Blue Mountains Theatre, November 25 9/10 Too often in music where improvisation plays a central role a string section is merely used perfunctorily, providing sweetening, padding or wallpaper. Paul Cutlan’s writing for string quartet is infinitely more sophisticated. In place of either blandness or shock-tactics it pursues the nuanced development…
Category: Concert Reviews
Foundry 616, November 12 7.5/10 Singer Gian Slater was a fitting artist to round out this year’s Sydney International Women’s Jazz Festival, as her collaboration with pianist Barney McAll and drummer Simon Barker is all about opening up possibilities rather than closing them down in the pursuit of a specifically…
Foundry 616, November 3 8.5/10 Here was an inspired pairing on the part of the Sydney International Women’s Jazz Festival. Sophisticated compositions, open-ended improvising, rampant imagination and gritty emotions defined this collaboration between Canada’s Jensen sisters – Ingrid (trumpet) and Christine (saxophones) – and Sydney’s Mike Nock Trio. Although learning…