BLUES AND ROOTS WITH DAN CONDON Well we can tell you one thing for sure, hard working American bluesman Eugene ‘Hideaway’ Bridges just loves it down here. He has toured Australia countless times over the past few years and anyone who has keenly followed his performances when he’s been here will happily attest to the fact that he really does keep getting better and better each time he’s out here. He quietly popped back down to Australia last week and has one show left around these parts before he heads over to Western Australia for a while. You can catch him doing what he does best at Lizotte’s in Dee Why on Friday night. Speaking of the latest in the Lizotte’s group of venues, they’ve announced a killer New Year’s Eve party this year that will feature the Ray Beadle Band kicking out the jams. It’s always a treat to see Beadle and his team tear up the stage and we imagine it will be even better on the biggest night of the year. You’d want to book yourself a spot quickly though; get in touch with the venue to secure your spot. The Woodford Folk Festival is almost upon us once again, which is a pretty scary thought, and the team behind the festival have been hard at work assembling what would have to be close to if not the finest bill they’ve ever had on offer. They’ve really pulled out all the stops for their 25th Anniversary, offering up another diverse selection of blues, roots, folk and beyond. A few of the international guests include The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker, Katzenjammer, Baskery, Daara J Family, Tom Fun Orchestra, Jill
announcement of the first series of bands this year. He has taken to the festival’s online forum to discuss the basic mechanics of festival programming including admitting to ‘overbooking’ the line up in anticipation of cancellations and states that he already has a handful of major confirmations for artists playing Bluesfest 2012. It’s a refreshing, personable approach and a good read. The most exciting news to come out of the Bluesfest camp right now though is word that the first announcement will drop on Wednesday. Rest assured you’ll read plenty about it in these here pages next week. For now, you can read an extract of his to the side of this column.
REVEREND HORTON HEAT Barber, Dan Mangan, Matthew Barber. Passenger, Mani Neumeier with Etsuko Watanabe and That 1 Guy while Aussie acts like The Cat Empire, Kate Miller-Heidke, Katie Noonan & The Captains, Blue King Brown, Archie Roach, Mama Kin, Jeff Lang, Lior, Dubmarine, Marshall & The Fro, Cumbia Cosmonauts, The Barons Of Tang, Basement Birds, The Break and You Am I are also on board. As per usual it hits Woodfordia from Monday 27 December through to Saturday 1 January. Peter Noble, director of the Byron Bay Bluesfest, has decided to keep a fair amount of transparency to the loyal fans of the festival with regards to the
We announced a couple of weeks ago that Reverend Horton Heat would be making their way out to Australia for the first time in far too long at the end of the year and here’s an extra little bonus for fans of the band. To coincide with the tour, the Reverend is releasing two limited edition Australian tour wines! The Rockin’ Red Shiraz and Rene Pogel Chardonnay are available from the Rev’s Australian tour website now as a twin pack and the wines also come with a free tour poster. It’ll cost you $45.95 plus $12 in postage which, if the wines are any good, is fairly decent value! Supports for the show that hits The Metro Theatre on Saturday 11 December have now been announced, The Snowdroppers, La Mancha Negra, Holly J’aDoll and Black Cherry DJs picking up those much coveted slots. rootsdown@drummedia.com.au
BLUESFEST BUILD-UP Posting on the Bluesfest forum – as mentioned in this week’s RootsDown – here’s an extract of what Festival Director Peter Noble had to say on the lead up to the announcement. “We always say the best Bluesfest is the one you never get to see – as we approach more artists than we expect to present in order to avoid not having all the major artists slots filled – a little like airlines over booking seats expecting no shows I guess. I can say that this year – so far – none of our headliners who we have made offers to have cancelled to date – and we are on countdown. Of course, should it occur that all the headliners confirm who we have approached – you will be the beneficiary – and we will need to look at our budgets and ticket prices really closely in order to get the $$ numbers we need, so we stay in business. So hint, hint – if you see the ticket prices go up a little more than expected after the Earlybirds go off sale – you know we have the bill from hell to present – and, we gotta pay ALL the artists who want to come and play their fees and present them at their production values. So if ticket prices go up even more, this may occur after the first announcement, or even the second announcement, as I previously said there’s no master plan. However as an analogy, if Jesus Christ, Mohammed and Buddha all want to pray in our church or temple at the same time – we are gonna find a way to fit them in.”
JAZZ/WORLD WITH MICHAEL SMITH TUESDAY
featuring Toni Allayialis on vocals present the evening’s entertainment.
Topeka, Kansas born and bred, acoustic instrumental guitarist Andy McKee plays The Basement Circular Quay.
The stage will be a bit squeezy down at Eastside Arts with the 27-piece Sydney Balalaika Orchestra presenting an evening of Russian folkloric music and more.
Tonight’s Jazzgroove program at 505 features Melbourne’s double bass-led Leigh Barker & The New Sheiks and the tenor sax-plus-led Mike Rivett Quintet.
SATURDAY
WEDNESDAY Guitarist Carl Morgan and his quartet showcase material from his forthcoming debut album at 505. Mixing blues, jazz and girl-group nostalgia, Ava Torch & The Boybirds take the Vanguard stage tonight with guests Martyn Badoui and Johnny Balance. The John Redmond Trio plays the Manhattan Lounge.
THURSDAY Guitarist Roger Lock’s fusion project Roger Vs The Man sees him performing his material with some of Sydney’s finest jazz musicians alongside Taikoz drummers at The Basement, Circular Quay. Bass player Steve Foxe makes his Colbourne Ave in Glebe debut tonight with his quartet. Fresh from their latest European tour, My Sauce Good bring their mix of French swing and Latin folk song to the Sound Lounge. Led by multi-instrumentalist Oscar Marin, Sonido de los Andes are tonight’s Latin contribution to 505.
Travellers heading up the coast, there’s jazz to be had today and tomorrow as the Nelson Bay foreshore hosts the annual Tastes At The Bay Festival in Port Stephen.
DALE BARLOW FRIDAY The guitar-led Chris Alexander Trio plays Rydges Hotel in Campbelltown from 5.30pm. The Rocks Markets By Moonlight sees the gypsy sounds of Lola Lovina share the evening with Idea Idea in the Square, free from 6pm. The Jeff Duff Band takes to the Park Hyatt stage. Powerhouse saxophonist and composer Dale Barlow returns to the Sound Lounge with his quartet. Guitarist Aaron Flower takes his quintet, BAZ, down to 505.
Led by trumpeter and composer Miroslav Bukovsky takes the ARIA Award-winning world-jazz combo Wanderlust into the Sound Lounge.
SUNDAY Singer/keyboards player Yuki Kumagai and double bassist John Mackie play the Oatley Hotel from 2pm. Casula Powerhouse hosts an afternoon of traditional Kurdish, Persian, Azerbaijani and Arabic music with The Avesta Kurdish Band, from 2pm. The venerable pianist and composer Mike Nock takes his trio, featuring Phil Stack on double bass, into Berkelouw Wine Bar for the afternoon.
By popular demand Baby Et Lulu a.k.a. Abby Dobson and Lara Goodridge return to The Vanguard to present another evening of chansons d’amour.
West Head Project V, featuring Jim Denley on wind instruments, accordionist Monika Brooks, double bassist Sam Pettigrew and members of Ensemble Offspring, takes over Middle Head’s National Park from 4pm.
Down at Berkelouw Wine Bar in Leichhardt, Amada,
blow@drummedia.com.au
KURT ELLING
CHANNEL COLTRANE Chicago born and based singer Kurt Elling comes to Sydney Opera House’s Concert Hall Tuesday evening to present his re-envisioning of one of the great jazz albums, John Coltrane And Johnny Hartman, accompanied as always by his longtime collaborator, pianist and arranger Laurence Hobgood and his trio, as presented on his latest and live Concord Jazz album, Dedicated To You: Kurt Elling Sings The Music Of Coltrane And Hartman. Tonight, Bob Sheppard will be on sax and flute taking up the challenge of filling the late legendary Coltrane’s shoes. “I’m always happy to come down to Australia,” Elling admitted to Blow. “I feel that we have a lot of friends there and I feel like Australians, the ones that we’ve encountered, really understand what we’re going for and that jazz is a living and breathing thing and it’s there to provide excitement and emotional rapture, contentment and challenge. Of all the places we go in the world, I think Australia really has some of the most naturally appropriate responses to what jazz really is. “We’ve recorded a new studio record titled The Gate and it’ll be available at least in the States in February and we’ll be performing a number of things from that recording in addition to things from Dedicated To You when we play the Opera House.”
SEIZE THE DAY ROCKABILLY/PSYCHOBILLY/ALT.COUNTRY WITH PEDRO MANOY TUESDAY
SATURDAY
Celebrate Cup day with the Flamin’ Beauties from 4pm at the Royal Hotel in Springwood.
The Melodies play their regular monthly show at the iconic Town & Country Hotel with a 3pm start followed by Dave Tice & Mark Evans at the Sandringham from 4pm. There’s a rare reunion of the legendary Captain Matchbox Whoopie Band at the Cat & Fiddle with an all star band built around Matchbox originals Mic and Jim Conway playing all the Whoopie band favourites. The Ray Beadle Band have a great night scheduled for the Brass Monkey. The Lansdowne Hotel is home to Los Skeletone Blues, the Alter Ego Blues Band and Fiasco Burning whilst Terry Batu hits Pritchards Hotel. The Flamin’ Beauties have a 9pm start at the Royal Hotel in Springwood.
WEDNESDAY Hat Fitz & Cara Robinson play the historic Old Fitzroy Hotel whilst fellow Queenslander 8-Ball Aitken is joined by Mark Easton at the Brass Monkey. The Musos Club Jam Night is the place to be for all hardcore blues fans at The Wall.
THURSDAY 8-Ball Aitken and Mark Easton move to Notes and Hat Fitz & Cara Robinson travel to the Brass Monkey. The Steve Edmonds Band play the Empire Hotel from 7pm and Ross Ward does his regular solo show at GJ’s Coffee Lounge. The Musos Club Jam Night moves to the Carousel Inn and Claude Hay flies solo at the Sandringham Hotel. At Carlita’s Café Restaurant you’ll find Isaiah B Brunt and at the National Press Club it’s Melbourne’s Lloyd Spiegel.
FRIDAY The big man of blues and soul from Texas, Eugene ‘Hideaway’ Bridges plays the Sydney home of Lizotte’s in Dee Why whilst Hat Fitz & Cara Robinson move to Lizotte’s on the Central Coast. The Flamin’ Beauties play the Crown Hotel and the John Leigh Calder Trio are regulars at the Hotel Clarendon. Lloyd Spiegel continues his NSW tour at Club Sapphire in Merimbula. Ross Ward is solo at the Pyrmont Bridge Hotel as
SUNDAY
HAT FITZ & CARA ROBINSON is Terry Batu at Oasis in Campsie. The Last Waltz Revival Show has been a great success with shows all over the Sydney environs and comes to town with a big night at Notes featuring Darren Jack and an all star cast. The Sandringham Hotel is home to the Maximum Ska One Nighter featuring Chris Murray from the USA, The Ska Masters from the UK plus Australia’s own Backy Skank, Loonee Tunes and Hightimes.
The Alter Ego Blues Band play the Akuna Bay Marina from midday whilst BluesAngels are at Randall’s On The Beach at Killcare from 12.30pm. Jeannie Lushes & The Blues Boys swing the Towradgi Beach Hotel from 2pm and Hat Fitz & Cara Robinson rock the Beaches Hotel. Lloyd Spiegel is at the Seaview Tavern in Woolgoolga from 4pm. Finn get bluesy at the Sandringham Hotel from 4pm and the Little Blues Festival featuring the Rollercoaster Blues Band takes over the Toukley Golf Club from 5pm. 8-Ball Aitken wraps up his southern sojourn at Lizotte’s Newcastle and Pugsley Buzzard weaves his keyboard magic at the Pyrmont Bridge Hotel. swampshack@drummedia.com.au
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With the perhaps not-so-surprise success of her new, Doris Day-tribute, album Melinda Does Doris, we caught up with Melinda Schneider before her show at The Basement Circular Quay Wednesday 10 November.
When you were making Melinda Does Doris how did you think the album would be received? “I hoped it would be well received. You really can never tell when you release an album, but I had a funny feeling people were ready for an album of great songs by Doris day. I’ve had this idea for several years and the timing just felt right.” For your upcoming tour, how many tracks will be from this new album and how many from the back catalogue? “My show at The Basement in Sydney will be a music preview of the album plus a few more of my favourite Doris songs. We’ll also throw in a few of my songs as well. The other shows I’m doing in South Australia and Victoria are more of a mix of the two.” Do you channel Doris on stage, or is it very much Melinda’s reinterpretations? “I’ve been told I do channel Doris on stage, but it’s more through my personality. I sing these songs in my own way, it’s certainly not an impersonation. There’s only one Doris!” Is there anyone else you’d like to take on in the future? “My next album will be an original record, but there are a few singers I really love, Nancy Wilson (the jazz singer, not the one from Heart, although she’s good too) I don’t know… it’s a long career, who knows what I’ll do in the future!” THE DRUM MEDIA 2 NOVEMBER 2010 • 65 •