Hatnohahat - Henderson/Dyne/Cranson

This was the last night out for the Wellington Jazz Cooperative before the Third Eye shut up shop on Sunday night. Hatnohathat - Jeff Henderson, Paul Dyne, and Rick Cranson - made it an evening to remember. Jeff doesn't get down here all too often, so this was a gig I didn't want to miss.

Free interpretations of standards/jazz tunes was the modus operandi. "Bye Ya", "You Don't Know What Love Is", "Impressions", "Blues Connotation", "Friday the 13th", "Holy Family" (Ayler) and "Red Car" (David Murray) were the ones I noted down. I think they opened with a tune of Jeff's. Often the pieces were link by, or emerged from collective free improvisations. At times it was full throttle stuff - Rick being an excellent choice - from the first beat you knew he wasn't messing around. P.D was particularly fleet fingered on this evening. "Relaxed intensity" is what I scribbled in the notebook. Perched on his stood, eyes closed, fingers flying.

Probably my favourite pieces of the evening were "You Don't Know What Love Is" (with Jeff on baritone) and "Blues Connotation". The former being a well placed ballad and the latter serving a reminder that, as much as I enjoy him on baritone and soprano (he has a fantastic soprano tone), Jeff is an alto player through and through. His alto playing has that bubbly, buoyant thing going on, and a singing tone. It swings too. As swinging as any alto player I'm aware of in New Zealand. This side of his playing doesn't always reveal itself, but when it does, it's a real treat. Maybe at times on "Blues" his phrasing reminded me a bit of Ornette, but melodically it was quite different.

At first it seemed like it was going to be a small turn (I was suspecting a case of jazz festival fatigue), but it there was a late turn out and in the end a pretty decent crowd fronted. Hopefully some of the university students were there (I've lost touch with who's at school these days) as it would have provided them with a different perspective on how to approach these tunes.

The only thing I'll mark it down for was the live sound. Seems to be a common theme of late (I'm getting fussy in my old age). Things seemed to settle down by the second set, but the first set was way over-amplified (and loud). Paul's bass tone suffered the most - especially when the dynamic level did drop. I'm not sure why they even used the PA. In that size room Rick and Jeff aren't going to have problems being heard! And it's not like they are battling a noisy room (like at Rogue and Vagabond). Anyway, I won't harp on. I'll survive. It will be interesting to see where the Wellington Jazz Cooperative finds a home in the new year.

Time to Unwind

Okay… this post is way overdue. Like last year, I took a little time off in February to catch Hayden while he was back on tour in support of Saffron, latest release by Unwind.

To kicks things off, I headed up to New Plymouth for the opening gig of the tour. I had pre-gig pint at Shining Peaks (recommended) before walking down to the Fourth Wall Theatre. It's a nice sized venue with pretty decent sound to boot. It’s always nice to hear him in front of the hometown crowd (my third time now) as it adds a different flavour to proceedings. Although it was first gig of the tour, the trio (Julien wasn’t due to join them until Napier) hit their stride pretty quickly.

The night kicked off with “Going Home” and they capped the night off with a medley of “How Great Thou Are/Amazing Grace/Pokarekare Ana”. In between there was "Nearness of You", "Mendoza", "S.T.B", "Morning and Evening Calm", a Serbian song about yellow quinces, and some others from Saffron. 

The quartet tweaked the set list a little to appeal to the (mostly) Whanganui Jazz Club audience at Lucky Bar by including a couple of numbers from Hayden’s big band album, Ace of My Heart - “Rhythm Got Me” and “For Ever More and a Day” (based on Rhythm Changes and Shine on Harvest Moon respectively). Jaco Pastorius’ “Three Views of a Secret” was a surprise addition (they played it in Wellington too).

In Wellington, the quartet appeared at The Third Eye for the Wellington Jazz Cooperative’s fortnightly concert series. There was a solid crowd – but it was not as packed as I was expecting. It seems like it can be hard to draw an audience in Wellington at times (and it seems to have gotten worse while I was living overseas - the creative capital?). I was expecting to see a bunch of saxophonists there - but where were they? (Maybe they had gigs!). I noted the clarity of Paul's bass tone. I have noticed a lot of players end up with heaps of boomy bottom end or a very electric/ampy sound when playing at Third Eye (maybe it's due to the extra volume of the large ensemble gigs... as the couple of examples I can think of where the bass sounded good were trio and quartet gigs). It’s nice to hear the contrast of Unwind with and without drums – Julien brings an energy and adds colours that work really well for me. And he’s an improvisor (and listener), with tunes getting treated quite differently night to night. Sometimes he can be quite busy, yet not get in the way.

Like last year, Hayden played a solo set at St Paul’s Cathedral as part of the TGIF lunchtime concert series. Hayden’s tone in this space is something to behold. It was interesting to hear how the “Well Tempered Shurti Box” is evolving. This time around there was a bit more overtone singing than I recall him doing last year and Pokarekare Ana made an appearance too.

That evening it was off to Raumati South. The house concert is a great setting for this group – Hayden and Norm with vocalist Hannah Griffin. The vibe in the room was fantastic and the trio was on form – the dialogue between Hayden and Norm was on point and Hannah’s singing was as real as I’ve heard. It was great catching up with her after the gig. Hard to put into words really - a beautiful concert, and the highlight from the tour for me.

The following evening Hayden, Norman and Hannah were at Futuna Chapel in Wellington. It’s a great space…. They just need a decent piano! While similar repertoire was used for both evenings, there was definitely a different vibe the previous evening – more formal and more mellow too.

Some of the works feature across the two evenings were: Hinemoana Baker: “Matariki, e”, “I Forget You” (a slow version used for the encore), “Liver”, “Urupā”, “Poi Dances”. One piece Norm announced as being played at “stripper tempo” (it was less raunchy when played in the chapel). Janet Frame: “Before I Get Into Sleep With You” and another I missed the title. David Mitchell: “Aesthetics”. Bill Manhire: “Little Prayers”, “Einstein” and “The Occupation Against Time”. Hone Tuwhare: “Rain” and “Life’s Eternal River”. And probably some others I missed.

I am really keen to hear the quartet plus Hannah (maybe next year) – it sounds like the Auckland gig was a gem. John Fenton wrote a bit about it on his blog.

That weekend I set a personal record for church attendance... three days in a row. On Sunday Hayden was featured with the choir at St Paul’s Cathedral. Sitting through a church service isn’t really my thing…. The things you do for a bit of music!

Following the tour, the quartet went back into the studio so expect another album in the not so distance future… and I hear 2021 tour plans are underway. I’ll have to book some leave.

Blair Latham Quartet at Rogue and Vagabond

Blair Latham (ts/as/b cl) Al Campbell (g) Paul Dyne (b) Thomas Friggens (I think? d)

Due to the regular slot clashing with the vigil for the mosque shooting victims, the gig started early. Although I was in town in time, social media algorithms failed to work in my favor so I was unaware as I followed up a honk in the park with a cup of tea thinking about band ideas. I showed up early for the regular kick-off and they were just about to start the second set. While I expected to hear some original tunes from Blair, instead, I was treated to a set of standards. It was great to hear Blair on alto again - I don’t recall hearing him play alto since he made the switch to tenor many moons ago (I feel he managed to bring some of the buoyancy of the alto across to the tenor). They finished things off with Coltrane’s “Spiritual”, which seemed like an appropriate choice in light of current events. Al’s use of e-bow and various effects could easily have been over done but I think he got the mix just right. I was disappointed to catch only one set but it was enjoyable nonetheless. 

While I was a Rogue, Chris mentioned that Ben van Gelder was playing at LBQ. I knew he had been in town last week with Reinier Baas but I hadn’t realized they were still here. I arrived during the set break and contemplated bailing so I could get the next train home - but I stuck around to catch the second set which featured: Ben Van Gelder (as) Chris Beernik (bass) Myele Manzanza (d) Reinier Baas (g) Brad Kang (g). It was my first chance to hear Brad live - particularly interesting him and Baas (who played one tune) playing on the same set up (shows how much sound is in the hands/feel). It was definitely a “jazz school” crowd - the first I’ve come across since I’ve been back. I don’t get the applauding solos thing, maybe it’s something you learn at school? I used to do it but stopped when I realized I didn’t know why I was doing it. It was a little bit too much on the “epic contemporary jazz” side of things for me, but I’m still glad I didn’t get the early train. 

Unwind on tour

It was time to take an overdue break from work and catch a few of Unwind's gigs as they toured New Zealand.

First stop was the 4^th Wall Theatre in New Plymouth. It meant missing out on Matt Penman in Wellington, but I hadn't heard Hayden since 2012, so I wanted to make the most of him being home (sorry Matt! What are the chances?). It's a nice sized venue and was pretty much at capacity (100 or so). The trio have added a couple of gospel tunes to their repertoire - “Nearer to Thee” and “Precious Lord” - both of which proved to be popular choices. A Serbian folk tune about a son who leaves and never returns seemed like a fitting choice to play (and sing.... as promised to his Serbian friends) to his hometown crowd.

While I was in town I made sure to get to the Govett-Brewsster Gallery/Len Lye Centre. The Group Therapy exhibition featured three of Lye's sculptures, “Rotating Harmonic,” “Zebra” and “Watusi” (I'm pretty sure they said it was the first time since the 60s it had been exhibited). They were also playing “Free Radicals” and “Tusulava.” It's a great space in which to calm your mind. Do check it out. 

Following work on Wednesday, I jumped out to Lucky Bar + Kitchen in Whanganui for round two. There was bit of a different vibe, compared to the more hometown-casual feel of New Plymouth, it was more “gig-like.” The night was bit more high energy, the spiritual pieces got bluesy-er and there was even a little wailing altissimo. I enjoyed the venue - friendly staff and surprisingly decent acoustics (they just need a piano!). A crowd of about 40, not bad for mid-week I guess, tended to stay away from the stage. Paul's “The Last Desperate Hoot”, was a stand out for me. I loved the joyous swing and interaction between P.D and Hayden's weaving lines (Norm laid out, only comping during the head – a recurring pattern for each performance).

I didn't catch the titles of all the new tunes, but I hope “Tumble” (?) makes the new recording. Having heard them debut a number of tunes on this tour I'm keen to hear any that make the next album. One tune I dubbed “Norm's Groove” eventually I discovered was titled “Gabriel.” Norm's “Morning and Evening Calm” to open each concert.

Considering Unwind were touring in support of the release of Orange, they didn't play much from the album - “Miracle” made a regular appearance in the set list. And “Fly” was the only piece from the trio's debut album. But that really didn't bother me, as I enjoyed the chance to hear them working through tunes that will feature on their upcoming album (to be recorded while they were in Christchurch). After four gigs I was starting the new tunes were starting to sink in.

St. Paul's Lutheran Church was the scene on Thursday night in Wellington. I know some people had gigs that night (credit to Jake for making the first set!), but I was expecting a much larger crowd – at least one that was heavy on sax players. We need to work on this! 

For some of the tour Unwind expanded to a quartet with the addition of Julien Dyne on drums. I was really keen to hear how Julien slotted into the group. Particularly on the older material that may not have been written with drums in mind. He had already played a few dates with them earlier in the tour but this was my first chance to hear the new line up. It seemed like the first set he was still coming to terms with the acoustics (there's a reason why Bach didn't have drums in his church band!) but I enjoyed his approach. Unsurprisingly, it did change the fundamental sound of the trio. There was less room for the music to breathe (one of the strengths of the albums). At times he plays the energy that is implied on the trio recordings. Did that space need filling? Sure, Unwind could keep operating as a trio, but the addition of drums definitely brings a new feel to the group. But why change? I guess it may freshen things a little to avoid the third recording being samey. I don't really have a problem with samey... as in stable line-ups working creatively in samey settings (Root 70, Connie Crothers Quartet, Steve Lacy Quintet/Sextet come to mind). But regardless of the reason, the addition of drums has plenty to offer and build on.

One change that did stand out was P.D's approach with the addition of drums. I felt he was more interactive and broke up the time more in the trio setting. This was one of the elements I really enjoyed on the recordings, Unwind and Orange. It came to the fore in Whanganui and on a couple of trio tunes in Raumati. But it was nice hearing him settle into a groove with his son.

One of Norm's strengths is knowing when not to play (a seriously underrated quality!). He can be happy digging the sounds around him without the need to be constantly stabbing at the piano. And when he does play – he means it. It's definitely not a chops-heavy approach, and it suits this group to a tee. 

Friday lunchtime and St. Paul's Cathedral was the setting for a condensed version of “The Well-Tempered Shruti Box.” It's a recording of Hayden's I have listened to a lot, so it was fantastic to hear it live in a acoustic space that really showcased his alto tone to the max. Understated virtuosity – he makes it seem so easy and sound so good, without having to wow people with pyrotechnics. The 35 minutes floated by in no time.

It was great to hear the trio for a couple of nights and then the quartet for a couple of nights. Again, it was very interesting hearing Julien with the group the following evening at the house concert in Raumati South. He's an improviser, as his approach to the same tunes two nights running varied quite a lot - and this time round the acoustics were in his favour. Everything seemed to dovetail together on Friday night – the coziness of New Plymouth, the energy of Whanganui, not having to battle acoustics as they did in Wellington. The crowd (full house) really got into it, and I chatted with a bloke attending his first ever jazz concert and he was blown away.

If they played a better concert than this house concert, and if you managed to catch it, consider yourself extremely fortunate. The walk back to my sister's place was too short to contemplate the mystery and magic I'd heard that night. A great evening.

The week came with mixed emotions – great getting to hear and hang with one of my favourite musicians who I haven't seen in a number of years, but it also was a reminder of times passed, when getting out to four gigs in a week was standard fare, when music was more prominent in my life, and when everyday life was far more fulfilling. Coming down from such such a high isn't easy. In some ways, it served as a stark reminder of just how ordinary parts of my life have become – but I'll try to focus on the positives. During my lessons, Connie Crothers would often talk about momentum. I want to talk this week's energy, move with it and build on it. 

NZ Jazz: Unwind - Orange

Unwind: Orange (Rattle)

Hayden Chisholm (as/shruti box) Norman Meehan (p) Paul Dyne (b)

This month I've been listening to another new release from Rattle. Orange is the follow up to the trio's 2017 debut, Unwind. The added bonus here is the inclusion of a DVD featuring the trio in concert at Orange Studios in Christchurch. 

As was the case when I wrote about Unwind, Orange is quite different from the previous month's featured recording (Antipodes' Good Winter). While both groups have a definite ensemble sound the means in which they attain it are very different. The velvety quality of Hayden's phrasing, Norm's hints of churchiness (without overdoing it) and P.D's counterpoint come together as one to form a distinct trio sound.

The album opens with Norman's “The Chickenfoot Tango” with an alto solo introducing what becomes a duo between Hayden and Paul. One thing I noticed immediately is that the bass sounds a little more “ampy” than on Unwind. Not that it stopped from enjoying Paul's playing. In fact, I really enjoyed the dialogue between P.D and Norm across the album. There's a really thoughtful quality and delicate placement of notes to Paul's work on “Mendoza”. And the collective soloing of piano and bass. 

This conversation playing also stood out on “Grolnick” - particularly Paul's playing during Norm's solo. The trio attain a very rich sound. Warm, and at times, there is a bittersweet element to sneaks in (not only on this tune). I know Norm is a big fan of Don Grolnick's compositions. He's someone I've never really checked out but perhaps it's time I got around to it.

The tracks are fairly short mostly in the 3-4 minute range with three tracks over 6 minutes. It keeps things rolling along which isn't a bad thing with a program heavy on ballads and slower pieces. “Placeholder” and “Ms Mulgan” are well placed to and provide a little lift. The former is upbeat, and while it is quite busy and even dense at times, somehow it remains light. I dig Hayden's phrasing as he opens up the latter unaccompanied. Norm hides his left hand for the entirety of the piece and it makes for a welcome change in color.

The title track is a brief collective improvisation that had me imagining how a set of free improvised music could sound coming from this trio.

The bulk of the tunes come from Norm. Two are by Hayden and the lone tune from Paul is “Miracle.” It fits well into the mix and next time around I'd like to hear them tackle some more of P.D's tunes. At 3.55 Norm hints that things are going to rev up a little and Paul joins him for 10 seconds of walking before the unwind a little more.

The colors Hayden can draw out of his never fails to please my ears. Often it's subtle, but that just draws me in closer and closer. There's an intensity to his attention to detail with tone that really appeals to me. Listening to “Star Shepherd” always had me focusing on his tone. Does this tune showcase something different (tonally) than the other tracks? I don't think so, but I definitely caught myself zoning in on tone here. 

It wasn't immediately apparent what was pulling me in “Star.” But with repeated listens, I realized it was the way the phrases swell and pulsate that caught my ear – music that breathes.

Orange was very much a case of knowing what you're going to get and not being disappointed. I was expecting and unhurried, warm, intimate album featuring lyrical playing, and it checked all those boxes. But Orange is much more than that. Often in jazz, we fall into the trap of being wowed by chops, the fanciness of hip chords, fancy licks, and weird time signatures. But there's something seriously underrated about presenting a melody, taking your time and not having to shout. And that's the wow factor for me that Hayden, Paul and Norm express so well on Orange. Not a bad way to round out what has been a hell of a year.

Unwind are on tour in February (with Julien Dyne added) with details over at Norm's website. See you there!

PS. I love that the watch beep made the final cut. 

2018 NZ Jazz Award Finalists Announced

The finalists for the Recorded Music NZ Best Jazz Artist and APRA Best Jazz Composition have been announced. 

Does anyone know why change Jazz Album of the Year is now Best Jazz Artist? To me they are different things and the award is still based on the album. Anyway....

It's great to see a number of friends in the running. Of the albums, Fearless Music, is the only one I haven't heard, but Unwind has had plenty of airtime since I picked it up last year (and I woke up at 3am this morning with "View of the Moon" floating through my minds ear) and I'm listening to West of the Sun as I write this post. I've been listening to it sporadically since picking it up at the start of the year - Really enjoyable and recommended (I'll get around to blogging about it eventually). I'm a little surprised that Jim Langabeer's Secret Islands didn't make the final three. The composition award is a different matter – I'm not familiar with any of them! However, the works by Callum and Jake were recorded by Radio New Zealand and you can listen to the The Jac & Black String there (part of my plan today). Anita's tune is on her soon to be released album, Eat You Greens – her first as a leader (I think) and I'm looking forward to hearing it. 

Best Jazz Artist 

Lucien Johnson: West of the Sun
Hayden Chisholm/Norman Meehan/Paul Dyne: Unwind
Umar Zakaria: Fearless Music

APRA Best Jazz Composition 
Callum Allardice: "A Gathering"
Anita Schwabe: "Springtide"
Jake Baxendale: "Beyond the Palace"

More details can be found on the APRA/AMCOS website.

NZ Music Month: Sustenance - Food for Thought

Sustenance: Food For Thought (Southbound)
Phil Broadhurst (p) Colin Hemmingsen (ts/ss) Paul Dyne (b) Roger Sellers (d)

I think it's fair to say that Sustenance is essentially the Phil Broadhurst Quartet, but of the quartet, he is the musician with whom I am least familiar. Broadhurst also represents the geographic isolation between scenes that I've mentioned previously - my having only passing familiarity with the NZ jazz world outside of my local (Wellington) scene – an issue that this listening project is addressing. I did tune into his Radio NZ program, “The Art of Jazz,” on a pretty regular basis, maybe that's when I first heard Food for Thought. I remember he played plenty of artists/recordings I hadn't heard before. So I'm well overdue giving him bit of attention. He has numerous albums as a leader and one of the earlier trio outings is in the queue on the shelf.

Colin plays a lot more soprano on this album than I expected. In fact, there's more soprano than tenor, which is surprising as I always think of Colin as a tenor player. As a soprano player myself, I'll take it. There is a lyrical aspect to Colin's playing that not many people talk about. It pops up in many of his solos, even if just for a moment, they make a nice contrast to the more notey line playing and it's these moments that stick out the most to me – the solos on “Harbour” and “Food for Thought” came to mind first but there are examples across the album. Maybe it was all those years playing classical music?

I'm used to hearing Roger in standards/be-bop orientated settings and it's nice hearing him in a more contemporary setting (not that his playing is all that different). Throughout this series I have been (and will be) listening to a fair amount of Frank Gibson Jr. I find Roger's playing more understated but no less swinging or creative. He draws plenty of colors from the kit and one that grabbed my ear was the cymbal sound behind P.D's solo on “Why Me?” - it's the only time he utilizes that sound on the album. Paul is rock solid as usual. One spot that popped out at me was his playing behind Broadhurst on the title track – underpinning the group whilst staying melodically creative.

I don't have that many recordings of P.D and Roger. At first I wasn't sure why, but then I realized that back in the day I heard them play together (and individually) live on such a regular basis that it probably didn't occur to me to pick up recordings. C.L Bob, Jeff Henderson and some others come to mind that I heard live a lot but didn't get their albums (I did get the 1st C.L Bob album but that was before I heard them live). The same is true for Colin, although he wasn't gigging nearly as much, I did hear him play a lot... but do lessons and classes count?

It would be great if the earlier vinyl-only albums got reissued... how about a Sustenance box set?

This week I've enjoyed playing the melodies of “Dilemma” and “Harbour.” Interestingly, after 

working on the latter, I caught myself singing Mike Nock's “Mossaflo” too (recorded on Climbing and Open Door). Also, I listened to 75% of Sustenance on Radio NZ's “Musical Chairs” - Colin, Roger and Paul (even has an excerpt from the pre-bass days with P.D on clarinet!). 

NZ Jazz: Chisholm / Meehan / Dyne - Unwind

I first met Hayden when he toured NZ with Root 70 in 2007 and have been listening to his music since about 2003 (more on that later). Of all my friends I've written about his music the most - and I still feel a bit guarded in doing so. Going back to 1999, Norm and Paul were teachers of mine at jazz school and earlier this year while back in NZ, I got to hear them both - P.D with Jasmine Lovell-Smith, and Norm just happened to be playing a gig at the airport(!) when I was there to head back to the U.S. This series of posts is going to challenge me to write about my friends, teachers and associates more than I have in the past. 

Unwind is quite the contrast to the Space Case discs from last month. Following the initial spin I played word association and scribbled down some words that came to mind: space; warmth; quiet; understated; open; cozy; subtle; intimate; sparingness; dark; unhurried; joy; communicative; and intense.

The three originals from Haden have been explored before in the alto/piano/bass setting. “Fly,” “Inebriate Waltz” and “Tinkerbell's Whim” all appeared on Breve with the latter named “Tinkerbell Swing”) and “Inebriate Waltz” is also on Star Shepherd. One thing I haven't done this month is give some comparative listening to the match-ups of Dyne/Meehan, Penman/Taylor and Kaufmann/Eldn alongside Hayden. Norm contributes seven pieces and “Nick Van Dijk” (Hi Nick!) seemed very familiar to me. I think it's from watching the video of the trio that John Fenton posted on his blog late last year as I don't recall hearing another recording of it. There are some strong melodies here and later in the month I started working on “Free Motian” and “S.T.B.”

It's always interesting what pops out as you listen passively - “Edward” and “Free Motian” were the two melodies that initially drew my ear. And there's phrase from Hayden's improvisation on “Nick Van Dijk” (at 1.54) always seemed on leap out at me and now I catch myself waiting for it. Parts of the melody (the bridge) of “View of the Moon” remind me a little of “Ballad of the Hurting Girl” from Norm's Small Holes In The Silence (also on Rattle).

One of the keys to the album is the nuanced playing and subtleties – Paul's upper register playing during the melody of “Beekeeper,” or the way Norm uses a pedal tone to generate some gentle propulsion during the out head of “Free Motian.” Hayden's Basie-esque riff behind Paul's bass solo on “S.T.B” (a live track to end the album) and Norm's intro to his solo on the same piece. Some of these examples last only a matter of seconds but are vital nonetheless. On a mostly ballad outing such as this, textural variety can make a big difference. The piano/alto duo of “Free Motian,” the brief solo sax opening up “Tinkerbell's Whim” the bass/alto duo on “View of the Moon,” and Hayden's comping behind Paul on “S.T.B” provide enough variety to keep the ears fresh. Oh, and the counter point on the out head of “S.T.B” is a nice touch too (the melody of this tune brought to mind Bernie McGann).

The trio brings some laid-back churchy blues to Hayden's arrangement of Robert Schumann's “Sei Gegrusst Viel Tausendmal.” I'm enjoying the way Paul's interactive lines breath with the soloists.

Following the melody, “Unwind” momentarily features the tangled lines of dueting alto and piano before the bass reenters. This tune has bit of a different vibe to the other pieces – maybe a bit darker or starker (again, a nice bit of variety). But that feeling is more apparent during the melody statements than in the improvisations. It's nice hearing the melody used as a tool for accompaniment. I could hear this tune reimagined as a wilder out-of-tempo free-jazz thing too.

A positive vibe prevails on “Edward” which features communicative collective playing and swell to the accompaniment thats builds throughout the song. 3.28 and 4.20 were another couple of phrases/sound bites that caught my ear.

On the mid-tempo pieces like “Tinkerbell's Whim” and “S.T.B” Norm's lines have a nice singing quality to them. His playing on the latter has some nice twists and turns and use of space/phrasing that I'm digging. Paul's sound really pops on “View of the Moon” and “S.T.B” as he digs in for some walking and he plays some lovely counter melodies on “Beekeeper” and the title track.

Hints of Hayden's Johnny Hodges roots come through in “Inebriate Waltz.” The breath is very much part of Hayden's sound and while some players try to hide air sounds (or it is taught out of them), Hayden embraces it. At the six-minute mark he links two phrases with air – not something I hear people doing.

Unwind, lets you do just that – highly recommended. 

NZ Music Month: Syzygy - Tongue Grooves

For Part 4 of my New Zealand Music Month posts (Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3), I've been revisiting an album I listened to a lot during my time at music school.

Syzygy: creative music ensemble - Tongue Grooves (Yellow Eye)
Jeff Henderson (as) Joe Callwood (g) John Bell (vibes) Paul Dyne (b/e.bass) Chris O’Connor (d)
Recorded in Wellington during 1996, I never managed to hear this group live. But later on I did get to hear the members in various other groups playing around Wellington (particularly from 1999 up until I headed to the U.S in 2004. And again between 2005-2009). This album may be a bit harder to track down than the other three albums I've written about this month. Originally I brought it from Slowboat Records and somewhere along my travels I lost it. But thanks to Gemm, I managed to get another copy from Slowboat.

Tongue Grooves has plenty of variety - the grinding "Pain and Darkness", straight ahead swinging "Nquitpausuckowashawmen",  the comedy of "Saydah's Tongue Groove", the mellow "Breathe Now", the high energy of "The Risk" and the angular "Demented #2" - but there is also continuity that glues the album together into a solid work. 

Mike Nock recordings aside, Tongue Grooves was the NZ jazz album I listened to the most during music school (C.L. Bob (live and recordings) got plenty of airtime too). It was rare that anyone ever mentioned NZ jazz around school (Paul, Chris and Jeff (briefly) taught me at the university, as did John but I don't remember having any classes with him). The curriculum didn't place any emphasis on NZ jazz and I cannot recall playing tunes by Kiwis (although there were a couple of big band charts by Alan Broadbent), nor can I remember our jazz history class spending any time on the NZ scene. I hope this changes.

Listening to Tongue Grooves this month has brought back memories of 1999 and listening in my bedroom overlooking the car park out back of The George. Nostalgia has kicked in and I want to check out more NZ jazz recordings from that time period. I'm sure there are plenty of NZ jazz albums from the 90s that I haven't heard but Tongue Grooves must still rank very highly. Next time I'm home I'll have to hit the used record stores to try and track some of them down.

NZ Music Month: Paul Dyne & Richard Nunns - Hikoi

Part two of the New Zealand Music Month posts. The previous instalment is here.

Richard Nunns & Paul Dyne - Hikoi / Journey (Rattle) 2011

Over the last decade Rattle Records has established itself as the heavy weight jazz record label in New Zealand. Their releases are fairly broad stylistically and include those by veterans, such as the duo here, and younger musicians such as The Jac. With jazz releases from New Zealand it almost seems that unless an album is self-released, it's on Rattle. 

This two disc set is towards the more adventurous end if the Rattle spectrum, and I've been focusing on Hikoi (disc 1), which features seven improvised duos between Richard Nunns (Taonga Puoro - traditional Maori Instruments) and Paul Dyne (bass).

Hikoi clocks in at 36 minutes, with tracks ranging in length from a little over one minute through 12 minutes. The disc is very intimate and the playing is in a conversational style, which I feel is at the heart of any successful duo performance. The nature of Taonga Puoro is the antithesis of pyrotechnic displays of technical wizardry (although there is little doubt Richard is a virtuoso), and as a result, minimalism comes to the fore. The duo embraces space and silence, making it a critical component across the album. Paul mostly employs a pizzicato technique, but he also plays arco at times ("Tongariro - Rangitata") and sparingly uses percussive textures ("Manawatu - Wairau"). The albums is wonderfully recorded and I can't recall hearing Paul sound better (sonically).

Journey (Disc 2) features the sextet of Nunns and Dyne joined by Amy Rempel (p) Tim Hopkins (ts) and Dave Lisik & Jorge Sosa (electronics). Considering how much I enjoy Hikoi, I have not listened to Journey nearly as much - I think I miss the silence of the former. The two discs make an interesting contrast though - the ancient/acoustic Hikoi and the modern/digital Journey. Highly recommended.

If you are interested in hearing more from Richard Nunns playing Taonga Puoro in improv-related works, try these albums: Rangirua (duo with Evan Parker), This Appearing World (trio with Jeff Henderson and Marilyn Crispell - which is an outgrowth of Jeff’s project "Urban Taniwha"),  and Tuhonohono (with Judy Bailey and Steve Garden).