Kang / Rainey ~ Christchurch

October 21, 2020 / JazzLocal32.com

Last weeks CJC/Anthology gig brought the Christchurch Brad Kang/ Jimmy Rainey duo to Auckland. While I have heard both artists before, this gig was a step up for them. Both looked comfortable on the bandstand and their confidence was justified. It is always a pleasure to witness early promise being realised and while neither could be considered veterans, both have received a measure of favourable attention. Both are well travelled and tested in the wider Jazz world.

I am more familiar with guitarist Kang as he has gigged in Auckland several times. The last time he played here he was just about to depart for the USA and that and his other trips have yielded dividends. He was always a competent player but a noticeable change has occurred. He is now playing fewer notes and the way he phrases resonates. I know that he has studied with Mike Moreno and it showed. The virtuosity is still there, but never at the expense of the music itself.

The last time I heard Rainey was at a CJC emerging artists gig but much has happened since then. He has benefited from overseas experience and his exposure to new ideas; particularly in his writing. This is a duo that writes to their strengths and because they understand that, they can play up a storm in consequence. At one point Rainey studied in Amsterdam, a Jazz loving genre-diverse proving ground. Anyone who has attended ‘Bim’ gigs will know what I mean. There’s a lot of freedom and innovation happening in that city.

From the first to the last tune they held us. The tunes while of varying tempos and alternating between the two composers, all spoke of the now. This is the type of music that is owned by younger players. It was unselfconsciously forward-looking and immediately brought ‘James Farm’ to mind. It did not lean heavily on harmony but the harmonic development was implied; there were clean unison lines and above all, the melody dominated. It was evident on the tune Spiral, where the cascade of lines emerged in sonic waves, while behind them piano, bass and drums carved up the rhythms.

And this was made possible by the skilled anchoring of Tom Botting’s bass lines and by the steady pulse from drummer Adam Tobeck. With Field, comping minimally the effect was enhanced. Wise heads and good players always adjust to accommodate. If he was alive today, it is tempting to think that Tristano might have embraced this direction?

The first tune Herfst was a majestic and evocative composition by Rainey. Herfst is a Dutch word meaning August (majestic and the season). This was a good warm-up tune as it gave us an idea of what would follow and the course once set, remained steady. Other tunes that Rainey penned were ‘Daze’ and ‘jubilate’. As well as the piece that I have posted on YouTube (Spiral), Kang composed ‘Passing Thoughts’ ‘A Quiet Place’ and ’Five Five Four’.

JazzLocal32.com was 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. Many of these posts also appear on Radio13.co.nz – check it out.

Dr Tom Botting Rediscovers Aotearoa

August 11, 2020August 12, 2020 / JazzLocal32.com

Bass player Tom Botting recently returned to Aotearoa and his first Auckland gig was well received. Even as a gangly student he impressed, and the regular attendees at the CJC hold fond memories of those Britomart Jam Sessions where he featured so prominently. Soon after that, he moved overseas, gaining a doctorate at the Sydney Conservatory. Like many of our musical exports, he returning annually, and many of the tunes that we heard last Wednesday were first showcased during those back-home tours.

His compositions are always memorable and often evocative. Now, he has returned to weather out the pandemic, bringing with him some new tunes, and updated arrangements of older ones. They are no longer isolated in a disparate setlist but are played sequentially and in geographical alignment. While the tunes are not presented as a suite, they nevertheless evoke a strong sense of place. And whether intended it or not, they present a cinematic journey across our landscapes. Here, Botting has achieved what locals often cannot. His yearning from afar for our landscapes and archetypes has led him to create something sublime.

The tune titles in these sets speak of mountains or the places immediately in their shadow; Mitre Peak, Mt Aspiring, The Remarkables, Hamner Springs, etc. I have posted a YouTube clip titled Hidden Waterfall and it is one of his more recent compositions. It begins with a pedal tone on piano, around which the bass introduces striking motifs, and then, a new line is introduced by the alto.

The piece is simply captivating and clarity is achieved by ensuring that no instrument gets in the way of another. It’s not easy to strike that fine balance and it’s extremely clever writing. Each segment stands on its merits, and yet, sits comfortably within the arc of the overall composition. It is a good example of less being more or to put it another way, as something complex rendered into ear-grabbing approachability.

Botting is a superb bass player and he poured everything into his tunes. He was always one to absorb himself in his playing and that has not changed. As he plays you see nothing but hair and fingers, but what you hear is the essence of the man. Beside him was Callum Passells on alto and he pulled out a great performance. An approach at times reminiscent of Shorter, and always with that gorgeous tone. Partially hidden on the left of the stage was guitarist Michael Howell, and again a good performance from him. His newfound confidence is reaping dividends. To complete the quintet were Kevin Field and Jono Sawyer. Both are consummate professionals and they maintained the standard of playing that we have come to expect of them. Pick up bands of this quality make a visitor happy to return.

There is a rich tradition of pastoral music in Aotearoa, most notably Douglas Lilburn. There is also the extraordinarily beautiful Ondas Album (ECM) by our premier Jazz Export Mike Nock. It is good to see a body of work of this quality adding to that tradition. Botting had already performed a concert in Wellington prior to reaching Auckland and a recording from that gig may soon be in the offing. The Auckland concert was recorded by RNZ and those unable to make the gigs should watch out for the broadcast. This music will appeal to most Jazz lovers, whatever their preferences.

Tom Botting (upright bass, compositions), Kevin Field (piano), Michael Howell (guitar), Callum Passells (alto saxophone), Jono Sawyer (drums). The gig took place at Anthology, K’Road for the CJC Creative Jazz Club, 5 August 2020

Tiny Hearts ‘Alluvium’ Review

August 27, 2014August 27, 2014 / JazzLocal32.com / 3 Comments

Tiny Hearts

Some acts appear to arrive out of no-where. All of the rehearsing and scuffling hidden from the common gaze. Others invite you in at ground level, letting you see the raw material as it evolves, letting you see the promise, beckoning from the future. Letting you see the influences, the base metal. For a pop act the former makes sense, for improvised music it makes no sense at all. Improvised music should move at will, explore awkward corners and morph into new shapes as it feeds off the life around it. Standing still is death.

Last time this band was in town the name ‘Tiny Hearts’ had not yet surfaced. They were the ‘Dilworths’ then, but the music was just as beguiling. One of the things that I quickly learned was the strength of the bands influences, powerful tributaries feeding a common cause. I was momentarily tempted to view the group as a discrete entity, a single project, but now I’m not so sure. The more that I learn about them, the more I see the individual strengths of the musicians, where they’ve come from and where they’re headed. Each of them have excelled in former projects but there is more. Together they exude an organic quality, growing, evolving in unison. Expressing the moment. IMG_2404 - Version 2

I was familiar with a few of the tunes, the ones played during the ‘Dilworths’ tour. I had also kept in touch with the musicians and seen clips as they developed their program along the way. These are great compositions, but the performances lift them to another level. All of the pieces have the individual musicians stamp imprinted on them. This is in keeping with the ‘Tiny Hearts’ ethos. A Steve Barry tune is unmistakably his, A Dilworth or Jackson tune likewise. While most of the tunes were written with ‘Tiny Hearts’ in mind, they often referenced earlier projects or perhaps give a nod to future offshoots. The ink was hardly dry on Tom Botting’s atmospheric Balclutha chart when he visited with the ‘Dilworths’ last time. ‘Big Sea Reprise’ takes up the baton from Paul Derricott’s amazing Big Sea (Arrow) album. I loved that album and asked Derricott about it when I caught their act last week. He told me that he had liked the album as first, but then developed some doubts. It lay fallow for a few years, then Paul revived it. He is now pleased with it. IMG_2370 - Version 2

Dilworth is the fronts person for the group, his friendliness and confidence making him and obvious choice. Musically, all speak equally. The composition of the band is part Australian and part Kiwi if you count their countries of origin. In reality they’re best described as Australians. Musicians like Barry and Botting could never be confined to our small Islands. Dilworth, Derricott and Jackson are Sydney musicians with solid reputations. If you are growing curious then here is my challenge. Purchase a copy of ‘Alluvium’. If you already possess it then order copies of: ‘Big Sea’ by Derricott, ‘Steve Barry’ the eponymous titled award-winning album by Barry, ‘Caravana Sun’ by Dilworth, ‘Cosmontology’ by Jackson. I have just ordered the latter to complete my set. I also spoke to the band about future projects and there are plenty in store. A Paul Derricott, a Steve Barry and a Dave Jackson album are in the wind. IMG_2373 - Version 2

I missed their CJC gig as I was in Australia, but I caught them at the Auckland Jazz and Blues Club. Reading the venue perfectly, they devoted much of the night to the Ellington/Strayhorn songbook. This was not done begrudgingly as they revelled in the chance to play sets dominated by these timeless standards. As the night progressed we whooped and clapped as numbers like ‘It don’t mean a thing’ brought the joy among us. Embarking upon a night of unprepared swing era tunes would catch a lessor band on the hop. For these guys it came naturally.

If you get the feeling that these musicians are in the middle of a massive and self-perpetuating project then you would be right. For those who haven’t worked it out, the title says it all. Alluvium comes from the Latin ‘to wash against’. Loose base metals tumbling together in a stream. That sounds about right. I can’t wait to see them again in any of their incarnations. They really are extraordinary.

Tiny Hearst rear

Who: Tiny Hearts – ‘Alluvium’ Eamon Dilworth (trumpet), Steve Barry (piano), Dave Jackson (saxophone), Tom Botting (bass), Paul Derricott (drums).

http://www.davejacksonmusic.com/ – stevebarrymusic.bandcamp.com/