John Shand Posts

November 16, 2019 / Features - Archive

The last time Lakecia Benjamin was in Sydney her alto saxophone was part of the sound surrounding comedian Craig Robinson. This time she’ll play jazz in an intimate club. That’s a perfect snapshot of a career that could be seen as swinging between rubbing shoulders with mega-stardom and digging deep…

November 12, 2019 / Album Reviews - Archive

BETRAYAL OF THE SACRED SUNFLOWER (JT/Planet) 9.5/10 If moonlight made a sound, this might be it. But it would be the sound of a shy moon: one who opts to cloak herself in clouds, rather than wander baldly naked through the skies; whose muted light is dappled by still trees;…

November 9, 2019 / Concert Reviews - Archive

Camelot Lounge, October 27 9/10 This is how cultural treasures survive: because people care enough to ensure they do. A book of compositions by the late Australian music pioneer Kim Sanders was exactly the sort of project the Australia Council should be supporting, rather than propping up bureaucracy-obese companies with…