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".

Performing unique arrangements of Sting compositions.

with Dave Longo - guitar; special guest Gareth Lewis (Canada) - alto sax; Nic Cecire - Drums; Matt Greubner - Acoustic Bass; and of course Gavin Ahearn - piano and arrangements

How many times can you play Stella by Starlight? 70s and 80s pop tunes are now standards, and Barney will be giving the classic 1971 funk-soul album What's Going On an improvised Sydney piano trio treatment.

The night will open with a solo piano set by Gavin Ahearn - if you missed him a fortnight ago, well you don't have to miss him again.

The first performance of Spike Mason’s long-awaited new work - a significant new Australian composition for jazz sextet: Spike Mason (saxophones, composer), Henri Peipman (piano) Kristin Berardi (vocals), gareth lewis (trombone), gillian smith (violin), steve elphick (double bass)

Steven Barry with Alex Boneham and Cam Reid - new original compositions, all written this year!

I've been promising a set from Steven for nearly six months, and finally the tomorrow has come!  After a great performance at 505 a couple of weeks ago, on their way to another one at SIMA next month, Steven, Alex and Cam
are on a roll.  Of course, none of those other venues allow youngsters or let you bring your own wine, and the chairs aren't nearly as comfortable...

If you've seen this trio perform, you'll be here.  if you haven't, think of your favourite musician who you used to hear all the time until they got too busy and stopped playing the comfortable gigs...

Almost twenty years as chair of the percussion unit at the Sydney Con, Daryl will be playing vibraphone with his brand new sextet.  New work designed especially for this ensemble, their first concert...

PJ Wolf finds bios either make him sound cooler than he is, or alternatively; in trying to achieve exactly that end, far less cool than he'd like people to imagine him. That being said…

Drawing on an eclectic range of musical influences from Erik Satie to Bob Dylan, PJ Wolf explores the beautiful, the terrible and the profound through his unique alt-pop sound.

In 2008 PJ was a winner of the triple J unearthed Top Song competition. His winning track was described on the Unearthed website as:

“… indie pop… while still being serious. And Seriously Good. The quirky instrumentation and lush harmonies make PJ's winning track "Skin And Bone" a standout winner”

This win came after a number of his demo’s were picked up and played on the station. Just prior to receiving the Triple J honour PJ was awarded a grant from the Foundation for Young Australians to help produce his current EP Arcadia Street, an collection of pop songs about death.

For years we've loved his last album, Storms Dreams and Flying Machines, and the new Arcadia Street is beautiful.

Hewetson.  McMahon.  Slater.  Barker.
need i say more? ok i will...

Alexander Hewetson, the original bass player in the highly successful 90’s jazz groove outfit D.I.G, also played and recorded with funksters Swoop between 1992 and 1998.  With Climbing Tree he brings his unconstrained grooves and evocative compositions to three of the defining voices of Sydney's jazz scene, trumpeter Phil Slater, pianist Matt McMahon and drummer Simon Barker.

Climbing Tree launched their debut album Tree Music with us back in february 2009 and have been regular visitors ever since.  I love them.  This music is good.  really really good.  if you're think trumpets are too loud, or bands without singers aren't interesting, or modern jazz is boring, come and have your mind changed.

here's what they say:

Climbing Tree are very happy to be back at Colbourne Ave, looking forward to the warm surroundings and friendly atmosphere of Café Church. Climbing Tree’s debut album Tree Music showcases Alexander Hewetson’s talent as a composer with the highly evocative music featuring all original compositions. Alexander’s group showcases three of Australia’s finest musicians in trumpeter Phil Slater, pianist Matt McMahon and drummer Simon Barker, with whom he previously played for about ten years in the group Baecastuff. The group played an integral part in the arrangements and Alexander notes that “sometimes the arranging and writing becomes one and the same thing, especially with such great musicians as these.”

Sydney's piano master plays from his acclaimed 1994 album, Touch.

Mark waited a long long time to record this first celebrated album.  Melding Jewish tradition with contemporary Australian jazz, it is a ground-breaking musical odyssey.  At times haunting, yet melodic and beautiful, the group strikes a skillful balance  between moments of intensity and tranquillity. Generations explores Markʼs musical roots and heritage combining ancient modes with modern themes. Markʼs research work, part of a Master of Music degree at the Sydney Conservatorium, examines the linkages between  Jewish cantorial singing and jazz improvisation.

Mark Ginsburg - saxophones : Greg Coffin - piano : Karl Dunnicliff - bass : Tim Firth - drums

markginsburg.com.au

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

Tim Stevens and Mark Lau, two old friends now living in new york and melbourne, only get to play together every couple of years when they meet up in Sydney.  This is it...

'Stevens is an improviser of endless melodic inventiveness and seemingly inexhaustible harmonic knowledge. He is clearly a diligent student of jazz tradition, yet he eschews imitation and cliché.' (Aaron Searle, Music Forum)

Roil is a collaboration between pianist Chris Abrahams, bassist Mike Majkowsk, and drummer James Waples. Since forming in 2007, this Sydney-based trio has been developing their own approach to jazz improvisation. There is a controlled elegance to Roil’s music — not that this precludes the energetic. The music has an eddying quality that moves between group utterance and multi–stranded counterpoint, a weaving of textures that coagulate to form unified phrases before dispersing once more into the churning invention. ’Meaning’ is its first release and was recorded in one uninterrupted session on 2 April 2008.

Roil

John Harkins is Sydney's favourite Chicago blues man (or ours at least), playing a tribute to Hank Jones - the jazz legend who died last month at the age of 91.  In his 20s Hank worked with Hot Lips Page, and he played through the whole history of bop, bebop, and popular jazz working with Colman Hawkins, Ella Fitzgerald, Mailyn Munroe, Benny Goodman...  But it's not a tribute to any of them.

Gavin Ahearn, Matt Ottignon, Toby Hall, Karl Dunnicluff

music inspired by winter

with a solo set up front by John Dip Silas

www.gavinahearn.com

"... a seemingly telepathic ability to begin and end each other's phrases."  John Shand reckons their CD is"among the finest recorded work of sinewy bassist Cameron Undy." I reckon i'm going to like it.  Reviews and stuff on the Jazzgroove site

Playing Jazz spiced with Afro-Brazilian rhythms, the band includes long time collaborator and bass man, Hugh Fraser; distinguished emerging guitarist, Aaron Flower and American percussionist Chris Field.  Read more at guystrazz.com, or check the great story while you listen at myspace.com/guystrazzmusic

This is a special one-off FRIDAY concert, to celebrate the birthdays of Guy and Aaron!

Everybody loves Matt, and the synergy he has developed with Jono Brown and Simon Barker over a decady is astounding.  They will play pieces from their 13 year history and some brand new ones too.
Of their cd "Ellipsis" John Shand said in the Sydney Morning Herald:
"McMahon's playing is ravishing ... The recording quality is excellent and the music is as good as any current piano-trio jazz"

Stripped back, irreverent and shameless, Mic Conway of the legendary
"Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band" and the infamous "Mic Conway's National
Junk Band" has teamed up with one of Australia's finest guitarists and
driest wits - Robbie Long. From Darwin Festival to Melbourne Cabaret
Festival, it's a circus of comedy, magic and music - idiosyncratic songs
that will make your jaw drop, toes tap and sides split. Featuring some
Matchbox favourites like “My Canary Has Circles Under His Eyes” and an
hilarious version of Tom Lehrer's classic, "Masochism Tango".
They have been in the studio during winter, cooking up a duo album.
www.micconway.com

The lovely Liz Frencham will be opening the evening ... peforming her
gorgeous serenades.
www.myspace.com/lizfrencham
See Mic and Liz dueting "Paper Moon" :
youtube.com/watch?v=9MLp5KCekxY

the exploration of sonic soundscapes
the flow of cascading rhythms
the pathway into unknown territories

David de Vries - Guitar
James Waples - Drums
Brendan Berlach - Saxophone
Spike Mason - Saxophone

Playing homage to classic 50s and 60s jazz piano trios - Ahmad Jamal, Oscar Peterson, Red Garland etc. Rather than trying to recreate the works of these classic trios note for note - we will be presenting some of their repertoire in our style, aiming to capture a certain "classic" trio sound in terms of dynamics, finesse and arrangements.

Andrew Dickeson is steeped in this history, lecturing in jazz drumming at the sydney conservatorium. Peter Locke is the perfect pianist for the project - he is an unsung talent & a master of many styles. With Alex Boneham on bass it will be a magic combination.

Nigel and Ian Date.  Gypsy jazz guitar.

You're gonna love it!

Come and join the Tim Clarkson Trio for a magical Saturday twilight concert in what is surely Sydney’s most unique and inspiring music venue – the Café Church Space at Colbourne Avenue. Set in a beautifully restored heritage building Colbourne Avenue is renowned for its superb acoustics and intimate audience friendly setting. It’s the perfect environment to hear Tim and his trio reprise the launch of his outstanding Jazzgroove album CRAB and celebrate the beginning of the festive season.

5:30 - 7:30 pm

Tim Clarkson - tenor saxophone
Phil Stack - double bass
Cameron Reid - drums / percussion

Get Off Your Arts is an arts festival and competition aimed at celebrating and supporting creativity in all its forms.

So, whatever your chosen form of artistic expression, we want you to get off your ARTS!

www.getoffyourarts.com

The opening night and prize giving is wednesday the 1st of December, on Thursday you can view all the finalists and Adam Ponting, a genius on the piano, will perform.