CyberHalides Jazz » 2014 » Wangaratta Jazz Festival Day One - 31 Oct 2014

The festival started off with the last ever (or so we're told) extempore launch, which was a bitter-sweet occasion. It was followed by an international headline act that, unlike last year, really was a headline act - Enrico Rava playing with Monash Jazz. The Australian Art Orchestra set featured one of my personal festival highlights - the singing of Ngaiire - in an AAO performance that varied from the brilliant to the inaccessible, but you have to give them points for originality. The various performances of Roger Manins' Hipflask over the festival were very enjoyable and very professional, featuring some fine playing.

 


The launch of Miriam Zolin's Extempore jazz postcards by Gerry Koster

The launch of Geoff Page's "Aficionado - A Jazz Memoir" by John McBeath and a combination of poetry and jazz by Geoff Page and Tom Botting

Enrico Rava with Monash Jazz (Enrico Rava - trumpet; Paul Grabowsky - piano; Rob Burke - sax; Mirko Guerrini - sax; Stephen Magnusson - guitar; Jordan Murray - trombone; Josh Kelly - alto sax; Paul Cornelius - tenor sax; Stephen Byth - tenor sax; Dan Mougerman - piano; Joel Trigg - piano; Josh Manumasa - bass; Hiroki Hoshino - bass; Rob Mercer - drums; Cameron Sexton - drums; Zeke Ruckman - drums)

Roger Manins' Hipflask (Roger Manins - sax & recorder; Stu Hunter - organ; Adam Ponting - piano; Brendan Clarke - bass; Toby Hall - drums)

The Australian Art Orchestra performing "Struttin’ with Some Barbecue" (Peter Knight - trumpet, laptop electronics, and co-direction; Allan Browne - drums; Martin Ng - turntable; Ngaiire - voice; Eugene Ball - trumpet, co-direction; Paul Grabowsky - piano, melodica; Phil Noy - saxophone; Sam Pankhurst - bass; Brett Thompson - guitar, banjo; Tim Jones - tuba; Matthew Horsley - percussion)