The Eastern (NZ)

Newmarket Music is excited to announce that the hardest working folks in showbiz, The Eastern (NZ) will be returning to our shores for a phenomenal round of shows that will also coincide with the Australian launch of their new release Hope & Wire. March 22^nd will see The Eastern kick off their Aussie tour at the beloved Retreat Hotel in Brunswick before heading on to charm the masses at Yackandandah Folk Festival.

With the album concept struggling The Eastern, not ones to do things in halves, go against the grain with Hope & Wire releasing it as  a fifty track, double-disc set. Frontman Adam McGrath says the songs on Hope & Wire are dedicated to the people of Christchurch and the events that have consumed the city over the past year. ”At times it’s sad, other times angry, but the overall theme of these songs is hope.”

The album was recorded in a condemned house in the now red-zoned suburb of Dallington, offered by the Harris family. “They let us use their broken little house to record in before the insurance company knocked it down. We were in the mostly abandoned suburb of Dallington/Avonside for around four months, recording 12 hours a day most days.”

Gritty, optimistic and heartfelt, The Eastern’s Hope & Wire tells a tale like no other. The first track on the release Gone tells of corporate greed and corruption, while Up Spinner tells the nostalgic story of a kiwi man paying his way playing two-up in Australia.

Hope & Wire, The Eastern’s third and most realised record yet, is loaded with stories, heart and harmony as well as the grand barroom philosophising and old time fury the band are known for. The rolling, rambling, shambling, family hoedown atmospheres they project in their live shows have endeared them to the hearts of many, and they play like the mean it, because they do.

The Eastern 2012 Australian Tour Dates

Thursday 22 March 2012 – Retreat Hotel, Brunswick  VIC w/Cherrywood

Friday 23-25 March 2012 – Yackandandah Folk Festival, Yackandandah VIC

Saturday, 7 April – (McNairs) Alexandra Hotel, Alexandra VIC

Sunday 8 April – StLeonard’s Winery, Wahgunyah (Rutherglen) VIC

Monday 9 April Bridge Road Brewery, Beechworth VIC

Friday 13 April – Baha Tacos, Rye VIC

Saturday 14 April – The Old Bar, Fitzroy VIC

Sunday 15 April – Post Office Hotel, Coburg VIC

Friday 20 April – Martians Café, Deans Marsh VIC

Saturday 21 April  – Apollo Bay Music Festival, Apollo Bay VIC

Sunday, 22April – Apollo Bay Music Festival, Apollo Bay VIC

Wednesday 25 April  – TBA

Thursday 26 April – Mojo’s Bar, Hamilton, VIC

Friday, April 27, 2012 – Wheatsheaf Hotel, Thebarton SA

Saturday 28 April – The Exeter, Adelaide SA

Sunday 29 April – La Mar Sunday’s at Glenelg Surf Club, Glenelg  SA

Thursday 3 May  – The Mustang, Northbridge WA

Friday 4 May  – Indie Bar, Scarborough WA w/ Boston & Chevy and Ruby Boots

Saturday 5 May – Clancy’s Fish Pub, Fremantle WA

Sunday 6 May – Clancy’s Fish Pub, Dunsborough WA

Wednesday 9 May  – Ric’s Bar, Brisbane QLD

Thursday 10 May – TBA

Friday 11 May – Valla Beach Tavern, Valla Beach NSW

Saturday 12 May  – TBA

Sunday 13 May – Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland NSW

Thursday 17 May – Camelot Lounge, Marrackville NSW w/Ruby Boots

Friday 18 May – Karuah River of Music Festival, Karuah NSW

Saturday 19 May – Karuah River of Music Festival, Karuah NSW

Sunday 20 May – Karuah River of Music Festival, Karuah NSW

Cameron Earl Quartet - Run Run

“A debut release from the newly formed quartet, the tunes are described as having been refined over six years before the CD was put down and this is not a bad thing as all nine compositions (one by Stella Skinner, the others by Cameron Earl) show every sign of fitting the musicians like a favorite pair of Hush Puppies. The majority of solos are by the leader and the guitarist and all are well bedded by the rhythm section. Ruby’s Tune (for Cameron’s daughter) and You’re a Good Person to Know (by Ms Skinner) are both stunningly attractive melodies. Ouch is self-descriptive and Cam & Conceal displays a Miles Davis influence, while Pimpstagumba brings to mind both Dizzy Gillespie and Fats Navarro. All in all, well worth the six year wait and hopefully the next one is already five years into rehearsal.” – Ron Spain

JazzScene, December 2011/January 2012 Issue

Tim Willis' The End - The End

“Led by guitarist-composer Tim Willis, this young Melbourne quintet offered an unusual, highly original take on jazz-rock. Although employing a heavy beat the band wasn’t drowning in decibels, with alto and tenor sax added to the front line mix of guitar, electric bass and drums on the accomplished jazz-flavoured compositions, solos and arrangements. They played a couple of numbers from their self titled CD released earlier this year and several newer pieces scheduled for their next recording in 2012, including the intriguingly titled Lying On Her Bed Listening to Steve Reich, using a fast, complex rhythm based on a three bar pattern. Frustrating, written during Willis’ sojourn in Paris, moved with a lagging beat under smart, appropriately saggy voicing of the two horns, and allowed a lengthy exhilarating double-time alto solo from Jon Crompton, as well as another from the leader. A quick shuffle introduced Dervish, with drummer Nick Martyn switching to a more driving beat for solos from guitar, alto and John Felstead’s gradually building tenor before the drums took a fast solo punctuated by stabbing ensemble chords. His band presents a uniquely satisfying, high energy blend of jazz and rock ideas without subtracting from either genre.” – John McBeath

The Adelaide Advertiser, 24^th December 2011

The Syncopators - Hook Line & Sinker

“This is the fifteenth recording by the band that was formed in 1984 by Chris Ludowyck as the Society Syncopators and has continued outside society to explore the very best in revivalist jazz in tours around Australia, Europe and the UK. Individually, the personnel have led or contributed to many other bands, but where they really gel is on the wide range of material that they carefully select to feature this band in ensemble and solo performance that Graeme Bell describes as …”easily one of the top jazz groups in Australia”. Other notable and decorated jazzmen, including Don Burrows, Bob Barnard and James Morrison are equally loud in their praise. The range of tunes on this CD includes some infrequently heard classics such as the Razaf/Waller composition Blue Turning Grey and Ferdinand Morton’s Jungle Blues, each of which are reverent to the composers yet fresh in arrangements. There are fun tunes such as Madam Dynamite and Corinne Corrina, three stylish originals by Richard Miller and even a rare ragtime tune. Andy Swann sings Evenin’ and gives us a brief drum tribute to Baby Sid and Peter Gaudion sings in his inimitable style and plays exemplary trumpet solos throughout. The rhythm section are unique in Australian jazz and pin it all down in what is identifiably The Syncopators from track 1 right to the end of track 14. Whether or not you have the other 14 of their CDs this is an essential purchase.” - Ron Spain

JazzScene, November 2011 Issue

Tim Willis' The End - The End

“Tim Willis and his purely instrumental group of musicians have created a rock-influenced jazz album for those with eclectic ears. Fiddeling While Rome Burns is an upbeat simple melody not too intense for the beginner, with some decent instrumental interplay. Repetition, undemanding counterpoint and cute saxophone solos have wound tightly into a common thread of music. Frustrating and Sleep start to unwind the threads to something less secure, allowing the saxophones to wander, followed closely by electric guitar, varying in tempo and design. Dark Cloud has a strong bass line and dabbles in the psychedelic, as does Harry And The Spiders. The latter tracks show greater evidence of influence from rock and even some hints of reggae. On occasion their chosen path seems to shrink rather than take the opportunity to explore, which leaves a slight hollowness overall, but one that’s actually preferable to the overly hectic kind of jazz where you get lost just listening to it.  With its light and colourful tones, this album is to jazz what Pinot Grigio is to wine.” – Bonnie Gardiner

Rave Magazine, 5^th July 2011

James Osborne Jazz Collective - Playtime

“This CD was released in March 2011 at Melbourne’s Paris Cat and is a dream fulfilled for James Osborne who, since arriving here from Canada, has wanted to feature the right bunch of musicians with some of his preferred music from the 1990’s, in origin both from the popular and jazz stables. The Hammond B3 organ is featured to advantage on More Today Than Yesterday, also taking advantage of the tenor and trumpet in brilliant form. The first track, The Organ Grinder is a swinger as is Mr. Cool Breeze, the latter with fine bass from Tom Lee. The ballad How Was I To Know features a sax interpretation to die for, while Simon Mavin puts his distinctive imprint on the boppy Spring Sprung In. The different musicians on all tunes do the music justice and much of it is worthy of instant replay to savour the interpretation while it’s still fresh in the mind. In identifying just a  few of the soloists, the problem is that there is a lot of singularly good stuff on the recording that you probably won’t hear ‘live’ from the collective, so go for it and enjoy.” – Ron Spain

Jazzscene, October 2011 Issue

Adrian Cunningham - Walkabout

“Saxophonist Adrian Cunningham, New York-based since 2008, returned to his home town of Sydney to record this album with his long-term group plus a string quartet led by Phil Hartl. Well known as former saxophonist with Galapagos Duck, Cunningham has won numerous awards and appeared in many global venues. Pianist Bill Risby is a strong member of Cunningham’s quartet and remains part of the Duck. Cunningham is extremely versatile, playing alto and tenor saxes, clarinet and flute with a high level of technique, matched by Risby’s piano plus bassist Dave Pudney and drummer Gordon Rytmeister. The string quartet is used sparingly and most successfully with flute or clarinet, apart from a one-minute Prologue for strings. Other highlights include Cunningham’s soulful alto on Dancing into the Sun (For Bahia) with bluesy echoes of Joe Zawinul’s Mercy, Mercy, Mercy, where Risby excels with fast-flowing piano and Rytmeister’s drum solo erupts into a detonation.” – John McBeath

The Australian, September 3rd 2011

“Jazz drummer and bandleader Allan Browne has been a stalwart of both the Australian and international jazz scenes for half a century. This collection draws from Browne’s entire career and includes traditional New Orleans jazz and some contemporary Australian tracks. A quirky humour ties the album together; from the big band sound of Billy Goat Stomp to the more obviously funny like the brilliantly named He’s Not Much But He’s All He Thinks About.”

4 ½ Stars. Daniel Wilks Music Australia Guide – February 2012 Issue

Collected Works Volume II: Fifty Years Of New Orleans Jazz

Collected Works Volume II: Fifty Years of New Orleans Jazz can be ordered online through our website www.newmarketmusic.com.

Collected Works Volume II is also available through iTunes and in JB Hi Fi stores nationally.

JazzScene, an indepth monthly publication,  gives locals news of jazz gigs, festivals and events, as well as album and concert reviews. It has become somewhat of an authority on local and national jazz scenes.

Last month we were lucky enough to have cheif editor of JazzScene Don Brow review a perennial Newmarket favourite – Mistaken Identity’s 2009, double CD release Live.

This double CD release showcases two versions of the band “Mistaken Identity” recorded 10 years apart with only the brothers Sedergreen as the common thread. The first disc includes compositions by Lennon & McCartney, Sting, Lloyd & Bartz, Hancock & Wonder, plus the Sedergreens and one by
“Tok” Norris. Compositions on the second CD include one by Steve Sedergreen and the other seven by his brother, Mal. Inevitably, the different instrumentation from CD1 to CD2 leads to contrasting music, even if the time difference wasn’t already a factor. But what is evidenced throughout both CDs is the musical empathy that the Sedergreens have with each other and the way their own compositions in particular influence the rest of the musicians. I’ll ride my favourite hobby-horse yet again to add the recommendation that more bands of all jazz persuasions could do well to pick up on the compositions of 1960s popular composers such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. These and several others provide songs that lend themselves well to jazz interpretation and solo invention. Eleanor Rigby on CD1 is a case in point and the unlikely combination of Herbie Hancock and Stevie Wonder underlines the point. With another decade passing since these recordings were packaged, one can only wonder at where the Sedergreen brothers are now positioned. In the meantime, these recordings are well worth investigating.

Visit JazzScene’s website and check out what’s happening in your area! www.jazzscene.com.au

Mistaken Identity – Live, Newmarket Music -NEW 3273.2

CD1 “Avalanche”: Steve Sedergreen -pno; Mal Sedergreen – alt/tnr/sop; Nick Haywood – acc bs; Ted Vining – dms. Recorded Paris Cat, June 2009 (one track recorded at Armstrong Studios, December 2008)

CD2 “Evolution”: Steve Sedergreen – pno; Mal Sedergreen – alt/tnr/sop; Toby Mak – tpt; Matt Clohesy – acc bs; Danny Fisher – dms. Recorded Bennetts Lane, December 1998.

This release can be ordered online through our website, or downloaded through iTunes.

www.newmarketmusic.com