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Watch and Listen to John Cale's Keynote Online
On February 15 underground rock royalty and founding member of the Velvet Underground, John Cale, cut the red ribbon for Modular and Sydney Festival's Circa 1979: Signal to Noise with a Keynote speech at the Seymour Centre.
Hipsters rubbed shoulders with electronic pioneers in a packed out York Theatre as Cale showed off a few snaps and described working with the likes of Lou Reed, Patti Smith, Happy Mondays, The Stooges and LCD Soundsystem before capping things off with a mind blowing rendition of "Heart Break Hotel."
If you missed the speech or want to listen/watch it again, ABC's Big Ideas are streaming it online.
January 28, 2010 at 10:23am in circa 1979: signal to noise
Chinese Gardens
Chamber Music Festival 2010
Musica Viva is pleased to support the Chinese Garden Chamber Music Festival
Following on from the success of the first ever Chinese music festival in Australia in February 2009, the 2010 Chinese Garden Chamber Music Festival will be held:
February 4th to 6th in Sydney’s Chinese Garden of Friendship (Download Brochure)
We are proud to announce that 2010 will feature three of China’s masters of the erhu, pipa and guqin, Xing Lu, Tong Ying and Jin Wei. These extraordinary, virtuosic musicians will join prominent Australian artists in performing Chinese and Australian works, both ancient and modern. You will hear some of the world’s best chamber musicians from both countries in the intimate and magical environment of the Chinese Garden including the Orava String Quartet, Chinese Australian Music Ensemble, cellist Patrick Murphy, percussionists Claire Edwards, Kevin Man and Timothy Constable and The Sydney Chinese Music Ensemble.
There will be six concerts over the three days – three ‘yum cha’ concerts, all beginning at 11.30am, and three evening concerts at 7pm each night. Tickets will also include stimulating pre-talks before evening concerts and an excellent Chinese meal. Wine will be available.
Only 147 tickets are available for each concert and bookings can be made through the Musica Viva box office on 1800 688 482
More information about the festival HERE
John Huie
Artistic Director
"John Huie is an Australian musician and arranger that has spent some considerable time in Hong Kong and China researching various world music styles, including film soundtracks for Golden Harvest and also a commemorative piece for the 1997 handover. Now based in Shanghai, he has put together a crack band of local musicians to recreate many of the 1930’s jazz songs that were the soundtrack to the city in its pre-war heyday. “Shanghai Jazz – Musical Seductions From China’s Age of Decadence” is the sublime result."
"After moving to Shanghai in 2002, he spent three years researching and reproducing the authentic songs and musical style of Shanghai in the 1930s. The albums Shanghai Jazz 1 and Shanghai Jazz 2, were released by EMI. Huie then continued to write for small ensembles using a combination of traditional European and Chinese instruments, which resulted in the release of New Shanghai, also with EMI.During this time he wrote a number of film scores including The White Countess by legendary New York based film duo Merchant Ivory." SOUNDPET
Read the review for last years festival by Peter McGill below
Venue: Chinese Gardens, Darling Harbour, Sydney
Dates: 5, 6, 7, & 8th February, 2009
Producers: Chinese Chamber Music Company | Musica Viva | Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority
February in Sydney is the perfect time to be sitting in the magical setting of the Chinese Gardens, Darling Harbour, and listening to chamber music. This was the inaugural festival which means that we will be treated to this event, hopefully, for many years to come. The music began just before dusk and on a gorgeous summer evening the Chinese Gardens couldn’t have looked more beautiful.
The proceedings began with a ‘Greeting to Country’ and the Festival was opened by the Governor of NSW Professor Marie Bashir AC. The Artistic Director of the Festival was John Z. Huie who is a graduate of the Sydney Conservatorium High School and has studied under Carl Vine. He lived for 15 years in Hong Kong, from 1991, studying the art of Chinese Chamber music. He was commissioned by the Hong Kong government to compose a piece, which he called “The Honourable Retreat”, for the handover from British rule back to China on 30th June, 1997. In 2002 he moved to Shanghai to research the complexities of that city's authentic songs of the 1930’s, later composing an album Shanghai Jazz, produced by EMI, and for which a tribute concert was held recently to honour his contributions. He has also written film scores, choral works, and produced, composed, and performed in various music ensembles.
Chinese instrumentalists performing with traditional instruments were a delightful highlight to the festival and the opening piece was Fang Yu on the ‘guqin’ which is one of the worlds oldest instruments.
The Shanghai Chinese Music Ensemble played a traditional Chinese folk song “Chun Jiang Hua Yue Ye”, (English translation “Night Along The River”) with other traditional instruments and Lulu Liu played a ‘pipa’ solo called “Ospreys Sporting with Water”. In the second half of evening The Chinese Australian Chamber Ensemble with guest artists Professor Wang Zheng Ting (sheng)and Tony Wheeler (zhong ruan) played a traditional Chinese New Year piece. To round out the evening Australian pianist Michael Kierin Harvey performed “Goldfish” by Debussy and “Mephisto Waltz No.1” by Liszt.
Not all the music on offer was instrumental. We were treated to the pentatonic sounds of ‘pingtan’, a traditional Suzhou (Chinese) Opera, which has harmonies in pentatonic scales that align with the ancient instruments of China. Sung in Chinese and a little foreign to the western ear it was accessible because of its use of the pentatonic scale, quite an experience.
The music in this festival is out of the ordinary and the opportunity to experience the worlds’ pre-eminent practitioners playing instruments thousands of years old in their design is exciting and new to Australia. If you missed the Inaugural Chinese Chamber Music Festival put it in your diary for next year. I doubt you will be disappointed.
Peter McGill.
REVIEW
Fri 21 Nov, 10pm
The Gov, Adelaide
MARTHA WAINWRIGHT
Martha Wainwright is a wonderful singer and her down to earth personality is always somewhat droll. She bemoaned that she'd spent the day in Adelaide in bed, and joked about the whole serial-killer thing here... until a local shouted out that we were all "glad to see her", when she got the idea it would be best to move on. That she certainly did, without leaving any strange question hanging of why that sort of a joke she simply requested more beers for the band and got on with the show. It was a windy balmy night in serial killer central, and we were out in force to appreciate the great and spirited Martha.
Her new material mixed in with her old, and her voice as ever captures great depth and emotion. Perhaps some of the melodies she naturally resounds creep over from one song to another, but I think it's that lilt and stream of sounds that ground her, and us in the listening.
I couldn't say I've seen her all by herself before, so I did hanker for moments in the past when I've seen her in concert with brother Rufus and mother Kate, or on stage for Came so far for beauty at the Opera House in 2005. However having said that - she held her own without the need of any support as such, and the support she received from the band was excellent.
I think everyone at The Gov had themselves a great and adorable time in spite of a cold and windy night, Martha shared the great resonance of her warmth and noone went homew without a special glow.
David Jobling
MARTHA WAINWRIGHT IN AUSTRALIA NOVEMBER
I interviewed her brother Rufus when he was over and the two of them were doing the Leonard Cohen Tribute, Came so far.... Make no mistake both siblings are great on stage and I'd say it's because they have both been involved in the music and entertainment industry on account of their show biz folks, since they were kids. This will be a concert not to be missed.
David Jobling
“Martha Wainwright excels at both singing and songwriting, and earns herself a spot among this decade’s foremost performers.” Popmatters.com
“…a grand, glowering gravitas – part Patti Smith, part Leonard Cohen” Uncut Magazine
“…taking music and wringing from it a startling wealth of shiver-inducing moments.” Pitchfork Media
“Wainwright moves amid prettily finger-picked folk-rock and more eccentric arrangements” NY Times
“…her stage presence suggests several things at one time - defiant and strong, yet with an edge of sadness and vulnerability as well.” Spin Magazine
As part of the famous Wainwright/McGarrigle musical dynasty, Martha Wainwright was engulfed in a sea of music from childbirth. But the Brooklyn-based chanteuse has cemented her claim as a bona-fide artist in her own right.
Following the release of her sophomore album, I Know You’re Married But I’ve Got Feelings Too, Martha Wainwright and her full band are returning to Australia in November 2008.
Disbanding her initial career choice as an actor when she realized her priorities lay with songwriting, the Montreal native moved to New York City where her burgeoning singer-songwriter career began. Performing in bars and coffee-houses across the city, her signature raw stage presence blossomed and bloomed into the rousing live performer we see today.
With a constantly changing timbre of depth, Wainwright displays a remarkable polarity between songs of harrowing despair that also show a sense of spontaneity and playfulness. It is this striking mixture of light and shade and her ability to conceptualize, tackle and achieve dynamic arrangements that marry so beautifully with her heartfelt lyrics of remarkable candour and acrimonious humour.
She can, within a single verse, play both angel and demon.
On Wainwrights’s second album, I Know You’re Married But I’ve Got Feelings Too, she is joined by legendary figures including Pete Townsend, The Band’s Garth Hudson, Donald Fagen from Steely Dan, as well as Rufus, mum and aunt Kate and Anna McGarrigle respectively, and cousin Lily Lakin - another rising star of the lineage. Though an impressive lineup, they serve as a backdrop to what is a compelling one-woman show.
Embarking on a European tour with her band in October before heading to Australia, this show is one not to be missed.
AUSTRALIA TOUR DATES – OCTOBER 2008
Wed 12 Nov Enmore Theatre, Sydney
ticketek.com.au 132 849
Thu 13 Nov The Forum, Melbourne
ticketek.com.au 132 849
Sat 15 Nov Meeniyan Hall, Meeniyan
lyrebirdartscouncil.com 03 5664 9239
Tue 18 Nov The Tivoli, Brisbane
ticketek.com.au 132 849
Wed 19 Nov Wrest Point, Hobart
wrestpoint.com.au 1300 795 257
Fri 21 Nov The Gov, Adelaide
thegov.com.au 08 8340 0744
Sat 22 Nov Fly By Night, Fremantle
moshtix.com.au 1300 438 849
Phillip Johnston and the Coolerators
VENUE: Riverside Theatres
DATE: Sunday 4 October at 7.30pm 2008
Parramatta Riverside Theatres
Phillip Johnston is originally from the U.S.A. and now lives in Australia. He is an accomplished saxophonist as well as being an arranger and composer of jazz and contemporary music; he has also composed for a multitude of genres such as silent film, theatre, and dance and been the force behind the ensembles the Microscopic Septet (whose back catalogue was re-released in 2006 by Cuniform Records), Big Trouble, and The Transparent Quartet. He recently collaborated with Hilary Bell, who wrote lyrics, on the silent film soundtrack Faust by F.W. Mumau, and has taught composition at the Steinhardt School of Music at New York University.
Sam Golding on the tuba adds a dynamic bass note that accentuates the swing elements and balances the timbre of the group. His musical interests include Senegalese Mbalax, Cuban Son, Caribbean Steel Pans, Cabaret, Symphony Orchestras, Classical Brass Trios and Classical Hindustani Bansouri, and Reggae. Other groups he has performed with are Jackie Orszaczky’s Budget Orchestra, Chosani Afrique, Monsieur Camembert, Sydney Conservatorium Big Band, Nadya Golski and the 101 Candles Orkestra, The S-Bend, and the Sydney University Orchestra.
jazz and swing with a splattering of funk
that is all class
Peter McGill
Toby Hall's percussion provides an abundant backbone for the quartet. Highly sort after as a drummer he has worked with the cream of Australian jazz musicians, Don Burrows, Paul Grabowsky, Bernie McGann, Phil Slater, and Vince Jones amongst the mix. He has also been engaged by top international artists such as Charles Mingus, Doug Cameron, and Sheila Jordan. Hall’s ability to play intuitive intricate rhythms and time signatures on the backbeat with distinctive and stylish elegance is an exciting feature of the group. His personality on stage also brought a welcome element of humour to the night’s entertainment.
Alister Spence is well known on the Australian jazz circuit with his group the Alister Spence Trio. He is a pianist and composer of renown and has also worked with Don Burrows and Bernie McGann, as well as a diverse range of Australian music luminaries like Ed Kuepper, Archie Roach, Paul Capsis, and Dale Barlow. He co-led the internationally recognised Clarion Fracture Zone and has contributed richly to the Australian recording industry with many of his contributions winning Australian Jazz Album of the Year.
Phillip Johnston and the Coolerators are consummate musical artists, they present a unique style of jazz performance that is relaxed, smooth, and eloquent with phrasing that bursts forth intricate improvisations in jazz and swing with a splattering of funk that is all class - for the uninitiated and jazz aficionados alike a delight to imbibe.
Peter McGill
Band Website
Band Members
Phillip Johnston: alto, soprano saxophones
Alister Spence: organ
Steve Arie: bass
Toby Hall: drums
The Coolerators is a Sydney-based quartet, led by New York expatriate Phillip Johnston, combining the organ-based “groove jazz” style identified with Jimmy Smith, Brother Jack Macduff & Dr. Lonnie Smith with more contemporary and idiosyncratic influences.
The repertoire features originals and reinvented cover tunes. It features some of Sydney’s best-loved jazz musicians: Alister Spence, organ, Steve Arie, bass, and Toby Hall, drums.
September 22nd 2008 04:19
Cassingle is the new CD release from David McCormack. It is something to nibble on whilst you are having a pre-dinner drink. Expect a full album later in 2008. And DON’T PANIC if you have NO IDEA how to create your own cassette from this CD, Jewel Case and (He)artwork – David has kindly supplied all the necessary instructions in the 10 How To Tips supplied. You might need to look up a dictionary under “cassette”. Others will fondly recall their first time recording a record to cassette many years ago
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