contributions

Jazz writers are invited to contribute to this section of the website. All interested in contributing are welcome to contact the editor by filling out the form in the CONTACT tab. Photographs are welcome and should be attached. Readers can click on the INDEX button for a list of articles in this folder.

PERUANO CANTA AT PERTH’S SPIEGELTENT

by Garry Lee

Seesaw magazine, September 21, 2021

In Spanish “festejo” means “celebration” but in Peru it also has another meaning. Festejo is a dance that celebrates the emancipation of slaves in Peru in 1854 [11 years before the American Civil War saw the abolition of slavery in the US]. There is a tendency to think that African slaves were only transported to the US but, in fact, the first slaves were brought to Peru by the Spanish Conquistadores in 1521. African slaves provided the main workforce for colonialists throughout the Americas. In South America these European colonialists were for the most part Spanish or, in Brazil, Portuguese.  The folk music of the Iberian peninsula melded with the rhythms of Western Africa plus the indigenous music and instruments of native South Americans continues to make for an intoxicating hybrid that is now fusing with musicians of a jazz background. Just as Bela Bartok mined the folk music of Hungary for inspiration in his composition, musicians like Perth’s Danny Susnjar are continuing this tradition a century on…

THE MODERN MASTERS CONCERT

Reviewed by Garry Lee

Seesaw magazine, October 28, 2021

Modern Masters is an apt description of the two young composers chosen to be the 2021 composers in residence. This is a program presented by WAYJO that is now in its 14th year. The two composers were Brendan Keller-Tuberg and Reece Clark who were represented by three original compositions each, performed by the Wednesday Night Band. WAYJO has three different jazz orchestras rehearsing on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, with the Wednesday band usually given the task of performing the most complex music… Added to WAYJO for the premiere of these new pieces was tenor saxophonist Jamie Oehlers. He has a strong connection to WAYJO having commenced his jazz career with the orchestra some three decades ago…

KRISTIAN BORRING QUARTET AT KIDOGO ARTHOUSE

Reviewed by Garry Lee

Seesaw magazine, December 15, 2021

Guitarist Kristian Borring has made Perth his home for several years now and his concert to a capacity audience at the amazing new live performance gem of a venue Kidogo Arthouse has this writer struggling for superlatives. Pianist Harry Mitchell, a recent finalist in the National Jazz Piano Competition and Ben Vanderwal, well recognized as one of Australia’s preeminent  jazz drummers, were joined by South Korean double bassist Soonyong Lee. Lee anchored the quartet in a way that was reminiscent of the great American bassist Charlie Haden. As a surprising coincidence Lee and Borring had both studied together in Amsterdam in the early 2000s and independently decided to move to Perth in late 2017. Here is resounding evidence that Perth is being considered internationally as a jazz city…