The much-awaited return of Tomomi Takahashi, this time with a nine-piece band.

"Into the Starry Sky" will feature original piano compositions by Tomomi, orchestrated for her large jazz ensemble.  The kind of music you don't hear very much, because it's very difficult to write, rehearse, and perform.  But for us, she's doing it.

Jay Byrnes : saxes
Anne-Marie Brade : violin and viola
Mary Rapp : cello and double bass
Pete Atkins : drums
Ben Crocker : euphonium
Meredith Cheng : voice
Meg Collis : flute
Esther Lamb : voice
and of course
Tomomi Takahashi : pianist and composer

Stu Hunter will open the night performing a solo piano set of new material.  He's a genius, so arrive early.

Listen to Matt Keegan on BandCamp

http://youtu.be/CWLJZRH20gM

Dom Robinson drums
Julia Reidy guitar
Will Gilbert trumpet
Shota Matsumura trumpet
Sam Gill Alto

and Mary Rapp on Double Bass or 'Cello depending on what takes her fancy

have a listen to the band here - but since this recording they've added the vocal talents of Hannah Czaban.

https://soundcloud.com/user2270265/mary-rapp-sextet

The Monday Club, the best improvising ensemble since Free For All, returns.  Tony Gorman and his band of monday revellers; playing their instruments they way they find them; listening to each other and to the wind.  I'd call this a special event, but all Monday Club performances are special events.  It'll go like this:

The Monday Club

The Monday Club grew from a chance meeting between Tony and Steve. A shared desire to explore sound was enough to start things moving - starting with long notes (to quote Tony - “is there anything they CAN'T do?”), it has quickly become something more. It's never been a conscious directing of events, but more an unfolding as the process deepens...

The sources of this music are varied, elusive and not easily named - the spaces between words, and thoughts; the subtle stirrings of shifting time; flashing inspiration, raging and at once subsiding; a sense of space becoming sound becoming space...

There are deep sonorities and ranging explorations, our vehicle the unique instrumentation and broad range of experience and inspiration within the group. Each time we play something is found, a collective space is arrived upon, and so the journey begins anew even as it continues.

Tony Gorman, Boyd, Stephen Morley, Mary Rapp.

Alto and contrabass clarinets, horn and cello.

Colin Bright SYZYGY Band  sp-A-C--E part 1

Music for Telescope, Binoculars & Improvising Ensemble

A multimedia concept - streaming: -

- LIVE star visual images projected onto a screen
- LIVE 'star' data converted to MIDI signals for the musicians to interact with

The Colin Bright SYZYGY Band, a collective of composer/improvisers, is collaborating with Dr Angelo Fraietta, a software engineer, composer, electronic musical instrument designer, and amateur astronomer.   Dr Fraietta’s current research is in the correlation of astronomical data with artistic performance, and has developed innovative software and hardware specifically for the spA-C--E concept.

The multimedia concept is to stream 'star' data—such as position, elevation, brightness and colour—from astronomical catalogues through the positioning of a telescope & high-powered binoculars.  This data is converted algorithmically into a SOUND CANVAS. Additionally, a live image will be projected onto a screen and the audience will be invited to observe through the binoculars during the performance. Also, a laser marker will be projected into the sky to give the audience a naked eye perspective, which will facilitate their memory of the performance when they look into the night sky on another night, thus providing a true, memorable experience.

Thus, LIVE interaction with star systems that SYZYGY improvise to - inspired by those sounds & images.  It is cutting edge technology requiring imaginative musicality.  Instruments are  mic-ed up  to 2-3 MacBooks + FX etc through Mainstage.  Thus the natural timbres of acoustic instruments AND electronic transformations.

The BIG idea is the interaction between REALTIME now - and  DEEP TIME from space!!! (i.e. millions of years in the past!)

Together, we have developed a broad but flexible structure to work within.  The structure is to give the work shape and form, as well as the flexibility to allow individuality - and a personal ‘voice’.

Some of ideas we can interact with on our tour through the star systems...
Zenith  - Nadir - Contact - Particles - Earth Dance - Moon Dance - Space Dance - Opposition - Conjunction - Universal Chord

SYZYGY are:
Paul Cutlan - clarinets, saxes + FX
Nick Polovineo - trombone + FX
Noam Jaffe - violin + FX
Colin Bright - piano + FX
Aiden Molins - film

Dr Angelo Fraietta, a software engineer, composer, electronic musical instrument designer, and amateur astronomer.

Two ensembles from the home of Sandy Evans and Tony Gorman - and it's Tony's birthday!

The Monday Club

The amazing improvising ensemble convened by Tony every Monday.  The topic of choice is free improvisation and happily the participants like listening as much as playing.  The pieces are open fields on which ideas gently intertwine into fascinating sound worlds.

Tony Gorman : alto clarinet
Mary Rapp : cello
Stephen Morley : horn
Boyd : contrabass clarinet

mondayclub.com.au

What It Is

Three friends with a passion for creative dialogue through music

Neville Whitehead - SASE Bass.
Neville has played with Charlie Munro, Jean Luc Ponty and Sugarcane Harris, Keith Tippett, Gary Burton, Dusty Springfeild, Shirley Bassey, Tony Bennett, Nucleus, Sun Tredder, Caparius and Soft Machine. 
He has played before the Queen, Spike Milligan and Peter Ustinov to drop but a few names.
www.nevillewhitehead.com

Greg Johns - Drums.
A diverse experience over a quarter century has given Greg a broad palette for his musical expression. 
From Jazz, African, Latin, Rock and commercial environments Greg’s stints within these genre’s and beyond perfectly suit the open improvisational expression of What It Is.

Sandy Evans
Sandy is well known for her work with the Sandy Evans Trio and Sextet, The catholics, the Australian Art Orchestra, MARA! Ten Part Invention, Bobby Singh, austraLYSIS,  SNAP, Waratah, GEST8 and Kim Sanders. Sandy has won many Awards including an OAM, AIR Best Independent Jazz Record 2011, Australian Jazz Musician of The Year 2003, and 3 ARIAs.
sandyevans.com.au

Each time we play, something is found, a collective space is arrived upon, and so the journey begins anew even as it continues.

Tony Gorman (alto clarinet), Stephen Morley (horn), Mary Rapp (cello),
Boyd (bass clarinet), Sam Pettigrew (double bass) /"Each time we play
something is found, a collective space is arrived upon, and so the
journey begins anew even as it continues"/
made possible by a Go For Gold Scholarship from the MS Society.