magazine - adelaide edition

MGT OZ TOUR

Internationally acclaimed guitar masters Wolfgang Muthspiel, Slava Grigoryan and Ralph Towner - MGT - will tour all states in Australia from 7 to 21 August, promoting their debut CD 'From a Dream'. The group will give nine performances including SA where guitar fans can catch them at Her Majesty's Theatre on Wednesday 20 August.
Towner, Muthspiel and Grigoryan are acclaimed as three of the world's finest guitarists with career success backing their foray into MGT. In 2005, Australian audiences were first astounded by the debut tour of MGT and are eagerly awaiting their return tour and new CD.
Multi-award winning Towner is the hero of the group, and even with three decades of performance behind him it's obvious that he considers his music is still developing and that the learning process never ends.
He has been quoted as saying that he regards collaborations such as MGT as educational, saying in a recent interview: "It doesn't matter what level of musicianship you are at," he says. "When you're at the top level, there is a lot of discussion. With a group, you have to find a role in the music ... and of course the roles change too. You can be chameleon-like. There's a lot of three-dimensional play. You have to adjust to the other people's concept of rhythm and harmony and the way they negotiate musical space. It's not something you just get down pat straight away. It's constantly changing and that's part of the challenge."
Although much younger Muthspiel and Grigoryan like Towner both began playing instruments at early ages.
Born in Austria Wolfgang Muthspiel started playing the violin at six and began study of the guitar as a teenager. After studying classical and jazz guitar in Austria and the USA, his reputation, even as a youngster, had him replace Pat Metheny in Gary Burton's Band. In following years Muthspiel played with several famous jazz greats Later a collaboration with famous Norwegian jazz singer Rebekka Bakken followed. In 2003 he won the European Jazz Prize.
Born in Kazakhstan in 1976 and raised in Melbourne, Slava Grigoryan, has already performed extensively throughout the world. The youngest ever finalist in the Tokyo International Guitar Competition, he has since performed in concerts and at festivals across Europe. In the United States, he made his New York debut in 1997. Grigoryan has also headlined in a "Great Guitars" tour with the legendary flamenco player Paco Peña and the equally celebrated acoustic guitar stylist Leo Kottke.
With such diversity in ages and backgrounds the outstanding success of group seems contradictory - but there's no generation gap or language barriers here - the shared common bonds of classical training, signs of early talent, plus a passion for expanding and exploring guitar music, whilst maintaining their individual approaches to composition and performance, have created a coherent and harmonious ensemble of individuals.

MGT in Adelaide 8pm Wednesday 20 August, Her Majesty's Theatre.
BOOK at BASS 131 246 www.bass.net.au

BARBARA MORRISON AT THE GOV

Popular demand has brought acclaimed US Jazz and blues vocalist Barbara Morrison back on tour to Australia with her new show Memories of Ella, Sarah & Billie - her salute to female jazz greats: Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and Billie Holliday, which she performs in Adelaide at the Governor Hindmarsh on Sunday 17 August.
Even after 30 years in the business Morrison still has a punishing tour schedule which includes appearing at international jazz blues festivals around the world, including Montreaux, Nice, Pori, and jazz festivals through the US. She recently completed a 33 city tour in the US in a tribute to legendary songwriter and composer Harold Arlen which she has added to her repertoire of tribute shows to Dizzy Gillespie and Benny Golson.
Critics rave about Barbara Morrison's style and vocal range, The Jazz World Magazine said 'Barbara Morrison, has an international following with her big personality and delicious sense of swing (The Jazz World Magazine).'
Barbara Morrison's Memories of Ella, Sarah & Billie tour continues during August to Melbourne and various venues in NSW.
Barbara Morrison at the Governor of Hindmarsh, Port Road, Hindmarsh on Sunday 17 August 2008. Bookings: 8340 0744

SA JAZZ ORGANISATIONS

The Southern Jazz Club Inc. presents the Best of Traditional Jazz every Thursday night with Adelaide’s top jazz bands at the Highway, Anzac Highway, Plympton, from 8pm. Information on club activities and table bookings contact Club President, Shirley Thiele, on 8295 5575. For membership details contact Judy Gardner on 8298 0660.

The Northern Jazz and Swing Club hold their Jazz Dance usually on the last Saturday of each month, from 8pm, at the Enfield RSL, 1 Fitzgerald Ave. (behind Hoffman Motel). Contact Dave/Pam Gallery on 8255 3431 for club information and bookings.

The Jazz Action Society of SA promotes modern and contemporary jazz featuring local, interstate and overseas artists. Rob Davies, Email: davies4@aandr.com.au

The South Coast Stompers Jazz Club. For details jazz organisation contact The Secretary, PO Box 1317, Victor Harbor, SA 5211, Ph 8552 6717.

COMA (Creative Original Music Adelaide), an association committed to presenting and raising the national profile of original music in Adelaide. Concerts on the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month at the Wheatsheaf Hotel, 39 George Street, Thebarton, from 8pm. For more information visit www.coma.net.au

JazzSA Inc. supports jazz activity and performance in SA and presents concerts organised by its Jazz Programmer based on funding received from Arts SA and The Australia Council. For information contact Mike Stewart 8303 4339, email: coordinator@jazzsa.org.au

SA Jazz Archive Inc. collects, preserves and displays SAs jazz memorabilia. Contact Archivist Don Hopgood on 8326 3795 for details. www.adelaide.onau.net/sajazz_archive.htm

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