John Shand Posts

August 11, 2015 / Album Reviews - Archive

The Essential Recordings (Primo/Planet) Although born in New York Harry Belafonte spent eight childhood years living in Jamaica, and these would prove pivotal in his subsequent career. Long before words like “world” and “roots” had been inanely splattered across musical idioms Belafonte was exploring his Caribbean heritage alongside jazz, gospel,…

August 10, 2015 / Album Reviews - Archive

Gathering Rains (Kimnara) Simon Barker unveiled this band last year in an unforgettable concert at Campbelltown Arts Centre. While the music is improvised, it is he who “composed” the band, assembling the collective brilliance of these six musicians. Korean Pansori singer Il Dong Bae has previously collaborated extensively with Barker…

August 8, 2015 / Concert Reviews - Archive

The Joan, July 26 There’s one thing no one can deny about Emma Pask: she knows how to put together a band. In guitarist James Muller, bassist Phil Stack and drummer Tim Firth she had three of the best in the land, and was an appropriately generous leader, giving them…