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
POLYMORPHIC
MADDISON CARTER
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Earshift Music
Four stars
Published in the Weekend Australian, February 24, 2024
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This album has obvious seriousness of purpose, but was difficult to review. The music consists of short suites – some embedded in long compositions – which combine pre-prepared passages with the normal conventions of free improvisation. The Melbourne percussionist Maddison Carter explores here miscellaneous soundscapes which would be of interest to a percussionist, some of which are extremely powerful and appealing, whereas others lack many of the musical elements which make jazz interesting to most listeners. It’s difficult to characterise the music in a short review because those various soundscapes cover so many different instrumental combinations. “Polymorphism” apparently means “having multiple forms”. Carter is on drums, vibraphone, percussion, piano, Fender Rhodes and celeste. Others include Jessica Lindsay Smith (flute); Flora Carbo (alto saxophone, bass clarinet, & effects); Niran Dasika (trumpet, piccolo trumpet, synthesiser, & effects); Imogen Cygler (violin & effects); Isaac Gunnoo (double bass & electric bass). This album appears to underline the Earshift Music philosophy: this is how jazz will sound into the future.
Eric Myers
JAZZ
LATTICES
JORDAN TARENTO
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Earshift Music
Four-and-a-half stars
Published in the Weekend Australian, March 2, 2024
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I loved this album from the first note, and heard it throughout as if in a reverie. Eight compositions from bassist Jordan Tarento in well-known eight-feel time signatures are melodic and unpretentious, and are played with finesse and brilliance by an excellent Melbourne sextet: Darryn Farrugia (drums), Darrin Archer (keyboards), Hugh Stuckey & Harry Tinney (guitars), plus the musician most responsible for the music’s interlocking patterns and rhythmic textures, which give the album its unusually innovative sound: Zela Papageorgiou (marimba, glockenspiel, percussion). Cellist Nils Hobiger enhances the album’s appeal on one track. The musicians steam faultlessly through the ambiguous time-feels and rhythmic minefields found in this genre, and bring to life the contents of Tarento’s musical mind where apparently his ideas have been germinating for several years, leading to this impressive debut album. Tarento plays both electric and double bass beautifully on this album, which is warmly recommended. Compared to some of the more avant-garde albums which come my way for review, I found Lattices a breath of fresh air.
Eric Myers
JAZZ
DISCORDIA
JEREMY ROSE & THE EARSHIFT ORCHESTRA
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Earshift Music
Five stars
Published in the Weekend Australian, March 16, 2024
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This extraordinary album deserves as many accolades as possible. It’s Sydney saxophonist Jeremy Rose’s follow-up to his celebrated 2018 oratorio Iron In The Blood. Once again he utilises the standard jazz big band line-up: five saxophones, four trumpets, four trombones and rhythm section, but Rose’s music is anything but standard. His nine compositions offer a compelling vision as to how the big band of the future will sound. Many dense soundscapes here are full of majesty, and out of those soundscapes emerge some of the most individual voices in Australian jazz, particularly from the rhythm section: Novak Manojlovic’s ruminative piano work, the ethereal guitar playing of Hilary Geddes and the crisp drumming of Chloe Kim. Rose himself provides the album’s highlight: a beautiful work called Unverified Persona which serves as a mini-concerto for bass clarinet and orchestra. As usual, Rose’s music has a fascinating social purpose: he describes Discordia as “a mosaic of reflections, highlighting the looming shadows of a society veering towards apparitions, yet interspersed with rays of clarity.”
Eric Myers