Melbourne Jazz Co-operative

Brisbane-based musical (and life) partners, expatriate American Erik Griswold and Vanessa Tomlinson use prepared piano, found objects, and toy instruments to "weave a refined fabric of sound that can be, at any moment, delicate, energetic, playful, or sensitive." (Resonate Magazine) Their trademark bent grooves and clouds of sound have been described as "a detailed orchestration of percussive and resonant sounds" (Realtime Arts). The Clocked Out Duo recently collaborated with the Wide Alley group on a tour of Canada, appearing at jazz festivals in Vancouver, Victoria or Ottawa. This national tour is promoting their new CD "Foreign Objects." See http://www.clockedout.org/cds.html

Tour supported by the Sound Travellers Touring Program

The Vampires brings together some of Sydney's finest emerging jazz musicians in a group which has been performing together for the past four years. They give energetic performances of their unique blend of soulful jazz, old-school reggae and South American music, with inspirations ranging from Bob Marley to John Zorn’s Masada,. Featuring compositions by saxophonist Jeremy Rose (2009 Bell Award Winner for Young Australian Jazz Artist of the Year) and trumpeter Nick Garbett, combined with the rhythm team of Alex Boneham (bass) and Alex Masso (drums), their powerful melodic invention and use of surprising grooves distinguishes their group sound. Their first CD South Coasting (Jazzgroove) has been hailed as a fresh sound, and has led them to appear at major festivals around Australia including the 2009 Wangaratta Festival of Jazz, The 2009 Melbourne International Jazz Festival and the 2010 Jazzgroove Futures Festival. Their new CD Chellowdene was launched in March  on Earshift Records (www.earshift.com). The group will be joined for this performance by Melbourne guest Shannon Barnett (trombone), arguably the most appropriate horn player to compliment this group.

Visit www.thevampires.com.au and www.soundtravellers.com.au

“Played with verve, high ability and inspiration, The Vampires have produced another distinguished album.” **** - 4/5 stars –John McBeath, The Australian, 2010

“Were the Vampires a drink they'd be a fizzy one. Not only is there refreshing air around every note, but this air seems to be rising… The sounds and lines of Jeremy Rose and Nick Garbett are ideally matched in their ability to interweave cheerfulness and fragility.” **** - 4/5 stars –John Shand, Sydney Morning Herald, 2010

Tour supported by the Sound Travellers Touring Program

This new Melbourne band evolves around two tenor saxophone players.  Whilst bringing the European and Australian sounds of jazz closer together, Anton Delecca and Remco Keijzer are capable of fitting into virtually any context and bringing a focused intent that can be, in turn, frighteningly powerful and delicately lyrical.  Both players are inspired by the new generation tenor sax players while never losing track of the giants of jazz.  The interplay between Keijzer and Delecca is visceral and palpably energetic.

The rhythm section is an essential part of their wonderful chemistry and will combine Tom Lee on acoustic bass and Hugh Harvey on drums.  All these ingredients make for a highly accessible concoction, as the rather verbose improvisation remains secondary to the groove.  While Delecca is well-known to local audiences, Keijzer lived in Amsterdam until he moved to Melbourne last year after several tours here with the Keijzer/McGuiness Quintet.

Since resigning as Dean of the V.C.A. School of Music a few years ago, respected pianist/composer Tony Gould received an Australia Council Fellowship grant over 2006/7, to compose major cross-genre works and write two books. Also in this new phase of life, Gould returned to leading his own groups, and recording. In this performance he will collaborate in very much an acoustic format with two young talents from the V.C.A., guitarist Ben Eunson and drummer James McLean (together with longtime associate Nick Haywood on acoustic bass). They will perform some of Gould’s originals and some standards.

“Much of Gould’s appeal as a pianist lies in his infallible, sumptous elegance and a touch to die for” - CD Review, Leon Gettler, THE AGE, 21/10/99

Younger pianist Daniel Gassin was a semi-finalist at the Bosendorfer Jazz Solo Piano Competition at the 2007 Montreux Jazz Festival. In 2008 he travelled to Banff, Canada, to participate in the Jazz and Creative Music Workshop headed by Dave Douglas. For this concert he will perform originals from his two trio albums to date, "Roundtrip" (2004) and "Crossover" (2008) with regular collaborators Aaron McCullough (drums) and Sam Zerna (acoustic bass).

“Roundtrip is a cooking album - piano trio music that gets the sort of intense hum going that only the best of 'em do.” - Ken Weir, The Sunday Herald Sun.

“One of the best debuts in recent years, from a brilliant, lyrical young Melbourne pianist-composer.   Sizzling, beautiful stuff.” - Richard Mohr, Readings.

The Brisbane trio, comprising Sean Foran (piano), John Parker (drums) and Pat Marchisella (acoustic bass), are no strangers to Melbourne audiences, but 2010 sees the group really begin to take off. Already they have completed a tour of the UK and South America, collaborative projects with classical group Topology and dance company Expressions and will tour this new album around Australia in September/October. Their latest release “The Gentle War” (on Jazzhead) features their distinctive mix of dense rhythmic interactions and gentle melodic statements. The shape-shifting grooves of “Tailgater” and “Cute” are relentless while the meditative “Blues for the Space” and “Interlude” bring out some truly beautiful melodic statements.  The resulting album is finely focused, intimate, and always daring.

For a free download from the album visit www.misinterprotato.com

“an absorbing performance from a band with an intriguingly original approach to music-making”. - The Vortex London Live Review

"part of the new wave of piano trios, citing influences such as EST, The Necks and Radiohead. Emphasizing an ensemble approach, they are more than comfortable cranking up the volume, generating mesmeric and fluid runs, working in tight with each other". - Review, Wangaratta Jazz Festival - The Age

“Australia's most forward thinking jazz trio” - Timeoff Magazine

"intelligent and sometimes moodily reflective, but always in touch with their jazz origins. Foran's piano style is brimful of ideas applied equally well to ballads and up-tempo pieces" -  4* The Australian

Tour supported by the Sound Travellers Touring Program and Arts Queensland