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| Happenings |
Stay warm with like-minded Sydney jazz hipsters
Like the Mamas & The Papas sang it, all the leaves are brown, and the sky is grey. Ok, but Sydney is still a stunning town when the sun sets early, and an early sunset means even you early birds are shrouded in darkness entering your favourite Surry Hills place of entertainment. No, not the strip club upstairs.
Leading us down the windy slope to winter are old label favourites Leonie Cohen and Informal Troupe, stage regulars Amphibious and Showa 44 and an exciting new collection of familiar people, Greening From Ear to Ear.
Down at winter base camp, our June lineup sees the return of the ADs Pick; an allstar lineup paying a long-awaited tribute to the music of Roger Frampton, and those ripening chestnuts of Sydney music, Mike Nock and Jeremy Sawkins.
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Show me all that jazz  |
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James Loughnan is one half of Jazzgroove's new Artistic Direction team. Keep an eye out for their debut program kicking off in November 2010.
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Metallica - And Justice For All
The first album I ever bought, so I figured I should put it in. Listened to it quite religiously as an angsty teen. Great songs. YouTube. |
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Blaine Whittaker - Hard Bop Café
This was the first jazz album I ever owned. I bought it when Blaine came to my high school with Galapagos Duck- I think I was in year 10? I was taken by Blaine’s killer sound and ball-tearing bebop lines, and I think, for the first time, thought seriously about playing the saxophone. It’s still one of the albums I give students to get them into jazz. Blaine's website. YouTube. |
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Dexter Gordon – Our Man in Paris
My first big-time jazz love and influence. I could have put any one of a bunch of albums of on here, but this was the first one I owned and the one I’ve listened to the most. Full of joy, soul and humour- the musical equivalent of a big warm hug. Oh, and SWING. YouTube. |
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Matt Keegan Trio - Moving Sea Between
I saw this band on one of my first adventures to Jazzgroove at the Excelsior Hotel, fell in love, and immediately bought the CD. Definitely one of the most distinctive Australian Jazz ensembles, to my ears anyway. Three strong musical voices, one amazing band sound. I would count all three of these dudes separately as influences of mine, musically and personally. YouTube |
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Sonny Rollins – Live at the Village Vanguard
One of my most frequent loans from the Con library. Like Dex, could have been any one of a bunch of Sonny albums. Just endless invention and relentless vibe. Sonny's website. YouTube |
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Bill McHenry – Roses
Credit to Abel Cross for introducing me to this chap. His sound is at once pure and dirty, his compositions are beautiful and never clichéd, and the band plays their cracks off. Bill's website. YouTube |
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Chris Speed – Emit
Had awful trouble deciding between this one and ‘Deviantics’. Dan Rorke introduced me to this chap. For me it’s just as much about Jim Black here as it is about Chris. Probably my favourite drummer. Chris Speed is one of my biggest compositional influences. Chris' website. YouTube |
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D'Angelo – Voodoo
This album is sex. YouTube |
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Phil Slater Quartet- The Thousands
Fllluuppph. That’s the sound of my brain inverting when I heard this band live for the first time. Luckily it was during a loud bit, or it might’ve disturbed some of the patrons. If I wasn’t trying to show a spread of influences, Band of Five Names, Showa 44, Strobe Coma Virgo and Daorum would be here too. These musicians would be superstars anywhere. We’re lucky they’re still here. YouTube. Phil's website. iTunes. |
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The Roots - do you want more?!!!??!
The first hip hop album I ever owned (wait… no… I bought an Eminem album when I was 15), and still probably my favourite. Raw and live, Black Thought’s phrasing is killing, and ?uestlove, well… YouTube. Roots website. |
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