to check it out.

This is an album with pleasing contrasts and moods. The title tune ‘Modern Ideal’ with its embracing warmth is gorgeous. The harmonic invention is resonant as the guitarist digs into the tune; with a melodic clarity arising out of his well-executed voice leading progressions followed by a tasteful solo, carrying with it the essence of what has gone before. This voice-leading approach is even more evident in ‘Country Sumthin’. Here we find the echoes and swing of Jazz Americana at its best, and we are left wondering if the past ever sounded quite this good.  

My favourite track is ‘Wood Glue. This is where the lineage is most evident but the joy is most apparent. This has the trio blowing hard and killing it as they blaze in the moment. The album is beautifully recorded, but it is the quality of the compositions, the guitar wizardry and the interplay that make this such a fine album. It is so well realised that it is hard to believe that this is a young guitarist’s first release. What is not hard to imagine is that great things lie ahead for Cooney. 

Tyler Cooney plays the guitar, on the bass is Nick Quigley and on drums is the 2012 Australian National Jazz Award-winning Tim Firth (Firth has a solid following in New Zealand after he toured with Steve Barry over a decade ago). To purchase Modern Ideal go to tylercooney.bandcamp.com

JazzLocal32.com is rated as one of the 50 best Jazz Blogs in the world by Feedspot. The author is a professional member of the Jazz Journalists Association, a Judge in the 7VJC International Jazz Competition, and a poet & writer. Some of these posts appear on other sites with the author’s permission. 

Another Dance: Nock/Stuart/Wilson/Zwartz

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This is an ensemble of seasoned observers operating from their shared vantage point of empathy and humanism. Jazz at its best reflects the world about it and it never shirks from truth-telling. To achieve this, primal emotions must be invoked. Something to cut through the memes, words, pretty tunes or familiar licks that inhabit our everyday life. It is not that the aforementioned attributes lack validity, but there are many a dances we can choose. This dance invites us to remember, to do better and to pay our dues in the turbulent world that we helped create.

It is unsurprising that this particular group locates the stark beauty hidden among the ashes and the ebbing floodwaters. The mood is darker than in ‘This World’ but in spite of that, the album resonates with hope. It is the hope that follows acknowledgement. This is an album for our times and it touches on the rawness of the human predicament and it does so unflinchingly. To add further context, it was cut in the midst of the epidemic; surreal and unexpected chaos that has characterised our existence of late. 

The tunes are all originals composed for the album and it feels like a collaboration in the fullest sense, musicians attuned to each other and to the musical possibilities unfolding ahead.

Deception (MP3)

For example, the intro to ‘Deception’ opens with a single chord, echoed quickly by another. The latter is more percussive, stinging, beautiful, and as those chords decay the mood is established with a series of sparse utterances. This is one of Mike Nock’s trademark devises, to beguile without overwhelming, to explore from an oblique viewpoint, then land you deep inside the tune. When you become aware of the others, everyone is so in sync that it takes your breath away. The process is seamless. This is the product of good writing and great musicianship, with Nock’s compositional input particularly evident throughout (especially so in ‘Winter’).

Winter (MP3)

Any of Julien Wilson’s fans will be delighted with his performance here. Although practically vibrato-less (as modern saxophonists are), he captures a Getz like warmth; on occasion his upper register breaking into cries or sighs, tugging at the heartstrings.

I introduced the album to a friend who was floored by its beauty. Wilson, Stuart and Zwartz react so instinctively to Nock’s phrasing and subtle comping. Adding depth, subtlety, texture and gently playing with the time. Zwartz and Stuart are the go-to musicians for an album like this and without them, the album would be the poorer. However overworked the phrase is, this group are rightly referred to as a supergroup. ‘This World’ attracted accolades and award nominations. ‘Another Dance’ is on the same trajectory.  

Mike Nock (piano), Hamish Stuart (drums), Julien Wilson (saxophone, effects), Jonathan Zwartz (bass)

The album is produced by Lionshare Records and is available in digital format on Bandcamp.

There is good quality streaming available upon purchase, and downloads are available in either standard CD format or the higher quality HD 24bit/96khz Audiophile Quality. I downloaded the Audiophile quality album and for those who have good equipment, it is a must. I have seldom heard such astonishing sound definition. It is like being in the studio and hearing the instruments breathe.

lionsharecords.bandcamp.com

JazzLocal32.com is rated as one of the 50 best Jazz Blogs in the world by Feedspot. The author is a professional member of the Jazz Journalists Association, poet & writer. Some of these posts appear on related sites. 

Footnote: I hadn’t realised that the tune credits were embedded in each individual track listing. In a message exchange with Julien Wilson later he pointed that out. When I wrote that I detected Mike Nock’s hand in the composition ‘Winter’, I was both wrong and right. ‘Winter’ was composed by Jonathan Zwartz as a tribute Nock’s beautiful ‘Ondas’ from the ECM album of the same name. What a great tribute to a seminal album.

James Ryan – Jazz without a parachute

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James Ryan is a Sydney based tenor player and he has appeared at the CJC before.  On Wednesday nights gig he fronted a trio of saxophone, drums and bass.   In configurations like this where chordal instruments are absent, a band is taking a more adventurous route.   Guitars, pianos, horn-sections and jazz orchestras provide a safety net for horn soloists and in addition they tend to fill in much of the soundscape with colour and a variety of textures.  Without this underpinning, clean open spaces can be revealed and the bones of melodies can be unraveled or looked at afresh in their raw beauty.    This is jazz without a parachute.

The precedent for such trios goes back a long way.   Gerry Mulligan came close with his famous piano-less quartet of the 1950’s, but the addition of another horn (Chet Baker or Bobby Brookmeyer) allowed for chords and complex counterpoint.  The most notable historic piano-less trios were Sonny Rollins ‘Way Out West‘, Lee Konitz, ‘Motion’ and the drummer led Elvin Jones ‘Ultimate’.    There are many others and I should also mention the Max Roach–Dizzy Gillespie duos with just trumpet and drums.  Our own Roger Manins has also explored saxophone trios and his well received album ‘Hip Flask’ is a notable example.

I did not hear James the last time he appeared, but I was soon to be impressed by what was on offer.  His choice of band-mates proved to be fortuitous as Tom Botting (bass) and Ron Samsom (drums) rose to the challenge with enthusiasm.   In this blue-sky environment each artist knew what needed to be done and more importantly what must be avoided.  The was no overplaying and the flow of musical ideas was engaging.

James introduced the first set by playing solo for a number of bars and we could hear immediately that he was brim full of interesting ideas.  This was a good way to open because when the bass and drums came in, their addition filled the space with possibilities.  The fourth tune of the night ‘Micky B’ (Ryan) was a good example of this interplay.   In this case the tune had been set up by the bass and it soon developed into a hard-driving bluesy exploration of the theme.   James drove deeper and deeper into the changes and freed of the need to avoid piano or guitar, he took the music where he wanted it to go.   While James took care of business Tom Botting found just the right responses and Ron Samsom showed us again why he is a master of the drum kit.

After a number of interesting originals had been performed the band switched seamlessly to the well-known standard ‘You and The Night And The Music”.    James explained afterward that this had not been on the set list, but because Tom had quoted from it during an earlier bass solo he added it on impulse.   It is when we hear a standard that  we can form the strongest views and make comparisons.    The audience will know where the tune has gone before and be interested to see just where this band is taking it.   This particular exploration was inventive without being disrespectful.   It had an element of surprise in the familiar and that is what the best Jazz is about.

As is so often the case when Ron Samsom is on the bandstand, the percussion work was extraordinary.   His use of mallets and his inventiveness riveted the audience again and again.   He can play tightly in the pocket or with an understated but completely engaging looseness.  We saw him as more than a drummer in this set up.  He was an instrumentalist capable of filling any space.

There was one free number during the night and it was a riot.    James announced that he would play a tune of his titled ‘Rocket No 7’.    This was an homage to Sun Ra and his much admired composition ‘Rocket No 9’.   A few bars in James just let rip and the band quickly followed him into what were obviously unchartered waters.  This decoupling from the changes was soon evident and the organic freedom took us on a wild and delightful ride.   While the music was as free as a skylark it was never directionless.    Both band and audience were smiling at the end and everyone in the room knew that they had experienced something special.

After the number James wiped the sweat from his brow and pulled the mike towards him.   “That was nothing like ‘Rocket No 7” he said to our delight.

As with many of the Australian visitors we look forward to his return.