Luke was one of the three finalists for this years Friedman Jazz Fellowship.

The Grey Wing Trio was Forged in Sydney's suburban hustle and bustle, the musicians realised their distinct musical rapport and hyper-lyrical zeal when they first played together in 2011.

Luke Sweeting (piano), Ken Allars (trumpet) and Finn Ryan's (drums)  improvising plays off compositions that are often delicate and texturally versatile. Described as intriguing and impulsive and, yes, epic, Grey Wing Trio playfully explore alternate forms and endings, discovering in-the-moment colours.

Luke Sweeting is an incredible pianist and composer, having toured with Swedish-Australian ensemble Svelia, the Antipodes Sextet and various projects. His previous releases include "People and Lightbulbs" (Luke Sweeting Sextet) and duo album "The Great Unknown" with vocalist Rachael Thoms. He has also recorded and arranged with the Australian 2012 Generations in Jazz vocal winner Liam Budge.

Ken Allars has already the ears of the nation, performing on the Australian ARIA award winning album Hear and Know by Mike Nock and also winning the James Morrison Generations in Jazz scholarship in 2011.

Finn Ryan is distinctly remarkable for his improvising with the electro-acoustic trio 3ofmillions, the free style African Dance ensemble Prophets and his strong connection with Sydney/European improvising legends Jim Denley and Tony Buck.

Grey Wing Trio draw their music from diverse influences; certainly jazz with heavy interests from twentieth century and early classical music, folk traditions and texture-based improvisational music. The band's name pays homage to a peaceful and now rare Australian budgerigar: the Greywing.

 

Three of our favourite young improvisers - trumpet, piano and drums explore music that delves between beautiful songlike forms and free and expressive improvisations

Listen here : soundcloud.com/luke-sweeting-music/sets/live-at-the-paris-cat-feb-2013

Luke moved down from Canberra a couple of years ago, and is now an integral member of half a dozen bands, with two original albums under his own name.  He's toured Asia and Europe and blah blah blah you know.  What's great is that he is actively exploring the sounds and the culture of Australian jazz, composing and improvising with everyone he can, bringing together themes and styles and (as with so many players of his generation) forging a new local style to take to the global stage.  And he's good at it.

They'll be playing tunes from Luke's recent album People and Lightbulbs and a bunch of new material.

Luke Sweeting - piano
Ken Allars
- trumpet
Matt Keegan
- tenor sax
Luke Sweeting
- piano
James Heazlewood-Dale
- double bass
Finn Rya
n - drums

lukesweeting.com

Pianist and composer Luke Sweeting is touring his new album People and Lightbulbs. Capturing the energetic, textural and inquisitive compositions of the band over the last few years, the music is inspired by some great contemporary musicians like Alister Spence, Andrea Keller, Brad Mehldau and Florian Ross. His sextet features an incredible combination of improvisers: Ken Allars (tpt), Matt Handel (sax), James Greening (bone), James Heazlewood-Dale (db bass) and Finn Ryan (drums).
Making a recent move to Sydney, Luke has spent the last few years performing extensively around his hometown Canberra, with various heavy weights like trumpet legend Miroslav Bukovsky (of Wanderlust fame) and has had a lot to do with the ANU School of Music; finishing his masters study under the Dennis Griffin Scholarship and also lecturing for the pre-tertiary program. Luke won the 2010 Sprogis Woods Composition Competition, and has performed around Australia, at the Magnetic Island Jazz Festival, the Canberra International Music Festival, regularly performing for famous silent film screenings at the National Sound and Film Archive as well as performing solo piano at Shanghai World Expo in 2010. Luke has released a few albums as a sideman and collaborator: an intimate duo project with soprano virtuoso Rachael Thoms titled The Great Unknown as well as the debut release with the 2012 Generations in Jazz vocal winner Liam Budge.

Ken Allars - trumpet
Matt Handel
- alto
James Greening - trombone
Luke Sweeting - piano
James Heazlewood-Dale - double bass
Finn Ryan - drums

Ken Allars is one of Australia’s most in demand young jazz trumpeters, performing regularly throughout Sydney with many of the finest musicians in the country. Winner of the 2011 Generations in Jazz Scholarship, Ken has recently returned from a semester on exchange at the Jazz Institute Berlin and is in his final year of study at the Sydney Conservatorium. Last year Ken recorded an album with the Mike Nock Trio Plus, entitled ‘Hear and Know’.

Mike Nock has uncovered a formidable talent; a young trumpeter who thinks unique melodic thoughts.”

He's playing with Mike at 505 on Wednesday night, and on Thursday you can hear his new trio featuring two of the country’s most outstanding young improvising musicians, Tom Wade on the double bass and Finn Ryan on the drums, this trio creates a unique blend of colours and textures through their distinctive compositions and thrilling improvisations.

Maybe you aren't one of Bri's 1200 facebook friends, maybe you didn't follow her adventures through the jazz capitals of the world last year, culminating in the recording of her first album in New York with Aaron Goldberg, Reuben Rogers, Greg Hutchinson, Ambrose Akinmusire, and Mike Moreno.

but tonight you can hear her beautiful voice fill Colbourne Ave in real life, with a completely different and much more local band - Greg Coffin (piano), Ken Allars (trumpet), James Muller (guitar),Brendan Clarke (bass), Nic Cecire (drums)

A beautiful singer with a great voice who understands the groove.  Bri has been playing all over town this year, and she deserves the great rap she's getting - but this is her farewell gig before she leaves for some jet-setting, so get your last fix...

Briana Cowlishaw (Voice)
Ken Allars (Trumpet)
Greg Coffin (Piano)
Brendan Clarke (Bass)
Nic Cecire (Drums)

myspace.com/bricowlishaw