John Shand Posts

October 7, 2015 / Album Reviews - Archive

Dallendyshe (ECM) Although singer Elina Duni was only 10 when she left Albania for Switzerland it is her homeland’s music that fuels her mature artistry. Duni’s expatriate status gives her the luxury of distance in the way she approaches the traditional songs, while also imbuing her performances with a compelling…

October 3, 2015 / Concert Reviews - Archive

Foundry 616, September 22 Had Australia employed offshore processing on New Zealanders the local jazz scene would be a shadow of itself. For over half a century migration across the Tasman has bolstered the number and quality of creative musicians in Sydney, long a logical next step for Kiwis seeking…

October 2, 2015 / Concert Reviews - Archive

Concert Hall, September 20 The sniping right, which loves to lampoon the ’60s as the decade of self-indulgence, is blind to the benign optimism and the steely resolve that underpinned the belief in the potential for change. Indeed what attracted people to Joan Baez in those heady days, besides the…