John Shand Posts

April 24, 2015 / Album Reviews - Archive

Suspicion (Romero/Newmarket) The cover sets up expectations of the western variant of film noir and the music delivers. On this fourth Tango Saloon album Julian Curwin’s tongue lolls in and out of his composer’s cheek, so any line between pastiche and staggeringly imaginative music fades as fast as smoke from…

April 22, 2015 / Concert Reviews - Archive

Concert Hall, April 9 When Rodrigo and Gabriela first played in Sydney some eight years ago it was at the now defunct @Newtown, and the audience consisted of Triple J listeners. The intriguing aspect of the Mexicans’ success is that as their popularity has grown (to fill the Enmore Theatre…

April 18, 2015 / Concert Reviews - Archive

The Basement, April 11 Hank Marvin and Django Reinhardt have something in common. Just as Reinhardt was the first non-American to be a true jazz innovator with his Gypsy swing, Marvin (with the Shadows) was the first non-American guitar hero in rock’s early days, becoming a role model for the…