Monthly Archives: October 2013

The Grand Hotel – this week: big voice, big crowd, huge bass

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Sevil Sabah sang a hot set last week, in front of a goodly crowd.

This week, John “Chopsticks” Curtis returns from his world tour of Vietnam to shake off the rust and play a toon or three. Anne Hayres is singing, dressed to the nines and wielding a blunt instrument to keep him up to his previously high standard. Danilo on drums, Rene Tessmer on bass. I enjoyed Anne’s last performance enormously, and will be going. See ya there?

Anne Hayres, the Grand Hotel, corner of Spencer and Flinders, Friday 25th October, 5.30 – 8.30

Next week Tess is back in town, meself on piano, the flying Texican Kip Dale on bass and a drummer on drums. Alright, I haven’t organised one yet…

TW

John Montesante Quintet with Samantha Morley – Sat 24th

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Samantha Morley is a class act! She will join the stellar, horn-led ‘John Montesante Quintet’, performing bebop and standards repertoire, for a special evening of Jazz entertainment. Originally from Sydney, Sam has an impressive background – as a jazz singer and in musical stage shows. She has also recorded her own album, The Nearness of You

Saturday 24th October at Dizzy’s
www.dizzys.com.au
Dizzy’s Jazz Club
381 Burnley Street
Richmond Victoria

The Sunday Arvo Jam Session:

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Uncle Glens’ Gossip Shop was in fine form last week – only Il Duce had re-arranged the set up, to keep the doorway clear. Apart from the singers voice emanating from speakers nowhere near the singer, and the band being cunningly arranged so that they couldn’t communicate, it was a bit of a debacle as furniture moving goes… although it didn’t stop around 20 musos (and Thomas the Tap) having a ball. We somehow ended up playing until 8.00pm. Almost breakfast time for some of us.

Hortense, if she was there, was in a different spot, and would have decided to turn up on a whim . Madge from Altona rarely does that these days, as every time she has done it in the past, the wheels have fallen off the whim. They just don’t make ’em like they used to.
TW

 

The Castlemaine Jazz Festival: a brief update

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The Committee continues to work apace. Visited the first eight venues in the company of Linda Carpenter and John Hannah. We are getting some very positive responses from the  local venue operators. Seasoned Jammers would be well advised to leave town now, as we have just worked out we will need 32 volunteers to man the doors and marshal the bands through their changeovers. Gulp!

And dat, as they say in the talkies, is the news from Sleepy Hollow.

TW

Calling all Young Elders of Jazz

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Are you a Victorian jazz composer under the age of 35? Feel like $10,000 and a gig at the 2014 Melbourne International Jazz Festival?

PBS 106.7FM, in association with the Melbourne International Jazz Festival, is delighted to announce the third year of the PBS Young Elder of Jazz Commission.

Applications close at 5pm Thursday 31st October 2013. For full terms and conditions visit
www.pbsfm.org.au

Hello friends of “Standing Tall”

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We’ve hit the big time! We’ve got a gig at one of Melbourne’s premier Jazz clubs: Dizzy’s Jazz Club at 381 Burnley St  Richmond.

We play from 8pm on Tuesday November 5th (Melbourne Cup night – so a good chance to spend your winnings).

Meals are served at Dizzy’s and tales can be booked at 9428 1233.

If you haven’t already checked us out do so on facebook: www.facebook.com/#!/SvH.StandingTall

or at: www.reverbnation.com/svhstandingtall

“Standing Tall” is an exciting new band that plays the kind of jazz popular in the 60’s and 70’s when it was exploring funk, blues and Latin rhythms – think Herbie Hancock, Freddie Hubbard, The Crusaders, Eddie Harris and Joe Zawinul. Led by bassist Stan van Hooft and propelled by percussionists Simon Atkinson and Dean Constable, it features Yassin Eltahir on guitar, Julian Driscoll on trumpet, Sharmila Periakarpan on flute and Laurie Savage on hot R’n’B saxophone. Driving jazz and funky grooves are guaranteed.
Hope to see you on the 5th
Stan

Cheap Frills at Farouk’s Olive

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Play it again, Sam:

 8.30 pm Friday, 22nd & 29th November

 Bluesy Jazz Standards & Eclectic Blend

 Farouk’s Olive, 711 High St, Thornbury

 Great food, bar, vibes 9484 7728

 https://www.facebook.com/FarouksOlive

 $5.00 entry

 No longer free but still Cheap!

 http://www.jazstutley.com.au

Get in before Daffy December with your Xmas party and let us entertain you!

The Sunday Arvo Jam Session: And so, to the Lunatic Soup Lounge…guitar free and classy: Chaos in disgrace

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First set honours to Roger Clark and the black sax followed by an afternoon that just got better and better – Danilo, Sebastien, Bruce Constable, Glen  and newcomer Chris on drums, Doug Kuhn, Jeremey Marozeau, Brian, and Avi on bass, meself, Bob , Sam Izzo, and blast from the past Daniel Osher on keys, the Captain, Keef, Ali and Alex on sax, and Lee de Bendigo on flugel .. topped off by Thomas the tap.

The Captain in disgrace?  Apart from calling an ending to Moondance that would have been a novelty to Van the Man, and were a total mystery to the band du jour, he managed to ignore singers Debbie, Chelly, Celeste, Chris Manetta, Buddy, The Divine Miss Smiff and I forget who else by playing 6 instrumentals in a row, including the interminable Watermelon Man, whilst they all waited patiently for a chance to sing before stumps. Sometimes, being a saxaphone player gets the better of you…

Guitar Free and Classy. It was, and it was. Coincidence probably.

Eight ball fries ya brain: : the front bar brains trust (Winfield Blue footpath division) opined that not only had the Jams got better over the last 12 months, but this was one of the best yet. Who am I to argue?

See ya next week
TW

Kojo Brown

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Amy Jaulin is singing this Saturday, with meself on piano and Doug Kuhn on bass. We’ll all have a good time, and if you feel like one of Tony’s lamb shanks, for god’s sake get a grip, dress appropriately and drop in.

Amy Jaulin, Kojo Brown, Saturday 19th October, Bridge Road opposite the Richmond Town Hall, from 7.00pm to 10.00pm

The Grand Hotel –last week: big voice, big crowd, huge bass

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It takes a bit to upstage Amy Jaulin, but that would seem to have been the case when the barman said “ who’s the f***in’ bass player, you can get him back any time you f****in well like.”(verbatim misquotation). I took this to mean he thought he was quite good. So props to Amy for a  night of fine singing, and to Kain Borlase for some great double bass solos.

So… this week, Sevil Sabah ventures forth for a full night of jazz, the occasional soul number and even some Aretha if she don’t lose her nerve. Our newest singer is looking the goods. Catch her performance before the warranty runs out. Doug Kuhn on bass, and a special performance by Ann Smiff on drums.

Sevil Sabah torches the Grand Hotel, corner of Spencer and Flinders, Friday 18th October, 5.30 – 8.30

 

Next week Anne Hayres is back with a whole new repertoire and her regular crew of John “chopsticks:” Curtis (piano) and Danilo (drums). Probably get a bass player organised before then.