Post by isaacs on Aug 10, 2006 9:46:22 GMT 10
Media Release August 2006
Brisbane Powerhouse presents
COOL NIGHTS HOT JAZZ
TOKYO JAZZ FESTIVAL ACT PLAYS POWERHOUSE
After playing with Bertie Blackman on a national tour with Bob Evans (Jebediah), Cameron Deyell will switch musical hats to perform with the Japan-Australia Jazz Orchestra (JAJO) at the Powerhouse on Friday 22 September 2006.
Direct from Tokyo Jazz Festival where they will play in a 5000-seat concert hall, JAJO will tour Australia in a venture co-creative director and guitarist Cameron Deyell says is as exciting as performing with rock groups.
“In a way it doesn’t really feel like I’m changing hats; playing with Bertie Blackman is similar to playing with JAJO as there’s the same level of energy, excitement and exploration of new sounds,” Deyell said.
Australian Jazz Artist of the Year Phil Slater features in JAJO, which formed for the 2006 Australia-Japan Year of Exchange and comprises the best jazz talent from Japan and Australia.
JAJO also includes Australian artists Matt Keegan, Cameron Deyell and Simon Barker, who has performed with the likes of Scott Tinkler trio, Elvis Costello and Vince Jones.
Famed Japanese pianist Makoto Kuriya joins Cameron Deyell as co-creative director.
Makoto Kuriya has toured Japan and Europe, performed with the likes of Grammy winning Chuck Mangione and written and produced songs for best selling pop artist, Ken Hirai.
With half the material devised from the Australian section of the orchestra and the other half by the Japanese,
Cameron Deyell says the music celebrates cultural diversity and reflects a sense of place.
“The cross cultural differences are fascinating; the Japanese are meticulous players with perfect technique and could play us under the table any day, while the Australian playing is quirky and more laid back,” Cameron said.
“I think the different approaches stem from environment, and I would say that our Australian style is a result of our sparse landscape and less dense population,” Cameron said.
“It’s truly amazing to be part of a group that produces and explores such varied music including Japanese folk music with the shamisen, which has a beautiful, mysterious and authentically Asian sound – the classic string sound typical of Asian commercials,” he said.
Cameron describes the process of forming and performing despite culture differences.
“Before we toured Japan in March we had no idea what we would sound like and, apart from Matt Keegan who speaks high school Japanese, we don’t speak Japanese, so it was a very interesting partnership,” Cameron said.
“During Japanese concerts we had no idea what Makoto, who likes to engage the audience, was saying; Matt occasionally translated for us and one comment made was ‘the saxophonist looks like Kevin Spacey’,” he said.
Following their Australian tour, which includes Sydney Opera House and Melbourne’s Bennetts Lane, JAJO will to Japan in October to play one more concert celebrating the Japan-Australia Year of Exchange.
JAJO will perform one night only at Cool Nights Hot Jazz, which also features Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra with Florian Ross, Mike Nock Trio and free performances by Megan Washington, James Sherlock, Elana Stone, Mark Isaacs and Kristen Berardi.
ENDS-
Date Fri 22 Sep 2006
Tickets 34/$28, 3-show package $78 + free events
Venue Powerhouse Theatre
Bookings 07 3358 8600 or www.brisbanepowerhouse.org
BIOGRAPHY – JAPAN-AUSTRALIA JAZZ ORCHESTRA
Formed to celebrate 30 years of the Australia-Japan friendship association, the Japan-Australia Jazz Orchestra (JAJO) will take part in the Australia-Japan Year of Exchange 2006. As musical ambassadors, the group is performing in concerts and festivals in both countries including the Shimanami music festival and Motion Blue Yokohama. The group aim to cross linguistic and cultural barriers through the shared language of music.
Australian Artists
Japan-Australia Jazz Orchestra includes Phil Slater (trumpet), Simon Barker (percussion), and Matt Keegan (saxophone), Kuriya Makoto (Musical Producer / Piano) Cameron Deyell (Musical Producer/Guitar)and others.
Cameron Deyell
Cameron Deyell is a New Zealand born guitarist and composer, graduated with first-class honours in Jazz Performance (University of Adelaide, 1998/ Hons. UCLA), led several bands including New Music Congress, Missile and Ends & Means, performed with Big Small Band, Freedivers, The Resurrectors, performed at Livid Festival, Jazz:Now Festival, Half-Bent Winter Music Festival, Boiler Room, Wangaratta Jazz Festival, the Falls Festival and Shanghai International Arts Festival and works with Is Theatre Ltd.
Phil Slater
Phil Slater is a trumpeter and composer based in Sydney. He is the leader or co-leader of several bands including the Phil Slater Quartet and Band of Five Names, performed and recorded with many artists such as Nigel Kennedy, Archie Roach and Mike Nock, been a featured soloist in numerous television, film and theatre productions Wildside, Candy, Three Dollars, Stuff Happens and The Sunshine Club, been a featured artist at many national and international music festivals, and been awarded the 2004 Bell Award for Australian Jazz Artist of the Year.
Simon Barker
Simon Barker has played with John Collins, John Riley, Keith Copeland and Marvin "Smitty" Smith, and Elvis Costello, Ruby Hunter, Paul Grabowsky, Joe Lovano, Ed Schuller and Scott Tinkler. He has performed throughout Australia, Europe, Asia and the US including a 17-city Tran-Siberian concert tour of Russia with the Mark Isaacs trio. He has been a member of Band of Five Names, Showa 44 and Red Fish Blue, and in 2005, developing new music with East Asian musicians, has also collaborated with Won Il, Kim Dae Hwan and formed Daorim, a group featuring pansori singer Bae Il Tong, Korean traditional percussionist Kim Dong Won. Phil Slater, Matt McMahon and Carl Dewhurst, performing at the 2006 Jeonju Sori Festival in Korea and the 2007 Queensland Festival, Australia. Simon also teaches at universities throughout East Asia and in New Zealand. In 2005, Simon travelled throughout Korea to make a documentary exploring Korean Shamanic music.
Japanese Artist
Makoto Kuriya
Born in Kobe, Japan, graduated from West Virginia University with a linguistics major, and later studied and performed with Nathan Davis at the University of Pittsburgh. He spent most of 80's in the States and toured with Grammy winning Chuck Mangione in the late 80's. Back to Japan in 1990, he produced a series of CD's resulting in many awards, and was also much in demand for commercial recording work. In the mid 90', he performed the soundtrack for the platinum winning “Neo Genesis Evangelion” which became a global success.
Since 2001, Kuriya has been writing and producing songs for best selling pop artist, Ken Hirai. In 2002, he completed the movie soundtrack for “Nitaboh” performed by the Warsaw Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2004, Kuriya performed with his own group and with Herbie Hancock at "Tokyo Jazz", the largest jazz festival in Japan, and in Paris for the “International Music Day” organised by UNESCO, with such greats as Billy Cobham, John Faddis ,and Jonny Griffin.
In 2005, the first European tour ended in great success. The year 2006 is scheduled with the second European tour in summer. In 2006, Kuriya will be producing Japan-Australia joint project and will be touring with the mixture unit in both countries.
Brisbane Powerhouse presents
COOL NIGHTS HOT JAZZ
TOKYO JAZZ FESTIVAL ACT PLAYS POWERHOUSE
After playing with Bertie Blackman on a national tour with Bob Evans (Jebediah), Cameron Deyell will switch musical hats to perform with the Japan-Australia Jazz Orchestra (JAJO) at the Powerhouse on Friday 22 September 2006.
Direct from Tokyo Jazz Festival where they will play in a 5000-seat concert hall, JAJO will tour Australia in a venture co-creative director and guitarist Cameron Deyell says is as exciting as performing with rock groups.
“In a way it doesn’t really feel like I’m changing hats; playing with Bertie Blackman is similar to playing with JAJO as there’s the same level of energy, excitement and exploration of new sounds,” Deyell said.
Australian Jazz Artist of the Year Phil Slater features in JAJO, which formed for the 2006 Australia-Japan Year of Exchange and comprises the best jazz talent from Japan and Australia.
JAJO also includes Australian artists Matt Keegan, Cameron Deyell and Simon Barker, who has performed with the likes of Scott Tinkler trio, Elvis Costello and Vince Jones.
Famed Japanese pianist Makoto Kuriya joins Cameron Deyell as co-creative director.
Makoto Kuriya has toured Japan and Europe, performed with the likes of Grammy winning Chuck Mangione and written and produced songs for best selling pop artist, Ken Hirai.
With half the material devised from the Australian section of the orchestra and the other half by the Japanese,
Cameron Deyell says the music celebrates cultural diversity and reflects a sense of place.
“The cross cultural differences are fascinating; the Japanese are meticulous players with perfect technique and could play us under the table any day, while the Australian playing is quirky and more laid back,” Cameron said.
“I think the different approaches stem from environment, and I would say that our Australian style is a result of our sparse landscape and less dense population,” Cameron said.
“It’s truly amazing to be part of a group that produces and explores such varied music including Japanese folk music with the shamisen, which has a beautiful, mysterious and authentically Asian sound – the classic string sound typical of Asian commercials,” he said.
Cameron describes the process of forming and performing despite culture differences.
“Before we toured Japan in March we had no idea what we would sound like and, apart from Matt Keegan who speaks high school Japanese, we don’t speak Japanese, so it was a very interesting partnership,” Cameron said.
“During Japanese concerts we had no idea what Makoto, who likes to engage the audience, was saying; Matt occasionally translated for us and one comment made was ‘the saxophonist looks like Kevin Spacey’,” he said.
Following their Australian tour, which includes Sydney Opera House and Melbourne’s Bennetts Lane, JAJO will to Japan in October to play one more concert celebrating the Japan-Australia Year of Exchange.
JAJO will perform one night only at Cool Nights Hot Jazz, which also features Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra with Florian Ross, Mike Nock Trio and free performances by Megan Washington, James Sherlock, Elana Stone, Mark Isaacs and Kristen Berardi.
ENDS-
Date Fri 22 Sep 2006
Tickets 34/$28, 3-show package $78 + free events
Venue Powerhouse Theatre
Bookings 07 3358 8600 or www.brisbanepowerhouse.org
BIOGRAPHY – JAPAN-AUSTRALIA JAZZ ORCHESTRA
Formed to celebrate 30 years of the Australia-Japan friendship association, the Japan-Australia Jazz Orchestra (JAJO) will take part in the Australia-Japan Year of Exchange 2006. As musical ambassadors, the group is performing in concerts and festivals in both countries including the Shimanami music festival and Motion Blue Yokohama. The group aim to cross linguistic and cultural barriers through the shared language of music.
Australian Artists
Japan-Australia Jazz Orchestra includes Phil Slater (trumpet), Simon Barker (percussion), and Matt Keegan (saxophone), Kuriya Makoto (Musical Producer / Piano) Cameron Deyell (Musical Producer/Guitar)and others.
Cameron Deyell
Cameron Deyell is a New Zealand born guitarist and composer, graduated with first-class honours in Jazz Performance (University of Adelaide, 1998/ Hons. UCLA), led several bands including New Music Congress, Missile and Ends & Means, performed with Big Small Band, Freedivers, The Resurrectors, performed at Livid Festival, Jazz:Now Festival, Half-Bent Winter Music Festival, Boiler Room, Wangaratta Jazz Festival, the Falls Festival and Shanghai International Arts Festival and works with Is Theatre Ltd.
Phil Slater
Phil Slater is a trumpeter and composer based in Sydney. He is the leader or co-leader of several bands including the Phil Slater Quartet and Band of Five Names, performed and recorded with many artists such as Nigel Kennedy, Archie Roach and Mike Nock, been a featured soloist in numerous television, film and theatre productions Wildside, Candy, Three Dollars, Stuff Happens and The Sunshine Club, been a featured artist at many national and international music festivals, and been awarded the 2004 Bell Award for Australian Jazz Artist of the Year.
Simon Barker
Simon Barker has played with John Collins, John Riley, Keith Copeland and Marvin "Smitty" Smith, and Elvis Costello, Ruby Hunter, Paul Grabowsky, Joe Lovano, Ed Schuller and Scott Tinkler. He has performed throughout Australia, Europe, Asia and the US including a 17-city Tran-Siberian concert tour of Russia with the Mark Isaacs trio. He has been a member of Band of Five Names, Showa 44 and Red Fish Blue, and in 2005, developing new music with East Asian musicians, has also collaborated with Won Il, Kim Dae Hwan and formed Daorim, a group featuring pansori singer Bae Il Tong, Korean traditional percussionist Kim Dong Won. Phil Slater, Matt McMahon and Carl Dewhurst, performing at the 2006 Jeonju Sori Festival in Korea and the 2007 Queensland Festival, Australia. Simon also teaches at universities throughout East Asia and in New Zealand. In 2005, Simon travelled throughout Korea to make a documentary exploring Korean Shamanic music.
Japanese Artist
Makoto Kuriya
Born in Kobe, Japan, graduated from West Virginia University with a linguistics major, and later studied and performed with Nathan Davis at the University of Pittsburgh. He spent most of 80's in the States and toured with Grammy winning Chuck Mangione in the late 80's. Back to Japan in 1990, he produced a series of CD's resulting in many awards, and was also much in demand for commercial recording work. In the mid 90', he performed the soundtrack for the platinum winning “Neo Genesis Evangelion” which became a global success.
Since 2001, Kuriya has been writing and producing songs for best selling pop artist, Ken Hirai. In 2002, he completed the movie soundtrack for “Nitaboh” performed by the Warsaw Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2004, Kuriya performed with his own group and with Herbie Hancock at "Tokyo Jazz", the largest jazz festival in Japan, and in Paris for the “International Music Day” organised by UNESCO, with such greats as Billy Cobham, John Faddis ,and Jonny Griffin.
In 2005, the first European tour ended in great success. The year 2006 is scheduled with the second European tour in summer. In 2006, Kuriya will be producing Japan-Australia joint project and will be touring with the mixture unit in both countries.
