Featuring Carl Dewhurst and Simon Barker, Showa 44 utilise tuned metallic resonances, rhythmic densities and spontaneous invention via electric guitar and percussion to manifest compelling and evocative soundscapes.

Anne-Marie says:

“Think metallic discordant strident confrontational free form jazz and thats the soft version that takes the cerebral and permeating rythyms to that next level
It gets under your skin and resonates with every fibrous essence of your  body . I drive around playing this in the car and people look at me quizzically they then stop for a second take and then beat haphazardly in time to the timbre of the sound you will also at colbourne ave.”

Other people say:

“Showa 44, comprising Carl Dewhurst on guitar and Simon Barker on drums, delivered a sonic tour de force in the Playhouse Theatre. This was jazz in extremis, melding the experiments of English stalwarts AMM with the force-field energy of a Sonic Youth.” Des Cowley – Rhythms Magazine

“Drifting, humming guitar reminiscent of the swirls of Fripp & Eno open and recur on this beautiful second album of improvisations from guitarist Carl Dewhurst and drummer Simon Barker.” SMH

“Showa 44 display imaginations the size of continents” – Limelight

this is what i wrote last year, and i can't think of anything better...

Susan Gai changed the way i understand jazz singing.  She's a pillar of the Sydney jazz scene, and her generosity of spirit glows through every song she selects.

Susan will sing with Carl Dewhurst on guitar - an incredibly versatile player of jazz, funk, glitch, grindcore, theatre and anything improvised.  Another great supporter of the jazz community, Carl has played everywhere and with everybody.

And Bernie McGann on saxophone.  A legend of Australian jazz, one of our most awarded, most recognised, most original musicians.  He'll be bringing home fifty years pushing the boundaries of the alto sax.

Three icons of Sydney jazz, distilling decades of experience into their totally distinctive jazz standards and original songs.

Have a look at a video and some photos from their last show here.

And if you still aren't sure... here's an invitation from Susan Gai herself!

Susan Gai changed the way i understand jazz singing.  She's a pillar of the Sydney jazz scene, and her generosity of spirit glows through every song she selects.

Susan will sing with Carl Dewhurst on guitar - an incredibly versatile player of jazz, funk, glitch, grindcore, theatre and anything improvised.  Another great supporter of the jazz community, Carl has played everywhere and with everybody.

And Bernie McGann on saxophone.  A legend of Australian jazz, one of our most awarded, most recognised, most original musicians.  He'll be bringing home fifty years pushing the boundaries of the alto sax.

Three icons of Sydney jazz, distilling decades of experience into their totally distinctive jazz standards and original songs.

Featuring Carl Dewhurst and Simon Barker, Showa 44 utilise tuned metallic resonances, rhythmic densities and spontaneous invention via electric guitar and percussion to manifest compelling and evocative soundscapes.
Showa 44 are increasingly becoming recognized as one of Australia’s foremost creative ensembles. they say:

Its been a long time since our last outing as Showa 44 but well worth the wait as we finally have the opportunity to perform at Colbourne Ave.
It's the perfect environment both aesthetically and acoustically for us to present some of our more ambient work.
If you haven't been along to this venue before its $20/$10 on the door and you can BYO whatever you like to eat or drink. You can buy things there too.
Anyway we really hope you can make it along as we revisit some of the resonances from our last CD "Orneon"

if the title isn't jazz enough for you... this will be a once-only collaboration between five great improvisers, long-time far-flung friends...
nadje noordhuis: tpt (nyc) - (she's a expat sydneysider too, monk
competition finalist etc.)
spike - sax
carl dewhurst - guitar (winner Ike Issacs International Jazz Guitar competition)
mark lau - bass (nyc)
tim firth - drums

program 2001

Featured some of the finest and up and coming guitarists in the Sydney Jazz scene. The groups were quite varied, some were acoustic trios, others were electric groups.

6th november

Emmanuel Schmidt

10th november

Carl Dewhurst

13th november

Kees Stein

20th november

Cameron Deyell

27th november

Steve Crain

This series included a production of Strindberg's Miss Julie - "Not your average Swedish psycho-sexual suicide play".

17th - 18th - 23rd - 24th - 25th May

Miss Julie

director - James Scott