Australian Jazz and Groove Podcast

Jack Pantazis is one of the most respected jazz guitarists on the Australian Jazz scene. Pantazis calls Melbourne his home and he has carved out a career as a performer, educator and composer crossing all styles of music.

Pantazis has a rich musical heritage that extends back to before he can remember. He has been a professional musician for over 35 years and as his website says, "Jack is fundamentally a jazz musician whose mastery skills and artistry also cross over into other styles such as…pop, rock, fusion, latin, classical…"

Pantazis has perfomed with ‘The Daryl McKenzie Jazz Orchestra’ (on going member for the past 17 years), ‘The Tim Davies Big Band’, 'The Toshi Clinch Big Band' as well as many other groups in Melbourne. He has also accompanied international artists like Mike Stern (ex-Miles Davis guitarist), American jazz great trombonist Bill Watrous, James Morrison and Marina Prior.

Pantazis has a strong connection to Greece both through family and music and as you will hear is hoping to travel to Greece very soon to perform.

Enjoy the interview folks.

David Galea

Links: https://www.jackpantazis.com/

Bandcamp: https://jackpantazis1.bandcamp.com/

Michelle Nicolle is one of Australia's most respected and recognised Jazz vocalists.
Over the years she has developed her own unique take on classic jazz standards as well as written and recorded many award winner compositions of her own.

Nicolle has worked with some of the greatest musicians on the planet including the great Wynton Marsalis, Kurt Elling and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

Of late she has released her 9th recording entitled ”The Bach Project" and it features her long standing quartet of Ronny Ferella on drums, Tom Lee on Bass and Geoff Hughes on Guitar.

In this Podcast Michelle sits down to talk about how she became a jazz vocalist after initially starting music on the violin. She also discusses the importance of her quartet and the need for her to perform on a regular basis. We also learn how “”The Bach Project” was born.

Enjoy the music folks.

David Galea

Links: https://www.michellenicolle.com/

https://michellenicolle.bandcamp.com/album/the-bach-project

David Dower is a Piano player a composer specialising in original jazz and contemporary music, and has performed widely throughout the UK, Bulgaria, Ireland, France, Malaysia, and Australia. He currently lives in Melbourne and has recently released a new recording that was inspired by his many trips to Bulgaria entitled "Mravka".

David stops by to talk about how he became a Jazz pianist, how he came to have an affinity with the music and the musicians in Bulgaria and also how he was able to compose the latest album and incorporate the language and the instrumentation that is unique to Bulgaria.

We will also hear a track from Melbourne based group "The Senegambian Jazz Band. " This group have been described as “A high-energy musical journey that takes the listener from traditional West African melodies on the kora (which is a 21 string west African instrument) with deep drum rhythms through to modern jazz and funk.”

Then to finish the podcast we will hear from Melbourne singer and composer Michelle Nicolle and a track from her latest recording entitled "The Bach Project" released on Earshift music.

As always folks please show your appreciation for the work of these artists and go and purchase their music either from their web-site or from their Bandcamp page.

Thanks for listening.

warm regards

David Galea

Links:
David Dower:
http://www.daviddowermusic.com/
https://daviddowertrio.bandcamp.com/

The Senegambian Jazz Band: https://thesenegambianjazzband.bandcamp.com/album/the-senegambian-jazz-band

Michelle Nicolle:
https://michellenicolle.bandcamp.com/album/the-bach-project

Kristian Borring is a jazz guitarist from Denmark living in Perth,  he will be talking to us about his new recording entitled “Earth Matter” from his new band “Number Junky’. He will also be talking to us about his recently completed Thesis on understanding odd time metre and how he has been able to understand them on a deeper level. 

We will also hear a new track from melbourne guitarist Fran Swinn, she has a new recording out on Lionshare Records entitled "Old Idea- New Idea." We finish then with tracks from Tamara Murphy and here new trio recording as well as a track from Julien Wilson's new solo saxophone recording entitled "Mutation."

There is so much to dig into in they podcast I hope that you enjoy it, please share this with all that may also love the Jazz.

David Galea

links: Kristian Borring: https://www.kristianborring.com/
Lionshare records: https://lionsharecords.bandcamp.com/
Tamara Murphy: https://tamaramurphy.com/

Dave Cotgreave is  drummer, and educator a composer and now an author. Cotgreave is a major pillar in the Brisbane jazz scene and he also has a new book out called 
"The Practice Pad Book", a book that has already received wide praise with in the drumming community, he will be talking to us about how he developed the concepts in this book and how he helps his students connect rudiments and practice exercises to actually playing music. He will also talk to us about his new duo called "The Seats", made up of himself and Pianist Brett Fowler. 

We will also hear music from Melbourne funk outfit "Cookin on Three Burners"  with a track from their 2014 Release entitled “Blind Bet”. 

To finish the show we will hear from Rafael Karlen and a track from his new recording entitled "Equally True", we then finish with a track from "The Meltdown" featuring Melbourne  soul singer Simon Burke. 

Thanks for listening and please let others know. 

Cheers
David Galea 

Links: 

https://thepracticepadbook.com/
http://theseats.net/
https://cookinon3burners.bandcamp.com/
https://rafaelkarlen.bandcamp.com/
https://themeltdownmusic.bandcamp.com/album/its-a-long-road

Mace Francis is a big band composer that hails from Western Australia, he has a new recording out called "Isolation Emancipation." He will be talking to us about how he got into composing for big band, how his studies with legendary composer Bob Brookmeyer has shaped  him as a composer and how it has guided him as artistic director of  WAYJO,  the Western Australian Jazz Youth Orchestra.

We will also feature a track that  friend to the podcast Elly Hoyt has kindly given us access to,  it is called "Speaking in Code" written by another friend of the show and amazing composer Nat Bartsch. 

 Then to finish the podcast we will hear a new track from my latest recording which is out September the 5th 2022. The recording is called “In the Blood” and the track is “Another Green.”

Please be sure to give us a review on what ever platform you listen in on and please purchase any music that you hear and love on this podcast to support the artist.

Cheers

David Galea

Links:
Mace Francis

Anton Delecca is a jazz saxophonist a composer with a new kicking recording out and he is our special guest on this episode of the A-JaG podcast.

Anton is a native  Melbournian  and has great new recording called "The Offering" out on "Earshift records" which we will hear a few tracks off, he will be talking to us about how that came about and also his time studying in New York. We will also hear a new track off the latest recording from Mike Nock, Hamish Stuart, Jonathan Zwartz and Julian Wilson called “Another Dance,” out on Lionshare Records as well as  a killer groove track from Sydney’s Avgenicos Brothers from their latest recording entitled “Treading Water”.

Please spread the word about the podcast and be sure to give us a positive review on what ever platform you use.
Cheers

David Galea

Contact us: [email protected]

Links:
Anton Delecca
The Avgenicos Brothers
Another Dance: Lionshare Records
davidgaleamusic.com

Tamara Murphy is a Melbourne based Composer and jazz musician, she is also the leader of Spirograph Studies, a group that is comprised of Tamara on Bass, Luke Howard on Piano, Fran Swinn on Guitar and James McLean on drums. They released their latest recording at the Melbourne international Jazz Festival, Tamara stops by to talk about how the band came into existence, what her vision for the band was when they started and how they achieved that vision over time.  

We also hear new Music from composer and conductor Johannes Luebbers, he has a new recording called "Divide and Conquer" that features his Dectet, we then finish with  "The Yugoslav Attack", a Melbourne jazz group run by guitarist James Wiley. 

So enjoy the music folks please get in touch at [email protected] or hit us up on Facebook and please write us a review on what ever platform you use to hear the podcast.

Cheers
David Galea

Links:
tamaramurphy.com
Johannes Luebbers
The Yugoslav Attack

Eugene Ball is a jazz trumpeter, a composer and an educator. 

Ball has played with the best in the business, both here in Australia and on the International stage, he sits down and talks to us about what it is like to run his own band, what he learnt from being  a contributor and a permanent member of the Allan Browne Quintet. He also talks about the importance of not only being a Jazz musician  but also being an educator and the effect that has had on his development.

We also hear music from Sydney band  "Green Thumbs",  they have a new recording we will hear a track from, as well as music from Melbourne based guitarist Matt Hoyne from his 2020 release  "Stories We Tell, Songs We Sing." Then finally a  new track from Melbourne Pianist Luke Howard from his new release " Sanctuary."

There is so much to get from this episode so enjoy the music folks and please let us know what you think on what ever platform you use.
Cheers
David Galea.

Links:
davidgaleamusic.com
Eugene Ball
Green Thumbs
Matt Hoyne
Luke Howard

David Jones is a master drummer,  percussionist, composer and a hell of a nice guy. David has been a monumental force on the world scene when it comes to his musical craft, he has played with some of the most recognised artists around the world and is known both internationally and of course hear in Australia, we talk to him about where it all began and how he discovers new sounds every time that he sits at the drum set. We also talk to him about the importance of kindness on the bandstand and silence as part of the musical experience. 

We will also hear new music from Brisbane composer and pianist Louise Denson, she has a very fine recording out featuring the cream of the Brisbane Jazz scene. A special track from Barney McAll, one of my all time favourite composers and we will finish with a classic track from Jackie Orszacszky and the Grandmasters of Funk. 
  
  There is so much music here so enjoy.
  
  Cheers
  David Galea

Links:
David Jones : https://davidjonesdrums.com
             
BarneyMcAll: https://extracelestialarts.bandcamp.com/album/hearing-the-blood

Mike Nock: https://jazzheadrecords.bandcamp.com/album/meeting-of-the-waters

Louise Denson: https://louisedenson.bandcamp.com/album/nova-nova