Barney Wakeford played for our third concert ever, in May 2000.   Since then he's played more than 50 times in ensembles including Barney Wakeford's New Roses, the Nagarm Trio, The League of Rosebud, and Adjective Noun - as well as many solo performances, and hundreds of appearances at Free For All.  For many years he was the driving force behind these concerts, and his commitment to quality music that makes the best use of the acoustics of the room set a standard which we've tried to keep.

His compositions are few, but fantastic.  His collaborations are short-lived, but beautiful.  His improvisations are unpredictable and unforgettable.  He's sensitive about being called sensitive, waxes lyrical about lyricism, and has spent tens of thousands of hours considering the ways chords can progress through the jazz piano.  He's a dark horse, a quiet genius, and on Thursday, one more time, he's going to play the piano at Colbourne Ave

Barney Wakeford Trio featuring Cam Reid

playing works, among others, by Bud Powell, Mulgrew Miller, Duke Jordan, Bill Evans,

and with special guest Alexandru Bota performing an adaption of The Lark Ascending by Vaughan Williams and The Peacocks by Jimmy Rowles.

At Colbourne Ave, we have a half-arsed kind of tradition where on the anniversary of the first gig we ever put on (it was Bill Risby) we have a jazz tribute night to a pop band. Kind of like Frisell plays Lennon. Or Eckleberg plays Jackson.

It’s Thursday the 25^th of Feb, and we’re doing Joni Mitchell (almost a year since the aneurysm from which she's still recovering). Three songs per musician, no song twice, more interpretations than covers. There will be moments of genius from :

Spike Mason (and Barney Wakeford)
Leonie Cohen
Bonnie Stewart
Jonny Maddox
Bill Risby
Joseph Zarb

and they'll be playing, in chronological order of publication :

And we leave the last work to Chaka Khan, who in an interview a couple of months ago said :

See, Joni Mitchell, she's actually funky, she just doesn't know it, and I'm bringing that forward. The jazz is in there. You get her, but I've slowed a lot of the stuff down because a lot of the lyrics - she's a very fast singer, so sometimes it's hard to catch her words - but I think she's so relevant

This week and next, we have two of the four finalists of the jazz section of the APRA art music awards.  Come and hear Julien Wilson in duet with Barney Wakeford, Tenor sax, grand piano, improvisations.

julienwilson.com

Spike Mason will be once again visiting the North Island to play the saxophone.

At this Colbourne Ave gig you will have the chance to hear him create new melodies with the amazing New York based double bass legend - Mark Lau, who will be visiting Aus for a few brief weeks. Spike and Mark have been musical compadres for over 20 yrs so there will be great music and many stories too. Joining them both will be the always inventive and rhythmically satisfying James Waples on Drums. This will prove to be an exciting nite of new music, old music, and never heard of before or since music...

*actual band may not match photo.

Mark has an extremely minimalist website, even for a jazz musician : marklau.org

Casper Tromp is a Dutch industrial designer turned jazz piano player (he plays pop and classical pianos as well).  He's been living in Sydney the last few years, working with his improvising trio, experimental quartet, and playing lots of other formats.  Following from Gary's beautiful accordion tunes last week, Casper is also a big fan of Messiaen.

Barney Wakeford is an endlessly creative improvisor whose understanding and experimentation with form and harmony and the mechanics of playing piano has reached profound depths.

Autumn in New York

Barney spent three months in NYC last year.  He listened, he learnt, he composed.  With his trio, he'll play some of each.  And tell some stories, probably.

Barney Wakeford's Double Shot Quartet, featuring the duelling guitars of John Blenkhorn and Paul Mitchell Brown.

Those who know Paul from his live performances with blues legend Joe Louis Walker can now see his other side, that of an increasingly unique jazz guitarist and composer.  John has returned to Sydney having wowed audiences at Italy's Astona Jazz Festival with the Australian All Stars featuring Emma Pask.  With Barney on jazz organ and Joel Davis on drums, this will prove to be a memorable crossing of musical swords.

Nagaram arranges tunes by great artists such as Jimmy schmit, Sew Montgomery, Eddie Rarish, Smile Davis, John O'Central - classic American standards like How Deep Is The Canoe and I've Got You Under My Sink, as well as their original snogs.  It's jazz but with a refreshing twist of melon.

Barney Wakeford on the big piano
Tim Rollinson on the string guitar
Jamie Cameron hitting skins with sticks