Here’s a tune I wrote entitled “Trapped” and features Karl Laskowski and Steve Barry. Dig!
Below is a PDF of the score.
Click here to view the score for Trapped (E.Dilworth)
Enjoy!
E.Dilla
Posted in E. Dilla's Rant, Gigs, tagged Adelaide Jazz, Chris Martin, Chris Soole, COMA, dan clohesy, Eamon Dilworth, Jazzgroove, Kevin Van Der Zwaag, La Boheme, Lyndon Gray, Stephen Neville, Sydney Jazz, The Dilworths on May 23, 2010| Leave a Comment »
Hey Guys,
Beginning of May I was fortunate to be invited by bassist Lyndon Gray to come down to Adelaide to perform a few gigs at COMA and La Boheme. I had a fantastic time and got to play with some really great musicians including Dan Clohesy – with whom I recorded an album of octet music back in January.
I was promoting The Dilworths’ album and performing music with two bands while I was in town. I was very excited for my first experience of stepping of the plane and driving straight to the gig, meeting the band for the first time and then performing my compositions. They played the tunes really well and I has such a blast playing with them.
The Monday night was at COMA with Dan Clohesy, Lyndon Gray and Stephen Neville and Wednesday night with some of the teachers from the Adelaide Conservatorium – Chris Soole, Chris Martin, Lyndon Gray and Kevin Van Der Zwaag.
Some pictures were posted of the Monday night gig in which you can view here and a few in the slideshow below.
Later,
E. Dilla
Posted in 5 Question Profiles, Interviews, Top 5 Lists, tagged 505, Alex Boneham, Brian Blade, eric harland, james jennings, Jazzgroove, karl laskowski, Mike Nock, Sydney Jazz, wayne shorter on March 23, 2010| Leave a Comment »
This week I asked Sydney drummer James Jennings to write about some of his influences and favourite albums. He is possibly one of the best dressed Jazz musicians in Sydney and while still studying at the Sydney Con, he has started to make waves around town. Check it out below:
Top 3 drummers:
Very difficult to List only 3 favorite Drummers as there are so many inspiring players out there. At the moment this would be my top 3 for various reasons.
#1 Brian Blade:
Anyone who knows me would definitely have guessed this as my Number 1 but for reasons everyone is aware of. Brian Blade is why i started to play jazz drums. Brian’s Drumming/musicality is so so so deep and can rival and match any of the greats in the past. So much of my inspiration has come from Brian. His groove touch and feel are all aspects i wish to absorb. When i was 16 i was handed Ryan Kisor’s battle cry, which Brian is on and from that moment i knew i had found a drummer/musician that i truly wanted to grasp. Brian’s versatility as a musician is also absolutely astounding. Be it grooving with Sam Yahel, swinging with Joshua Redman, creating timeless art with Wayne shorter or getting his rock on with Black Dub, Joni Mitchell and Seal. He brings so much history present and future to every stroke he applies to a drum/cymbal.
Bill Stewart:
In my opinion Bill Stewart has changed the way Modern Drummers thing about playing jazz. His sense of phrasing among the limbs is amazing as well as the understanding of the ride cymbal as not only a time keeping devise but a creation of colour.The way Bill has taken from the masters of the past is also inspiring. You can definitely hear the history with large amounts of Roy Haynes ha.The very first album i heard bill on was John Scofield’s What We Do. His creativeness and undeniable groove blew me away! i still listen to that album a lot and still find new things every time which in my opinion is a true sign of a master.
?queslove:
Lately i have really been checking out a fare amount of Hip hop soul and r&b.?uestlove has the best time feel. Its CRAZY!. I really think checking out and really listening to hip hop and r&b is on of the best ways to get your time feel happening in any genre. Drummers such as Spanky, Steve Jordan, Chris “daddy” Dave, Eric Tribbett, Aaron Spears, Gerland Heyward, are just some of the drummers i’m checking out in this genre.
Ok so i cant leave off Eric Harland:
Eric is my biggest inspiration right now. His articulation on the drum set is out of this world. His power intensity and GROOVE are all things i want for my playing. His compositions and arrangements are also amazing. His Arrangement of Monk’s I mean you played with SFJazz Collective is a perfect example of this. Also his total musical support towards other musicians and the music is what makes him one of the most happening and sort after drummers of today.
Other drummers that I’m checking out at the moment include:
Kendrick Scott,Jeff Ballard, Mark Guiliana,Matt Chamberland,Felix Bloxsom Nate Smith, Billy Kilson, James waples,Jorge Rossy, Roy Haynes, Jack Dejohonette, Jochen Rueckert.
Note:
I know all 4 of my Picks have been recently “modern” drummers as HIGHLY important as it is to look back on the MASTERS of jazz music and the art of jazz i think it’s also equally as important to listen and check out the new things that are happening in the world of music around us in present times.
3 fav Youtube videos:
Kendrick scott:
Christopher Hitchens:
Wayne Shorter Quartet:
Favourite Albums:
Kurt Rosenwinkle’s The Remedy:
Aaron Goldberg- Piano
Eric Harland- Drums
Joe Martin-Bass
Mark Tuner- sax
This album is just full of raw hardcore energy and inspirational solos form all players. This for me is the perfect example of Eric’s musical support to the band. Kurt’s compositions are also jaw dropping.
Chris Potter’s Gratitude:
Brian Blade-Drums
Scott Colley- Bass
Kevin Hayes –Keys
This Album really hit home to me with how truly amazing Brian Blade is. His groove on this album, on every tune is rock solid but not in a rhythmical pattern way. He could be breaking up the beat without loosing any sense of the groove what so ever!! I also really like Scott Coley on this album and of course Chris Potter is just killing!
Wayne Shorter’s Footprints Live:
Brian Blade-Drums
Wayne Shorter- sax
Danilo Perez- Piano
John Patitucci- Bass
This album is my example of how a band can work together to create something that has never been heard before. All members’ are virtuosos of their instruments but not for a second dose ego or selfishness entre the music. They are all there 100% for one anther and the music!! P.S Brian Blade is bubbling intensity GOD.
Brad Mehldau’s largo and Live in Tokyo:
Largo is one of my favorite albums I can put on and just simply listen to with out my brain trying to over analyse. The Producing on this album is wicked.
Live in Tokyo I think truly shows what a amazing musician brad is.He makes the piano sound like a 80 piece orchestra with not a hint of physical effort. The way he can build and maintain and solo on this album is another aspect why I choose it for my Top list.
and
Zubin Mehta Conducting L.A Philharmonic Orchestra Playing Dvorak’s New World symphony #9
Later,
E DillaP.S check out James with Mike Nock, Karl Laskowski and Alex Boneham at 505 on Saturday
Posted in News, tagged Jazzgroove, Mailing List, The Dilworths on March 8, 2010| 1 Comment »
As some of you may know, I send out a fortnightly e-newsletter for those who don’t get to see my updates on facebook about new posts.
If you would like to receive thedilworths.com e-newsletters, send an e-mail to management@thedilworths.com with the word ‘subscribe’ in the subject line.
As an added bonus, the first 5 people to join the mailing list will receive a free copy of The Dilworths debut album, “Introducing…The Dilworths” (Jazzgroove Records)
Later
EDilla
Available now on Itunes and http://www.Jazzgroove.com
Posted in 5 Question Profiles, Interviews, Videos, tagged 505, australian jazz, Brendan Clark, Casey Golden, Jazzgroove, Rob Turner, Sydney Jazz on February 25, 2010| Leave a Comment »
Meet the Casey Golden Trio.
I’ve known all these guys for years and grew up playing music with the drummer, Rob Turner. Last night they played a smokin’ gig at 505 and I’ve uploaded two tracks that you can check out. There’ll be a debut record coming out later this year which is being recorded as I type and if you can, you should definitely give these guys a listen. A few weeks ago I spoke to Casey about doing a feature on his band and so here it is, in his own words.
When we first started playing together I wasn’t really thinking about forming a band too much. I met both Brendan and Rob on non-jazz gigs so we decided to get together and have a play on some jazz stuff one day. I remember thinking at the time how easy it was to play with these guys. It felt really good from the beginning. Around that time (mid 2008) I’d started writing a lot more than I had been before and it just seemed like a natural choice to use Brendan and Rob on some of my original tunes. We all have pretty eclectic tastes in music but there is a lot of crossover between the three of us in favourite bands/records/musicians and this is part of why I like playing with these guys. I’ll often bring tunes to rehearsal that are unfinished or vague and it never takes these guys long to come up with the sound I’m after.
From a compositional point of view, my main influence comes from a lot of the younger guys living in New York at the moment. Guys like Aaron Parks, Robert Glasper, Lage Lund, John Ellis, Gerald Clayton, the list goes on. I think all the guys mentioned above are great composers and they all have a really clear concept of how they want their bands to sound. I have a pretty clear idea of how I want the trio to sound and that sound is very much influenced by these people. Alister Spence is another important influence. I used to learn from Alister and he was one of the first people I saw who really impressed me as both a composer and player. He’s got a great trio and I think he’s very thoughtful in both composition and in his concept of the type of music his trio plays. All this being said, as far as inspiration goes, these days I seem to be inspired to compose by music other than jazz.
The hardest thing leading a group is really doing enough gigs so your band has some sort of a presence on the scene. There aren’t a huge amount of well-established places to play original jazz in Sydney so it can be difficult to get regular work. I try and continually write new stuff, so if I don’t have any trio gigs for a month or two then it’s still very much on my mind. Having a lot of new material all the time also motivates me to go out and book gigs to see what works and what doesn’t.
The main thing I’m focused on at the moment is getting everything sorted for recording our album. We’re recording in February and hope to have it out a bit later in the year. We’ve got a couple of gigs booked over the next month or two then we’ll do a bunch more when the record comes out. Buy our record.
Casey:
Favourite YouTube Video:
Best live gig seen: Aaron Goldberg Trio at the Sound Lounge, mid 2008
Seamus Blake Quintet w/ Kikoski, Lage, Matt Clohesy and Bill Stewart at Smalls, Feb 2009
Favourite album: Too hard to say, but for what I’ve been listening to over the last few months it’d be between:
Matt Penman – Catch of the Day,
Gerald Clayton – Two Shade and
David Binney and Edward Simon – Oceanos.
Rob:
Favourite YouTube Video:
Best live gig seen: Too hard to decide on one! Short List –
Ed Simon Trio (w/ John Patitucci & Brian Blade) @ The Village Vanguard, NYC
Clayton Hamilton Jazz Orchestra @ North Sea Jazz Festival, The Hague
Chris “Daddy” Dave & Friends, Revive Da Live @ Crash Mansion, NYC
Favourite Album: Oscar Peterson Trio – Night Train
(Favourite album of 2009 – Robert Glasper Trio, Double Booked)
Brendan:
Favourite YouTube Video:
Best live gig seen: The Necks at the Riverside Theatre. I couldn’t even manage to stay for the second set, it was that intense!
Favourite Album: Too many to count, but I’ll say Sam Rivers – Violet Violets
Later,
Eamon
P.S. Check out this great track from last night:
Also make sure you check out Casey’s Myspace for updates about gigs and the new album.
Posted in Interviews, tagged 505, Adam Pache, harbie hancock, james muller, Jazzgroove, Sydney Jazz on February 14, 2010| 4 Comments »
This week we have a bit of a drummer’s feature with an interview with ex-pat Adam Pache and a top 5 list with Simon Barker. The first time I met and played with Adam was when I was 16 in about 2003 when I used to sit in with Matt Baker’s trio when Adam was playing with him and Ashley Turner. I remember being awestruck by those guys and always looked forward to getting a chance to play with them. Since then we’ve had a few jams and always at least a year apart and its always how things have changed and developed with time and experience. Adam has spent 4 of the last 5 years living in New York and currently resides in Italy and has been playing with saxophonist Steve Grossman. He’s currently out here on tour leading a quartet with James Muller, Gerard Masters, Steve Newcombe and Jonathan Zwartz. I thought I’d take the opportunity to ask him a few questions about the experiences of leaving Australia and making music in other parts of the world.
Here it is:
1.Tell us about the music on this latest tour.
We are playing songs I chose, largely based on the personnel. I was extremely glad that James Muller and Jonathan Zwartz could do all of the gigs, and the piano chair is split between Gerard Masters in Sydney and Steve Newcomb in Brisbane. I tried to imagine what the music might sound like as a group, and I ended up thinking of Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, John Coltrane… tunes that have an in-built vibe but are still open, such as “Pinocchio” and “The Sorcerer”. With that as a base I added some other tunes, old and new (from Billy Strayhorn to an original by a Norwegian friend of mine) that I thought would fit that mould and make sense together.
2. You’ve lived in Sydney, New York and Rome making music. What have been some of the experiences of making a transition into a new city and new scene?
For me, the move from Sydney to New York was much harder than New York to Rome, despite having to learn Italian. New York’s jazz scene is so immense and so competitive to try to break into. In Sydney and Rome I feel like there is a sense of a “jazz community”… everyone knows each other and is supportive, whereas in New York I feel there are many, many different cliques, so it takes some time to work out where one fits in, and while there is a mutual respect for each other, as everyone is battling to survive there, it can be very cut-throat. I had a few close musician friends there, but I think due to the enormity of the scene and how busy everyone is with making ends meet, it can be hard to build relationships that go deeper than just knowing the person’s phone number, where they live, what they sound like and who they play with, even after more than 4 years there. By comparison, I found the musicians in Italy to be extremely warm and welcoming and I made friends instantly the night I arrived. After only 8 months there I have some friends that are truly like family… People I know I could trust with anything and I could always call on for help. That really makes a difference.
I also think in New York you have to play the game to work. You have to hustle. I haven’t felt that in Italy. It’s more like you hang out, go to jams, make friends with people and you end up playing. It’s more natural and based on genuine relationships. Hustling on a New York level there would seem really crass and out of place. It makes it easier to concentrate on music, not having to deal with playing games in order to work. Of course politics exist in any music scene, but so far that has been my experience there.
I have realised that as a musician, the ease or difficulty in moving to a new city/country/scene is actually less to do with music and more to do with people. If you like a city and a music scene enough to move there, the people are what can make it or break it for you.
3. What do you notice about audiences around the world and their responses to jazz and improvised music?
It varies so much, and I think it largely depends on how the music is presented. One thing that I think can really be detrimental to jazz is when somebody gives a speech at the beginning of a gig about how important the music is and how everyone should be quiet and respect the artists etc. It can strangle the music and make the audience feel like they are in a classroom. I would much rather play to a room full of people enjoying themselves, even with a bit of chatter, than a room full of people feeling like they have to wait for the song to end before they can cough. I think it’s one of the big turn offs for young would-be jazz listeners and helps to perpetuate this notion that jazz is for elitists. It’s hard to relax and have a good time at a gig after you’ve been told all of the things you can and can’t do. I think no matter what country you are in, if the music is presented in an honest, down to earth manner, played with conviction and passion, people respond in a positive way. Not every playing situation is perfect, and not everyone will like what you do, but I think if you can play with enough spirit, you command attention, and conversely if the audience is restless and chatty, maybe it’s a sign you are not putting out enough (or maybe the music is lame!)
Having said that, I think people in Europe generally have more respect for musicians. They seem to appreciate people playing music for them without being told to appreciate it.
4. Who are some of the European musicians worth checking out that we may not know about?
There are many!! The first that jumps to mind is Roberto Tarenzi (from Milan). He is one of the most exciting and original piano young players that I know of. He is influenced by McCoy Tyner and Ahmad Jamal but is really going for something else… something very contemporary. I would love to see his trio tour Australia… the members are all on an extremely high level. He has a few CD’s out and I would highly recommend his latest, “Dig Deep”.
There are some great young drummers in Rome worth checking out too: Roberto Pistolesi, Nicola Angelucci and Marco Valeri are my three favourites. All have incredible dexterity on the drums and an individual approach.
5. What are you working on right now?
I am getting back into studying harmony and playing the piano and trying to write some of my own music. I would really like to record an album of originals within the next year or so.
On the drums the list is long, but basically I am trying to refine my technique, so I can cleanly execute what I am hearing in my head, and I’m trying to focus more onstage and play with as much spirit as I can, every time I play. Playing with Steve Grossman has really been a big lesson in that. He plays with so much intensity… there is no room for auto-pilot… he demands 100% all of the time. I feel like anything less is an insult, not only to him but to the music, and I would like to carry that level of commitment through to every playing situation, no matter who it is with or where.
5 in 30 seconds:
Favourite YouTube Video:
Best Gig you’ve seen: Elvin Jones, 2002
Best gig you’ve played: with Steve Grossman in Ischia, Dec 2009.
Current favourite artist and album: Herbie Hancock – Speak Like A Child
Where can we see you next? at the new 505 venue for Jazzgroove this Tuesday the 16th at 8:30.
Later,
Eamon
Posted in Gigs, Videos, tagged australian jazz, James Hauptmann, James Ryan, Jazzgroove, Kim Lawson, Steve Hunter, Sydney Jazz on February 10, 2010| Leave a Comment »
Last night was the album launch for the Kim Lawson Trio over at Jazzgroove. It was great to see 505 packed to hear Kim’s trio with Steve Hunter, James Hauptmann and on a couple of tunes James Ryan. I guess best term to describe the music is powerhouse jazz-rock. It’s a really great thing that these guys put out a record, as these days it seems more and more like the CD becomes your business/calling card and helps to firmly establish your band on the scene.
Check out Kimmo’s Myspace.
Later,
Eamon
P.S coming soon – Interview with Aussie saxophonist Mike Rivett who is currently studying at Manahttan School of Music plus footage of James Muller’s 4tet Live at The Basement