There are those musicians. The ones who create music , but rarely let it out to the world. The ones where you have to wait for years to hear a new song, and it's always perfect. The ones where they only perform once or twice a year, and yet it's perfect.

TJ is one of those. He has created a seventh album. He's going to play the songs. And some old ones too, probably. It will be sublime. 

As you can imagine, TJ thinks a lot.  You can read some of those thoughts : a good place to start is http://tjeckleberg.com/if-you-look-too-long-you-see-angry-lost-young-men/ 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfzoGO7Leyo 

Read the full press release : TJEckleberg_BlackAndAmber_press.pdf

I have only seen Prince play once and that was in Budapest.  I have only seen Elvis Costello play once and he was supporting Bob Dylan. I looked forward to both shows immensely. TJ holds a place for me somewhere between Prince and Mr Costello.
 
One of our first performers ever, back in 2002 when he had only recorded two or three albums... TJ has lived in Sydney, Berlin, and Yokohama; worked as a musician, theatre director, and teacher; writes, records, produces, and performs some of the most complex and beautiful songs I know.  
he'll be playing solo.  TJ Eckleberg, one guitar, a few pedals, and lots of songs.

http://tjeckleberg.com/

TJ Eckleberg returns from Berlin to Sydney for an intimate solo set showcasing songs spanning his career and work from recently released West & Lime.
A journey spanning twenty years and five independent albums, TJ Eckleberg fuses soulful vocals, jagged guitars and urban grooves with holler blues, poetry and a willingness to push boundaries in independent soul and alternative rock.
In 2012’s West & Lime ‘70s glam collides with cascading tremolo; tape echo bounces from buzz-saw bass and velvet overdrive; raucous organs grind like lovers in the backseat. It’s only the end of the world you know, only the end of the world... The guitar trembles and spits between fuzz and uncertainty – is it the end of the world? Or the world we once knew?
West & Lime is available as a free download from http://www.tjeckleberg.bandcamp.com
His recording career spans five independent releases: jazz-tinged Waiting Room (1997); the bright eyed pop of SUPERHYDRATED (2000); tone poem illumineon (2003); soulful When you get down to it (2008); and dirty rock trio West & Lime (2012).
TJ's solo sets are rare, his music is always surprising.

TJ Eckleberg solo electric in the intimate and gorgeous sounding Colbourne Ave. TJ presents two sets of songs drawn from the last five albums and recent journeys to Indonesia, Berlin and Japan. Only solo Sydney show, and last chance to see before he sets off again for collaborations in Tokyo and Berlin.

The last time Andrew saw TJ play was in a gallery hidden three floors up in an abandoned warehouse in Berlin.  he was fantastic.

getting off the wall with a thriller:
jazz musicians giving props to the king of pop :

Michael Jackson

featuring anna rizzo, tj eckleberg, pete harding, ella nielson, spike mason, and the incredible Adrien Andre :  six Sydney based musicians and vocalists offering their own takes on wonderfully crafted and immortal songs that have shaped us all... Including songs such as Billie Jean, Thriller, Man in the Mirror, Human Nature... Plus a special group performance of "We are the World".

In 2003 Spike Mason once again curated a huge series of concerts mostly jazz and world music with some amazing vocalists.  It would be six more years before any of us found the energy to organise a series of this standard, running for this long.

1st may

Tempo di Tango :: string tango trio

8th may

Michael Kahr :: folk piano jazz

15th may

Dr Aimless :: jazz-pop fusion
TUFA :: southeast asian electronica

22nd may

Java Quartet :: dark melodic acoustic jazz

29th may

Sarah Blasko :: seductive woman of pop
Lady Jane :: acoustic mellow rock

5th june

Khayal ::classical nth indian vocal music

12th june

Louise Perryman :: soothing, siren, sensual soul
Deborah Dicembre :: acoustic rock

19th june

Hevahl :: kurdish folk, trance grooves
Eastern Music Ensemble :: indian classical

26th june

Geospace :: jazz sax quartet - Alfredo Lopes

3rd july

The Splinter Orchestra :: 20 piece improvisation group

10th july

Aris Kartsonas Project :: original jazz guitar ensemble

17th july

Barney Wakeford Group :: piano jazz

31st july

Paul McNamara & Friends :: jazz piano, solo, duo, trio

7th august

Andy Bull :: intelligent nu-soul songs
Mbahago :: spike's got a new daughter

14th august

Mic Conway's National Junk Band :: post millenial vaudevillian cabaret

21st august

Selah :: album launch - 10 piece jazz

28th august

Tom Waits Tribute :: many songsters and songs