Nick Garbett
CD launch: The Vampires, Bennetts Lane, Sunday October 13 at 8.30pm
It was a full day on Sunday, beginning at 6am with hasty preparations for a Federation Day bush walk starting at O’Brien’s Crossing on the Lerderderg River. Soon after returning, I was offered a free ticket to experience Fearless Nadia at the Melbourne Recital Centre. I did not know what to expect. It was a hoot, with hilarious antics on screen in the tradition of Keystone Cops or the Marx Brothers, but with some strong social commentary and absolutely superb music from Australian and Indian musicians. Sandy Evans was among them.
Jessica Nicholas reviewed this and here’s a link to her assessment as featured in the Sydney Morning Herald.
The show went late and so, despite an interval so short that I wondered whether the MRC has a plan to recycle leftover wine and beer that patrons could not possibly finish, I missed the first set of The Vampires.
This is not meant as a review, but just a few notes to accompany a few images (see below). It was great to hear the fluid harmonies of Jeremy Rose on sax and clarinet and Nick Garbett on trumpet and flugelhorn, well backed by Alex Boneham on bass and Alex Masso on drums and cajon.
In the second set they played Palau, Beautiful Decay and Brother Sykes from their new album, Tiro, as well as Heston from the Garfish album and Euroschmarp and Chellowdene from the album of that name.
Jeremy Rose describes the new album as “taking a new direction for the group”. Apart from his expanded range of instruments — it was great to hear him on clarinet, but in this set he did not play soprano sax — and Garbett adding some flugelhorn, I felt that this outing displayed more continuity than departure from the earlier successful albums.
Melody and harmony is this band’s hallmark, and they do it effortlessly and very well indeed. Garbett does get gritty at times on the trumpet, and I love luxuriating in the richness of tones in this group. That said, I occasionally wish they would work in more tension and take us into some harder, wilder places. But that’s occasionally.
In short, I have loved the work of this band since the release of debut album South Coasting, which remains a favourite.
The Vampires are on tour nationally throughout October, with appearances at the Manly Jazz Festival and Wangaratta Festival of Jazz with special guest Shannon Barnett, who will be on loan from New York City. The Sydney album launch will be on Thursday, Dec 5 at the Basement with Danaides and Slo Poke Rodriguez.
Jeremy Rose says new album draws from his recent travels and musical studies in Greece and Cuba. “The album was also influenced by Nick Garbett‘s travels to the Pacific island of Palau and Colombia, and Alex Boneham‘s sojourn in Rome over the past year. These diverse musical ‘postcards’ come together conceptually well.”
The album also features two remixes by Paul ‘Tanuki’ Bromley, who has played bass with Brisbane rock band George and now is a producer.
ROGER MITCHELL
Here are some images from the Melbourne launch.
FOR LARGER VERSIONS OF THESE IMAGES, VISIT THIS GALLERY.
Jeremy Rose
Jeremy Rose and Nick Garbett
Alex Masso
Jeremy Rose
Jeremy Rose and Nick Garbett
Jeremy Rose and Nick Garbett
Nick Garbett
Alex Boneham
Jeremy Rose and Nick Garbett
Jeremy Rose and Nick Garbett
Nick Garbett
Alex Boneham
Tour dates:
Thurs 17 Oct GOSFORD NSW, Rhythm Hut, 135 Faunce St, Gosford, workshop from 6.30pm, support from 7.30pm, show at 8.30pm $25 for the workshop + show / $15 for show onlywww.therhythmhut.com.au
Fri 18 Oct BELLINGEN, NSW, #5 Church St dinner from 6pm, show at 7.30pm $12www.5churchstreet.com
Sat 19 Oct GOLD COAST, QLD, Mandala Organic Arts Cafe, 2558 Gold Coast Hwy, Mermaid Beach, 7.30pm, $5 www.mandalaorganicarts.com.au
Sun 20 Oct BANGALOW, NSW, ‘Sunday Afternoon Jazz at the Bowlo’ – Bangalow Bowling Club with The Vampires plus special guests saxophonist Dave Ades and percussion master Greg Sheehan, 4pm, $15/10 kids under 12 free facebook event
Thurs 31 Oct CANBERRA, ACT The Loft, Majura Medical Centre, Cnr Antill and Cowper Sts Dickson. 8.30pm Tix $15/$12
Sat 2 Nov WANGARATTA, VIC Wangaratta International Jazz Festival, WPAC Memorial Hall, Wangaratta, **With special guest Shannon Barnett 8:00pm www.2013.wangarattajazz.com
Tues 12 Nov NEWCASTLE, NSW The Underground presented by NIMA, The Grand Hotel, cnr Bolton St and Church St, Newcastle, $15/$10 doors at 7.30pm, music from 8pm, www.nima.org.au
Sun 17 Nov WOLLONGONG, NSW, Clifton School of the Arts, 338 Lawrence Hargrave Drive, Clifton, 2.00-5.00pm $20, $10, $50 family
Thurs 5 Dec SYDNEY, NSW, ALBUM LAUNCH PARTY* The Basement, 7 Macquarie Pl, Sydney, with Danaides (The Alcohotlicks) and Slo Poke Rodriguez, $20, (02) 9251 2797, www.thebasement.com.au
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