JAZZ ALBUM REVIEWS IN THE AUSTRALIAN
In September, 2017 Eric Myers commenced reviewing jazz albums in the Review supplement of The Weekend Australian. All reviews in this folder are written by Myers.
JAZZ
SON OF NYX
TAMIL ROGEON
____________________
Independent
Three-and-a-half stars
Published in the Weekend Australian, March 6, 2021
____________________
Melbourne violist Tamil Rogeon has assembled an impressive group to illustrate a compelling musical vision. I hear his attractive compositions, arranged innovatively and organically connected, as a six-movement suite of modal jazz works in the fusion genre. Rogeon clearly aims to provide the listener with an exhilarating experience. Rhythmic foundations, brilliantly articulated throughout by bassist Sam Anning and drummer Danny Fischer, underpin the music. Keyboard duties are shared by two excellent players Sam Keevers and Daniel Mougerman on arp odyssey and helpinstall. Warm background vocals & additional percussion on some of the tracks considerably spice up the music. Mysteriously Rogeon himself is somewhat unobtrusive here. While all other instruments are splendidly recorded his viola solos sometimes lack presence in the sound mix. Still this is a powerful album and there are great moments when the music really soars.
Eric Myers
JAZZ
BOSSA NOVA SUNSET CLUB
THE VIEW FROM MADELEINE’S COUCH
____________________
Independent
Four stars
Published in the Weekend Australian, March 13, 2021
____________________
Courtesy of the bossa nova, a ubiquitous time-feel found everywhere in jazz, Brazilian music enjoys a mythical status. This Brisbane group has spent 24 years dedicated to developing a rare empathy with Brazil’s sensuous music. Their unusual album features Anje West, singing virtually the whole repertoire in the Portuguese language. As most Australian listeners will hear her vocals as an instrument, it’s fortunate that her voice is understated, well recorded, not too lush, and has a lovely vibrato, ideal for Brazilian-flavoured music. Solos, chiefly by Kym Ambrose (vibraphone) and Bruce Woodward (guitar) are unfailingly appealing, and the inner rhythmic structures of 12 tracks are well thought through, underpinned by the great Brazilian drummer Marcio Bahia. Time-feels other than the bossa nova, with interesting rhythmic nuances, are explored here too, suggesting a genuine study and absorption of Brazilian music.
Eric Myers
JAZZ
ELDORADO
PAT JAFFE
____________________
Independent
Three-and-a-half stars
Published in the Weekend Australian, March 20, 2021
____________________
Recorded in Reykjavik, Iceland, this is a highly impressive debut album from a thoughtful and sensitive musician. Melbourne pianist Pat Jaffe, 22, has nine of his compositions here, two of them accompanied by a string quartet. To describe the album, terms such as refinement and understatement come to mind. The music is peaceful and ruminative but, under an apparently seamless surface, there are substantial nuances which are very subtle and exquisite. In the two pieces which include the Siggi String Quartet, the strings are skilfully employed to effectively amplify the pianist’s most expressive moments. Jaffe is obviously an accomplished jazz pianist and arranger, but there are few signs of conventional jazz references, such as the blues, which some consider to be essential to jazz. Instead the flavour of the music suggests the twilight zone between jazz and contemporary classical music.
Eric Myers