It's Liz Frencham, totally solo.

Since Jigzag's huge final show at Notes last year Liz hasn't played her own songs in Sydney.  Bring your wine and chocolate for a night of heart-warming songs and that most rare and beautiful thing, a girl standing alone with a double bass, singing.  This will be a preview of Liz's new solo album (recorded but not mastered), and a small peak into next years "you & me vol 2".

LizFrencham.com

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.

Barney Wakeford on piano, with his conversational approach to standards and his mind-searching originals.  With old friends Jono Brown on bass and Cameron Reid on drums.  It's only a two (or three) day week, come down for the most relaxing gig in town.

Earlier year they played their first public show for us.  if you were there you'll know how perfectly constructed each song was.

Debut Performance - here's what they say:

This newly formed jazz quartet features Tim Bradley on Drums, Chris
Frazier on Bass, Kelvin Haisman on Piano, and of course Ed Goyer on
Vibraphone.

The Hung Drawn Quartet is a jazz group with diverse musical influences.
All four members have contributed to the compositions, giving the
quartet a high degree of interplay and a unique sound.

Over the past eighteen months, the group has been writing, rehearsing
and recording original music. Constantly work-shopping new ideas and
approaches, they have developed an open attitude to writing and
performing while successfully maintaining a musical synergy between the
players.

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.

Amphibious continues our series of fine music concerts.  It's jazz, influenced by chamber music.  It's experimental, in a beautiful way. Sometimes it's a bit like Bach.  It's great musicians playing whatever they want, the sort of improvisation our lounges love.

Their website is excellent: http://www.amphibious.net.au

(and somehow, against all the odds, Amphibious got an article in the inner west courier!)

Spike Mason on sax, Matt McMahon on piano.  Two great musicians with a long history of playing together and a deep love of improvised music.  Matt and Spike can both draw from a huge catalogue of standards and each has a long list of original compositions.  It is an important day for me, and I know it will be a perfect night of music.

This new quartet will be playing a collection of original music, jazz standards, and reworked classical tunes arranged especially for this ensemble - featuring henri peipman on piano, spike mason on saxophones, matt gruebner on double bass and tim firth on drums

One of those perfect, rare duets that work so well in the Cafe Church space and are almost impossible anywhere else.  Following on from Spike and Matt's sax/piano duet, this piano /trumpet duet will provide the perfect environment for these two best mates to bring everything they have to the music.  Original, improvised, new Sydney jazz.

Steven Barry

Eamon Dilworth

Their 2009 album was called 'Music To Dance To', so be sure to bring your dancing shoes. You're also likely to hear a bit of bluesy goodness, music from other lands, and seemingly from other planets, all filtered through the unique Munkle lineup. Featuring players from The Tango Saloon, Mike Nock, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Secret Chiefs 3 and Monsieur Camembert.

On the piano: a jazz legend, a man who has been at the coalface of Australian improvised music for decades. On the drums: his former student, and a recording artist for one of the world’s most prestigious electronic labels alongside the likes of Aphex Twin, Flying Lotus, Autechre and Grizzly Bear.

Two generations of Australian music come together in the music of Mike Nock and Laurenz Pike. It’s a musical conversation across the years, united by a commitment to storytelling through improvisation and the tradition of music as a spiritual, emotional, communicative art form.

Come and join these two distinct musicians celebrate the release of this special album in a debut live performance in the round, in the intimate and relaxed space of Glebe's Colbourne Ave.

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"

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...

16 solo pianists over four weeks.  This series was largely responsible for our decision to host concerts more often.

Possibly Australia's most influential living jazz musican, Judy has taught and performed with generations of performers, helping to create the sound and culture of Sydney's jazz scene.  It's more than two years since they last played for us, and the ABC has just released a 4CD box set of Judy's recording projects.  She will play for us with her long-time trio : Craig Scott on bass and Tim Firth on drums.

STOP PRESS! Tim Firth has injured his arm, so it's another duet!

Nigel Date (guitar), Daniel Weltlinger (violin), Stan Valacos (double bass), Tim Bradley (drums)

This sophisticated jazz ensemble is well known for its swinging renditions of the music of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli of the ‘Quintette du Hot Club de France’.

Come along and settle in on one of our lounges for what will be a fabulous night of ‘Gypsy Jazz’, and your last chance to see Daniel play before he leaves to tour the world with Lulo Reinhardt.

Craig Scott is one of Sydney’s most amazing Jazz double bass players... and probably the most influential. He is the head of Jazz Studies at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and has taught most of the musicians who have been through the course in the past 20 years.

For this special duo concert he teams up ex-student Spike Mason on saxophones. Together they will play a collection of songs they love.

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...

The second in our series of bands led by bass players:

a double bass player with a beautiful and generous style, Steve will play solos duos and trios, with a balance of composition and improvisation, the music he's been borrowing and stealing and making up for all of this life

with two other recognised composing and improvising masters,
Paul Cutlan on saxophone and clarinet
and Phil Slater on trumpet
who knows what might happen!

Chuck is a legend of the Sydney jazz scene.

It's his 80th birthday.  His last concert was at Colbourne Ave one year ago, the week of his 79th.  Unfortunately since then his shoulder has become so painful that he can't play any more.  So, to celebrate Chuck's birthday, and his contribution to the Sydney scene, we've invited some of Sydney's great pianists to perform in his honour, along with his long-time collaborator James Ryan:

Jex Saarelaht (flying up from Melbourne for the occasion)
Kevin Hunt
Adrian Keevil
Matt McMahon

Hopefully the man himself will show up.  

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)

This will be Matthias Schubert`s first appearance in Australia after 20 years.
Together with Brett Hirst on bass and Nic Cecire on drums he invites you to join them on their adventure into the world of surprise, suspense and alchemy that hallmarks improvised music.
Since his last visit, Matthias has travelled the world appearing at numerous major festivals. He has been recorded on 60 albums in the field of free improvised and conceptual improvised music. Besides being an Instrumentalist, Matthias Schubert has also become a formidable composer for New Music ensembles.
Tonight will see his long-awaited return to Australia in a classic improvised Jazz trio setting.

www.jazzpages.com/MatthiasSchubert

Tim and Mark both used to live in Sydney.  then they both left.  they've since performed together at Pori Jazz and Umbria Jazz and in Melbourne, but this will be the first time they've hunted on their old turf for the beautiful equality only an improvising duet can bring.

"even in a country so richly endowed with superior jazz pianists, Tim Stephens is one of those at the very top of the pile" john shand

A very exciting one-off performance which we have been hoping to confirm for months:

A Magical Mystery Group with Mike Nock and two unnamed guests ( both recently recorded duo CDs with Mike )

( Clues from Mike )....... Think the legendary Jazz Co-op - Think Monk Pies - Jazz Studies course 1973-76 .......

http://mikenock.com/

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.

This is an exciting event. The first ever performance of new songs from Floor van der Holst upcoming release of her debut album “1st Floor”, produced by Philip South.

Floors musical background is an exciting mix of classical singing and piano (The Netherlands), jazz singing (Spain) and Musicology (University of Amsterdam). To describe Floors music is simple. Harmonically the music is driven by vocals. Stylistically the music is driven by the story. Atmospherically the music is percussion driven. Metaphorically the music faces various characters.
Remarkably, it still makes sense.

“1st Floor” travels through many different musical styles. Jazz, Pop, R&B, Western Classical, Latin, Folk, Drum ‘n Bass and French Chanson are mapped out, whilst improvisation is the link to making all the styles come together to form Floors style. One could call it Social music, NuJazz, M-Base - if you like TJ Eckleberg you'll like Floor.
www.floorvanderholst.com

John Maddox, the bass/kazoo player of a hundred bands.  He's played a dozen times at Colbourne Ave, he must have spent hundreds of hours busking on King St, and he's played all over Sydney, Australia and the world with Mr Bamboo, Bellyache Ben, Charlie and the Maddox Factory, Djangoholix, Glitch Jukebox, and so many more.  But until now he has never recorded under his own name.  Come and hear the genius, the inspiration, the amazing, the brilliant, the eccentric, the maestro [i found those words by searching the web for john maddox bass] John Maddox.

yumyumtree.com.au/john-maddox

... and ...

joining him will be one of his most long-term bands, Nadya's 101 Candles Orchestra.  Nadya Golski has led this unique gypsy/jazz/pacific/klezmer band to success throughout Australia and Europe.  Regularly filling the fabulous room at Qirkz, this will be their first appearance at Colbourne Ave.

nadya.com.au

ps check out this Eastside playlist for a few of John's influences

I asked Gavin about the music.  He said it'll be more Jackson Pollock than Ken Done.

these guys are heavy.

Fred Smith and Liz Frencham will celebrate the tenth anniversary of their album Into My Room.

It'll be valentine's day.

Now, you and I both know that Valentine's Day is a creation of the Hallmark stationery company. But we also know that positing that fact as an excuse for ignoring it simply won't wash with your significant other. You're going to have to come up with something romantic to do that night, and do we have a bargain for you:

album details here : fredsmith.com.au/index.php/albums/into-my-room

book online here : http://www.trybooking.com/CFOO

KIM SANDERS & COLIN OFFORD with CALVIN WELCH, STEPHEN MORLEY & TANIA BOSAK

This is music without borders, rich in new ideas and stylistic, cultural and philosophical influences. Composer of bent originals Kim Sanders is a multi-instrumentalist who has studied with Sufi ney-masters in Turkey, played with Gypsy brass bands in Macedonia, smoky tavernas in Greece, recording studios in Turkey and Indonesia, concert-halls and tea-houses in China, mosquito-ridden clubs in Gambia, and on Bulgarian National Radio. Singer and inventor of original instruments Colin Offord has performed in arts and music festivals, concert halls and country halls, cafes and caves, in great cities and remote villages throughout Australia and the world. They are joined by Horn virtuoso Stephen Morley, composer-pulse rhythmist Tania Bosak and soul-funk-jazz drummer Calvin Welch. This music doesn’t exist yet, it will be created right infront of you, for your ears only and be gone in the stratosphere by the time you leave. It’s a ride you shouldn’t miss!

“Exotic and uplifting world music with a contemporary feel. Veteran multi-instrumentalist, composer and instrument maker, Kim Sanders's impact on the Australian scene over many years has been tremendous” - Paul Petran, Live on Stage 8.11.02

“The album of the Kim of Sanders living in Australia strikes a bridge between Orient and Okzident, between jazz and Turkish-Bulgarian-African tradition. Sanders remarkably on is the versatility, with which it really acquires itself the play of its most different folkloristischen wind instruments into various musical worlds not to only in-dip, but for it on masterful level” - Carina Prange, Jazz Dimensions (Germany) (computer translation)

“Offord is like a modern troubadour with his artistic crossover of Celtic, Aboriginal, Medieval and Asian music. His performances are enchanting, effortless and always an exciting event. Antoine Legat, Cultuur Magazine, Belgium

“Colin Offord’s combination of wild music and highly original instruments will have you raising your eyebrows and listening like you’ve never listened before. It won’t hurt, really!” Chet Williamson, Rambles Culture Magazine, U.S.A.

The best introduction to Colin's style is a google image search.  See what he can do!
Or just check out his own website : http://www.colinofford.com/

Charlie & the Maddox Factory

The cutest, quirkiest duet you've ever heard sing an Ella Fitzgerald song.  The vocal and instrumental improvisations of Charlie (vocals) and John Maddox (one-man orchestra) are a pleasure to watch - beautiful, funny, and unpredictable.
bio type thingy

Malone

Gareth J Malone's warm, melodic songs, backed by the subtle, richly arranged vocals and instruments of Nick Hoorweg (bass),  James Hauptmann (drums) and Charlie Meadows (guitar, The Shakers). 
myspace.com/garethmalonemusic

Geoffroy is a Prize-winning French pianist and composer, working on a jazz composition research project at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. The aim is to develop a portfolio of compositions integrating features, sounds and processes from Francophone Pacific Islands traditional music. Ultimately the project intends to propose original approaches to the sustainability of tradition through creative composition and collaboration.

The project, entitled Pasifika Sounds,  is at its early stage of development, and this will be the very first presentation of the work before he returns to France for the summer and then French Polynesia to study traditional music (lucky him).

You can hear some sounds here: soundcloud.com/geoffroycolson/sets/pasifika-sounds/s-Q8jve

Program:

Set 1:

- A l'Ombre du Purau
- Pastels
- La Mangue Verte
- 'Aito (*)

Set 2:

- Swell (*)
- Matamua
- Tēteta (*)
- Huahine

All compositions by Geoffroy Colson
(*) World premiere

Musicians:

Geoffroy Colson: composition, arrangement, piano, Tahitian ukulele, tō'ere, programming
Nishchal Madjunath: tenor and soprano saxophone
Steve Harris: Bass
Jeremy Cook: drums

www.geoffroycolson.com

everybody's favourite gypsy,
the man who never stops playing,
the face behind the bass,

John Maddox

George is a legend of Australian entertainment - playing any instrument which has strings, acting on stage and television, comedian and MC for a host of public events.  But his main love is playing the gypsy jazz fiddle, in the style of Stéphane Grappelli.

This week he will perform with his two sons, both fine guitarists.  If you already love his hilarious style and astounding musicality, you'll be there.  If you just want another great night out in an already great January, we'll look forward to seeing you.

Nic is an emerging local guitarist, who has recently completed his studies at the con.  He's played at Colbourne Ave with Francesca Prihasti many times, and for the first time this thursday he'll be bringing his own band to the venue.

Mike Majkowski, bassist extraordinare, home from Berlin for a couple of weeks.

James Waples, one of the great drummers on the Sydney scene.

Dale Gorfinkel, Melbourne vibes player, for his first Colbourne Ave show.

All three incredible improvisers, masters of invention, creators of instruments and sounds previously unheard.  But above all: musicians who listen first then play, who respond as fast as the music can change,who build layers of textured sound onto entrancing, shifting rhythms.  I love it.