It’s been quite the busy “summer” for Sydney Jazz Collective! We’ve been preparing to overhaul the website and putting together some live video from a recent gig at the lovely Victoria Room in Darlinghurst. Hopefully this should be ready to upload in the next few weeks (watch this space).
In the meantime here’s a live recording of Lisa – our fearless Sydney Jazz Collective vocalist – rocking a vocal duet with jazz vocal legend BOBBY MCFERRIN in front of a packed concert hall in New York City!
Well we’re right in the middle of the busiest time of the year now with late spring/summer weddings and corporate christmas parties all peaking at the same crazy time (+ we’re hitting the road for a mini tour at the end of this month). Yes, ‘the silly season’ is here!
There’s a whole bunch of new live gig recordings we’ve been making which will soon be ready for posting, but in the meantime I thought we’d share a funky photo and some feedback about some music we performed at a recent 21st birthday party.
Thanks again for providing such a wonderful evening of musical entertainment. You all were amazing. Hannah was over the moon with your sound and it made her 21st party an evening to remember. Thank you for being on time, being sensitive to how the evening was progressing and providing that extra song at the end of the night. If we ever need music for another function you will definitely be the first ones we call. I am more than happy to recommend you to anyone who will listen.
Bev Cameron, Daughter’s 21st @ Private Home
Is this a blast from the past?
Nope, it’s actually just a bit of digital technology using an app called Hipstamatic for iPhone. Thanks to Edoardo Santoni for taking this photo while we opened a daytime wedding gig with a relaxed instrumental jazz quartet set.
Remember that gig in 1973? Actually this was taken in 2011 using a vintage filter on Hipstamatic for iPhone (Sydney Jazz Collective)
We recently performed in our most popular Jazz/Soul Quintet configuration (vocals, sax, keyboard, bass, drums) for a lovely outdoor wedding at Erlydene Function Centre in Gordon. Fortunately for the happy couple – Hannah & Richie – the weather held off after a week of patchy rain leading up to the wedding!
Sydney Jazz Collective on the outdoor stage at "Erlydene" in Gordon
Such a great spot for a relaxed daytime garden wedding vibe. This venue works really for featuring a live band in an outdoor setting – as there is little Asian styled tea house gazebo on a slightly raised platform above the main garden area which functions perfectly as an outdoor stage area for a live jazz band.
Side view of outdoor stage at "Erlydene" in Gordon - Sydney Jazz Collective
We just received some beautiful black & white photos of Sydney Jazz Collective performing at a wedding at Catalina Rose Bay.
Thanks so much to Trish & Joel for capturing these moments, you can see more of their fantastic photos at Tealily Photography.
What an incredible place to hold your function. On Tuesday 3rd May the Sydney Jazz Collective guitar, saxophone and bass trio visited the Powerhouse Museum to perform for the Transfield Services Dinner to celebrate their 10 year Anniversary on ASX. Surrounded by the amazing locomotive and space exhibition we performed for many guests including the federal member of parliament, The Hon. Joe Hockey.
The soft tones & harmonic textures from this kind of trio lineup work really well for corporate dinners and more intimate settings. It’s also handy to have 3 balanced instrumental roles (melody, chords, bass lines) which can perform acoustically without any access to power if the event requires.
Here’s what our client from Transfield Services had to say about this performance:
Thank you Sydney Jazz Collective for putting on an amazing performance for Transfield Services last night. The instrumental trio (sax, guitar, bass) performing at a Board function at the Transport Exhibition in the Powerhouse Museum was just the right touch to ease our guests into a relaxed and convivial evening.
Your musicians arrived on time, set up discreetly and then performed professionally with flair and elegance – first class entertainment. Next time we organise a similar function, we will definitely call on Sydney Jazz Collective again, perhaps even adding one of your vocalists to the mix.
Eve Roberts, Transfield Services Corporate Function
@ The Powerhouse Museum, Sydney
Sydney Jazz Collective Trio (Sax, Double Bass, Guitar) performing at The Powerhouse Museum
What a week – Edoardo launches a CD, Osama is shot dead, AND Sydney Jazz Collective trumpeter Ken Allars has just been announced as the 2011 winner of the prestigious $10,000 James Morrison Jazz Scholarship.
In front of a crowd of 2800 people seated in the main marquee, Ken faced tough competition with many fantastic performances from some of the best young jazz musicians in Australia. However, with his superb musicality & taste demonstrated on standout renditions of “Lonely Woman” & “Blues Connotation” – Ken rose to the challenge and was awarded 1st prize.
He’s keen to use the scholarship prize money to pursue further jazz studies & learn a new language in Berlin – but in the meantime you can still hear Ken live on a bunch of local gigs around Sydney, and on the upcoming tour with the JazzGroove Mothership Orchestra.
Ken Allars performing with Sydney Jazz Collective outdoor acoustic quartet
Congratulations to our Sydney Jazz Collective male vocalist Edoardo Santoni, for the highly successful launch of his debut solo EP this week!
Edoardo performed an inspired set of original music to a sell out crowd at The Basement, with a delicate mix of emotive ballads and hard grooving soul tunes that just make you want to get up and dance. The blended male vocal harmonies between Edoardo & Simon Rudston-Brown were a real highlight (why is there not more vocal harmony in jazz?), and his new band also featured other regular SJC sidemen Pete Kohlhoff [bass] & Paul Derricott [drums].
The stand out song of the night was undoubtedly the EP’s title track “Towing The Line”. Keep an ear out for this one which will be available for download on iTunes & in record stores nationally from next week.
Sublime male vocals from Edoardo Santoni
Well, I must admit to it being an interesting experience listening back to the audio from Emma & Reese’s wedding from a few weeks ago. After flying in from Munich that morning at the end of a 2 week concert tour, I don’t have much recollection of the night – although I’m happy to say that it was all pleasant surprises when listening back!
Edoardo sounds great as always, and these recordings have had a fantastic effect on what was already a cooking rhythm section. It’s a pleasure working with musicians of Darren and Karl’s calibre on a weekly basis.
Uploading these two clips to soundcloud reminded me of a comment we received a number of years ago when working at a function for the Sydney University Law Society. Then Dean of the Faculty of Law, Professor Ron McCallum AO, well known for his work on the Board of Vision Australia and as the first blind person to be appointed as Dean in an Australian University Faculty, commented on the versatility of the band in swapping seamlessly from the early jazz sets into the funky groove outfit that had everyone dancing into the small hours of the morning. With the various ‘behind the scenes’ changes we all make in drum tuning, cymbal selection, acoustic-to-electric bass, synth-modules, sound system EQ, and stylistic approach, Professor McCallum said in his thanks to us that night that he couldn’t believe it was the same band in the later sets.
I’ll let you judge for yourself the truth of his words. Here are a couple of tracks from April 23rd @ the beautiful Belgenny Farm, Camden. A special thanks to 5 year old Monique for leading the dancing all night!
It Don’t Mean A Thing – Live @ Belgenny Farm
Vocal Sextet: Male Vocalist, Saxophone, Trumpet, Keyboard, Bass, Drums
Warning – the second track will most certainly get you grooving. This may cause embarrassment if at work or on public transport.
Signed Sealed + Superstition – Live @ Belgenny Farm
Vocal Sextet: Male Vocalist, Saxophone, Trumpet, Keyboard, Bass, Drums
Performing as Instrumental Quintet @ Pilu, Freshwater
As promised, we have some more live tracks for your listening pleasure – hot off the mixing press from our Instrumental Jazz Quintet gig at Pilu:
Up Jumped Spring – 4 March 2011 (daytime) @ Pilu, Freshwater
Instrumental Quintet: Saxophone, Trumpet, Keyboard, Bass, Drums
You And The Night And The Music – 4 March 2011 (daytime) @ Pilu, Freshwater
Instrumental Quintet: Saxophone, Trumpet, Keyboard, Bass, Drums
