The best young piano trio money can't buy.  But you're welcome to make a bid...

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

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)

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...

i've seen them playing around the hyde park fountain in the wee hours, busking on king street in the mornings, and opening a music festival.  They are Charlotte Craib (vocals) and John Maddox (Acoustic Bass, Kazoo, Percussion) - a very modern interpretation of depression instrumentation.  Maddox is a long-time member of Nadya's 101 Candles Orchestra, and is a legend on the Jazz / world music scene; Charlotte brings amazingly clever insights into standards from Ella Fitzgerald to Horace Silver and original songs, not always finished.

Barney Wakeford

Long-time collaborator of senor Maddox and one of the people responsible for all of the music we present, Barney presents original compositions (never the same way twice) and the songs of Vince Jones and Chet Baker

Liz Frencham / Caroline Trengove / Greg Bryce with Nick Southcott & Simon Pitchers.  It's an album-recording rent party - Liz says:
We've been in the studio all week recording a large chunk of album #5 which we've been working up live over the past year. All was well 'til we smashed open the piggy bank and only a couple of sad five cent coins rolled dejectedly around the table top.
So we need your help. We've arranged a fund raising concert (to keep the project running) next wed in Sydney. We'll be playing a whole evenings worth of Jigzag music in return for a suggested donation of something like $20.

The musical lives of pianist Alister Spence and reedsman Paul Cutlan regularly cross in groups like the Australian Art Orchestra and Steve Morley's Squall. They have recorded together as a duo for the ABC and performed in Canberra and Sydney. Tonight they will combine their love of tradition with natural curiosity and playfulness as they explore a widely varying repertoire of originals and standards.

In the second set they welcome the wonderful vocalist Susan Gai Dowling for renditions of rare and beautiful songs.

Barney, an absolute rock of the Sydney jazz scene; a rock held aloft by Steve Elphick; forming a contraption propelled by Dave Hibbard.  Mostly standards, a few new pieces; intimate improvisations for an intimate room.

Our favourite chicago blues-man.

John sent a photo of an old black monkey playing with two baby white tigers