magazine - perth 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 Darwin on 17 August and Perth on 21 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 the 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 Perth: The Octagon Theatre, 8pm Thurs 21 August. Bookings: UNI OF WA 08 6488 2440 or BOCS 9484 1133 www.bocsticketing.com.au

EXPLORATIONS JAM SESSIONS

An initiative of JazzWA, 'Explorations' provides a concert platform for Jazz musicians to perform 'off-the-cuff' in untested combinations which challenges the musicians to dig deep and put their ears and imaginations to the test.
Now in its third season The Explorations Jazz Jam Session on Tuesday nights at the Rosemount Hotel, 459 Fitzgerald Street, North Perth, features a different rhythm section each week.
Entry is free with jazz musicians of all persuasions welcome to join in the jam session from 9pm. The general public is also invited of course so feel free to come down and unwind; nestle into a comfortable lounge chair whilst sipping on a glass of wine or boutique beer, relax, and witness the spontaneous artistry of some of Perth's finest jazz musicians.
The Rosemount Hotel serves imaginative, delicious pub meals, focusing on quality and generous servings at a very reasonable price from 5pm until 9pm. There will also be door prize giveaways each week (anything from a bottle of wine, a tapas plate or even a bar card!) and happy hour drink specials from 8pm to 9pm so make it Explorations every Tuesday at The Rosemount Hotel- your mid-week journey into all things Jazz.

PERTH JAZZ SOCIETY GIGS

The Perth Jazz Society's regular Monday night concerts continue from August 4 with the WAAPA Jazz Futures - Annual Fundraiser. Proceeds from this concert raises funds for WA's young jazz lions.
Special Guest from the US, saxophonist Gary Keller from Miami, joins the Troy Roberts Quintet on August 11.
Mat Jodrell is a young jazzman going places; in particular to New York to study at the famed Julliard School in New York, where he takes up his scholarship. Mat will give a series of farewell concerts in and around Perth before heading off. He gives a farewell performance on August 18 performing at the Perth Jazz Society with Tim Jago, Carl Mackey, Andrew Fisenden, Dane Alderson, plus some special guests.
The 11-piece big band The Retrosonics will perform on August 25. The Retrosonics is a new band formed by vocalist Alida Wright, and veteran sax man Roger Garwood, and is a great mix of emerging and established musicians.
The Perth Jazz Society meets at the Charles Hotel, 509 Charles Street, North Perth. All concerts start 8pm.
Visit www.perthjazzsociety.com for more details of club activities.

JAZZ FREMANTLE

Jazz Fremantle in August starts off with Mat Jodrell's farewell benefit concert on Sunday August 3. Mat is heading off stateside to take up a full scholarship at the Julliard School in New York. At this Jazz Fremantle farewell benefit concert he will perform with three groups of friends: Mat, trumpet, Konrad Paszudski, piano, Danny Moss, bass and Danny Susnjar drums, then Mat on piano with Elle Deslandes, Troy Roberts, sax and again the two Dannys, followed by June Smith and the Apple Band with Walter Sinton piano, Mark Early, bass, Mike Perkins, drums, Lew Smith sax/flute, and Mat on trumpet. Tickets for this concert: $15 and $10 members.
The West Australian Youth Jazz Orchestra Big and Swing Bands perform on Sunday 10 August.
A week later on Sunday 17th August, the versatile, youthful quintet The Darling Buds of May will perform with leader Daminic D'Leno on drums.
Hip Mo' Toast with Libby Hammer make a return appearance after their success with Jazz in the City, part of the City of Perth Winter Arts Festival 2008 program.
The August program closes on Sunday 31st August with trumpet/vocalist Adam Hall and the Velvet Playboys.
Jazz Fremantle gigs take place Sundays from 4pm to 7pm at the Navy Club, 64 High Street, Fremantle. Tickets, apart from special events, are: $10 members $13 non-members. For more information: email: jazzfremantle@iinet.net.au
website: www.mediahighway.com.au/jazzfremantle

JAZZ CLUB OF WA PROGRAM

The Jazz Club of WA holds its concerts every Tuesday night at their venue at the Yokine Bowling Club, 10 Wordsworth Avenue, Yokine, from 7.30pm to 10.30pm. There's a great line-up for August, including recalling the big bands of the 40s and Dixieland,
On August 5th the OZ Big Band perform the irresistible sounds of the 30s and 40s. This 17 piece band brings back the golden era of swing with the sounds of Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Count Basie and many others.
The Oz Big Band takes this great ensemble of five saxophones, four trumpets, four trombones and four rhythm section and adds three male and female vocalists (so that makes 20 all up) to provide a sound that has once again become hugely popular.
Dixieland is the thing on August 12th with the Mal Jennings Jazz Ambassadors with Mal Jennings (tpt), Herman Scheidler (tbn), Jim Cook (rds), John Healy (sbs), Ric Alderson (dms), John Atkinson (bjo), Milton Quackenbush (pno).
The third concert in Mat Jodrell's series of farewell concerts takes place Aug 19th with Mat and his Farewell Band.
More Dixieland on Aug 26th with Mike Hallam's Perth Jazz Band with Mike Hallam (tpt), Herman Scheidler (tbn), Ross Nicolson (rds), John Perry (sbs), John Atkinson (bjo), Ric Alderson (dms).
On Sept 2nd Hank Marvin Trio and Heritage Jazz Band will perform. Marvin, who was the lead guitar of the Shadows, Cliff Richards' backing band in the 60s, has turned on to jazz, with some pop, blues and Latin thrown in.
Regular Club Night admission is $9 for members and visitors $12.
For more information: jazzclubofwa@westnet.com.au

Website www.jazzclubofwa.asn.au

WA JAZZ ORGANISATIONS

The Perth Jazz Society have concerts every Monday night, from 8.30pm, at the Charles Hotel, 509 Charles Street, North Perth. For details contact Society President, Eve Arnold, on 9284 8578 Email: eve@perthjazzsociety.com Website: www.perthjazzsociety.com

The Jazz Club of WA have concerts every Tuesday night at the Yokine Bowling Club, 10 Wordsworth Avenue, Yokine. For details and more information contact Robert Martin, on (08) 9284 0410. E-mail: robleonie@git.com.au Website at www.jazzclubofwa.asn.au

Jazz Fremantle have jazz every Sunday afternoon, from 4pm to 7pm, at The Navy Club, 64 High Street, Fremantle. For details and more information contact Club President, Norma Penning, on 9440 0636.

Jazz Co-ordinator for WA, can be contacted at JazzWA by Email: coordinator@jazzwa.com

WA Jazz Guitar Society was formed in 1989 to promote interest in jazz guitar. It meets regularly. For more details phone Ian McGregor on (08)94573067.

NOTE: Jazz Club listing is FREE but JazzScene would appreciate inclusion on Club Newsletter mailing list to keep information up to date. If details are incorrect or incomplete please inform JazzScene 0n (08) 7225 7839. E-mail donbrow@jazzscene.com.au

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