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Personnel:
Tim Stevens piano
Ben Robertson acoustic bass
Dave Beck drums
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TIM STEVENS TRIO 'Mickets'
- RF088
The new album from Melbourne’s Tim Stevens Trio, Mickets is a program
mostly of original compositions that seek to build on the composed and
improvised repertoire the band has developed in its five years’
existence. A return to written forms does not mean a move backwards, for
the benefits of having explored collective spontaneous improvisation on
Three friends in winter (2005) are evident in the group’s thoughtful
and attentive interplay.
This is brought to bear on the thoughtful compositions of Stevens, tunes
that explore idiosyncratic harmonic structures and extend his lyrical
melodic style. Whether it’s the groovy ‘Rufus redux’,
kicking things off, or the more gently expressive ‘Prologue-like’,
the compositions draw the band to regions of mutual exchange and varied
expression. Stevens (piano), Ben Robertson (double bass) and Dave Beck
(drums), draw on a rich and wide-ranging palette of instrumental sound
and ensemble texture throughout the recording. ‘Our little systems’,
with its more complicated written structure, gives way to challenging
material for improvisation, yet the trio sounds unhurried and unflustered,
working out its ideas in logical succession and developing a solid overall
structure. The openness of the ballad ‘…the body desolate
as a staircase’ might challenge the patience of many musicians,
but Tim Stevens’ band draws maximum expression from space itself,
and each sound is considered and compelling.
For those who have followed Stevens’ compositions since Nine open
questions, or even his earlier albums with Browne – Haywood –
Stevens (King, Dude and Dunce and Sudden in a shaft of sunlight), these
things need not be so very surprising. But the development of his compositional
voice and of this trio in dealing with his pieces is an ongoing process
of refinement, and Mickets demonstrates that the trio is resisting any
temptation to repeat itself, rather, it continues to seek challenge. |
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Personnel:
Miroslav Bukovsky
trumpet, flugelhorn
James Greening
trombone, didgeridu
Alister Spence
piano, keyboards
Jeremy Sawkins
electric, acoustic guitar
Adam Armstrong
bass
Fabian Hevia
drums, percussion
with special guest
Joseph Tawadros
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WANDERLUST 'When
In Rome' RF077
This new Wanderlust disc When in Rome, Wanderlust’s first live
CD, presents a performance at the famous jazz festival at Villa Celimontana.
Staged near the Colosseum in the gardens of one of the great Roman villas,
the event has run through the summer months for more than 15 years, and
features bands from all over the world.
This was their second visit to the Villa and the recording captures the
wonderful atmosphere and connection between band and audience.
The musicians who have played in or with Wanderlust over the years are
in many ways a phalanx of vibrant contributors to Australian music: Wanderlust’s
leader Miroslav Bukovsky (trumpet, flugelhorn) and James Greening (trombone,
didjeridu) have a long history of collaboration ¾ in various salsa
bands in the early ‘80s, then groups led by funk maestro Jackie
Orszaczky (Jump Back Jack, Industrial Accident, Hungarian Rap Sadists),
Mark Simmonds’ Freeboppers, Ten Part Invention led by John Pochée,
and Bukovsky’s Major Minority; Alister Spence (piano, keyboards)
and Steve Elphick from that compelling band Clarion Fracture Zone; the
fantastic drummer/percussionist Greg Sheehan also played in the Freeboppers
and Major Minority.
They brought their own musical ideas and personalities to an increasingly
diverse scene that mixed elements of post bop, free jazz, Latin, African,
funk, Electronica, and their own musical heritage (Bukovsky came from
Czechoslovakia, Fabian Hevia [drums] from Chile). As a result, the band
is influenced by folk music from many parts of the world, but without
imitating those influences.
On this occasion they were joined by former bass player Adam Armstrong,
for some years now resident in NYC. The disc also includes a guest performance
by a remarkable oud player, Joseph Tawadros.
Our dear friend Daniele ‘Chipster’ Di Giovanni was live sound
engineer at this performance; he had the presence of mind to press the
‘record’ button, as a recording was not planned.
These pieces from two 60 minutes sets are a cross-section from Wanderlust’s
repertoire of the last 15 years, while favouring the more textural, ambient
sounds. The playing is freer and more exuberant compared to some of the
studio discs, so, even though the sound quality may not be 100 percent
HI FI at times, it’s a very good account of Wanderlust in full flight. |
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