JAZZ ALBUM REVIEWS IN THE AUSTRALIAN
In September, 2017 Eric Myers commenced reviewing jazz albums in the Review supplement of The Weekend Australian. All reviews in this folder are written by Myers.
JAZZ
GASTRONOMY ASTROLOGY
THE EJT
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Rippa Recordings
Four-and-a-half stars
Published in the Weekend Australian, November 20, 2021
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During the 2020 lockdown Sydney double bassist Elsen Price wrote seven compositions for this album, with gastronomic titles: Gorgonzola Brie, Vegan Surprise, Pineapple on a Pizza, Truffle Cheddar, and so on. Although using time-feels that originated in rock music, this is not the vacuous fusion so prevalent in earlier eras. It’s very hip music, the outcome of a modern jazz sensibility. A formidable bassist, Price anchors an outstanding rhythm section, including drummer Ed Rodrigues whose sensitive and nuanced playing gives the music its primary character. Pianist Casey Golden, guitarist Felix Lalanne, and saxophonists James Ryan (tenor) and Stu Vandegraaff (alto) complete this sextet, all of them performing with virtuosic authority. Price provides highly technical written passages articulated in unison by the rhythm section players, sometimes introducing the pieces, at other times used as connecting links inside the compositions. Solos by all players are a delight throughout, showcasing the brilliant improvisational talent in this generation of musicians.
Eric Myers
JAZZ
BACK TO THE GARDEN
NICK HAYWOOD TRIO & PETRA HADEN
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Independent
Four stars
Published in the Weekend Australian, November 27, 2021
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Double bassist Nick Haywood’s trio, with Colin Hopkins (piano) and Niko Schauble (drums) recorded this album in Melbourne in 2019, with a member of jazz royalty, vocalist Petra Haden, daughter of the great American bassist, the late Charlie Haden. A beautiful singer with a voice of unusual purity, Haden does two tunes which epitomise Americana: the traditional Shenandoah, which dates back to the early 19th Century; and the famous Walt Disney theme When You Wish Upon a Star. Other highlights include Jimmy Webb’s The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, and a wordless vocal version of Bill Frisell’s Throughout. The album’s ruminative mood is underlined by the trio’s rather abstract instrumentals, A Whiter Shade of Pale and Joni Mitchell’s obscure composition Woodstock. A notable aspect of the album is Schauble’s distinctive style. His playing is a model of how the modern jazz drummer can busily contribute to spontaneous conversations in the music, while at the same time remaining unobtrusive in the sound mix.
Eric Myers
JAZZ
GULLFOSS
NADJE NOORDHUIS
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Little Mystery Records
Four-and-a-half stars
Published in the Weekend Australian, December 4, 2021
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The key to this lovely album is Australian Nadje Noordhuis’s extraordinary ability to capture the pristine beauty of the trumpet (and that of its close relative, the more mellow flugelhorn). She produces such a gorgeous sound on both instruments, that it’s often difficult to identify which is which. She has been a prolific sideperson on countless albums since she became resident in New York in 2003, but this is only Noordhuis’s fourth album as a leader. Featuring eight of her original compositions, Gullfoss was recorded in 2019 in Switzerland, where her quintet, full of New York-based musicians, was performing. It includes Maeve Gilchrist (harp), Jesse Lewis (guitar), Ike Sturm (bass), and James Shipp (synthesizers and percussion). While most contemporary jazz stresses technical virtuosity, this very welcome album is oriented instead towards serenity. There are times when Noordhuis soars and plays with breathtaking majesty, but overwhelmingly this album, apparently inspired by nature, travel, and feelings of nostalgia, is restful, atmospheric and deeply felt.
Eric Myers