Frisell — Music inspired or written by Bill Frisell Phil Bywater made a point after the first set at Uptown Jazz Cafe that the Fringe Festival had come up with the idea of having a Bill Frisell tribute before the Melbourne International Jazz Festival decided to invite him to Melbourne. When the Fringe organisers heard he was coming, the invited him to stay over for … Continue reading Melbourne Jazz Fringe 2009 — Day 6
(Arts Victoria) FOR something off beat, the successor to Skazz’s 2001 album, Welcome to Civilisation is hard to beat. Its upbeat Jamaican-style jazz is so irresistible indie ska label Megalith plans to sell these albums in Europe and the US. Skazz grew out of informal performances by friends at parties. The new line-up has eight musicians including David Joseph on drums and percussion, Michael Havir … Continue reading The Smoking Gun — Skazz
(Jazzhead) THE expression “in the groove” suggests a top jazz performance or to be delighted with. Both apply to Way Out West’s second offering. As with Footscray Station, Asian and African influences are unmistakeable, but it’s as if old grooves — tunes and rhythms with a sense of history — are mapping new territory. And it works. In compositions by trumpeter Peter Knight and, on … Continue reading Old Grooves for New Streets — Way Out West
