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James Loughnan
Paul Derricott
Tim Clarkson
Aaron Flower
Eamon Dilworth
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James Loughnan is one half of Jazzgroove's new Artistic Direction team. Keep an eye out for their debut program kicking off in November 2010.
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Metallica - And Justice For All
The first album I ever bought, so I figured I should put it in. Listened to it quite religiously as an angsty teen. Great songs. YouTube. |
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Blaine Whittaker - Hard Bop Café
This was the first jazz album I ever owned. I bought it when Blaine came to my high school with Galapagos Duck- I think I was in year 10? I was taken by Blaine’s killer sound and ball-tearing bebop lines, and I think, for the first time, thought seriously about playing the saxophone. It’s still one of the albums I give students to get them into jazz. Blaine's website. YouTube. |
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Dexter Gordon – Our Man in Paris
My first big-time jazz love and influence. I could have put any one of a bunch of albums of on here, but this was the first one I owned and the one I’ve listened to the most. Full of joy, soul and humour- the musical equivalent of a big warm hug. Oh, and SWING. YouTube. |
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Matt Keegan Trio - Moving Sea Between
I saw this band on one of my first adventures to Jazzgroove at the Excelsior Hotel, fell in love, and immediately bought the CD. Definitely one of the most distinctive Australian Jazz ensembles, to my ears anyway. Three strong musical voices, one amazing band sound. I would count all three of these dudes separately as influences of mine, musically and personally. YouTube |
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Sonny Rollins – Live at the Village Vanguard
One of my most frequent loans from the Con library. Like Dex, could have been any one of a bunch of Sonny albums. Just endless invention and relentless vibe. Sonny's website. YouTube |
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Bill McHenry – Roses
Credit to Abel Cross for introducing me to this chap. His sound is at once pure and dirty, his compositions are beautiful and never clichéd, and the band plays their cracks off. Bill's website. YouTube |
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Chris Speed – Emit
Had awful trouble deciding between this one and ‘Deviantics’. Dan Rorke introduced me to this chap. For me it’s just as much about Jim Black here as it is about Chris. Probably my favourite drummer. Chris Speed is one of my biggest compositional influences. Chris' website. YouTube |
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D'Angelo – Voodoo
This album is sex. YouTube |
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Phil Slater Quartet- The Thousands
Fllluuppph. That’s the sound of my brain inverting when I heard this band live for the first time. Luckily it was during a loud bit, or it might’ve disturbed some of the patrons. If I wasn’t trying to show a spread of influences, Band of Five Names, Showa 44, Strobe Coma Virgo and Daorum would be here too. These musicians would be superstars anywhere. We’re lucky they’re still here. YouTube. Phil's website. iTunes. |
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The Roots - do you want more?!!!??!
The first hip hop album I ever owned (wait… no… I bought an Eminem album when I was 15), and still probably my favourite. Raw and live, Black Thought’s phrasing is killing, and ?uestlove, well… YouTube. Roots website. |
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 Paul Derricott Paul’s passion is improvised thematic music. Paul has established himself as a member of the The Denominators Uncle Jed, Miss Donne, MG and The Frauds, New School Collective (Cairns), The Mark Lewis Quartet and The Matt Crane quartet. Paul has also worked with Carl Dewhurst, Brendan Clarke Dave Panichi, Nick Bowd, Sean Wayland, James Muller, Dave Theak, Chuck Yates, Jane Irving, Dale Barlow, Warwick Alder, Don Rader and as the leader of Arrow.
Paul has also dabbled in post rock with Sydney based band Zephyrs Dog and has also got some serious studio time under his belt working with many emerging pop acts. Paul has just returned from a brief stint in the UK where he toured Europe with Aronas, performed at the London Jazz Festival with The London Jazz Collective and also was a guest artist with the Oxford University Big Band on their tour to the North Sea Jazz festival. Arrow launched Big Sea in August. |
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Nirvana - Unplugged in New York
Beautiful record! Cobain is delicate and raw. This got me listening more and more to this band another favourite of their catalogue is In Utero. Angst, rage, rage! Amazon YouTube |
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Miles Davis - Water Babies
Pretty tough to go past this one Tony bad arse great tunes. iTunes
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Flux Compendium - Anthony Pateras Robbin Fox
I caught these guys a few years ago at the Now Now festival which at the time was happening in Newtown I bought this album after the show and it blew me away. iTunes |
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Sean Wayland - Lurline
Sean is such a talent, all of his albums are great but this one was my first. This is a really important jazz record from a really important artist great rhythm section great sound. Yeah! |
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Tool - Aenima
This epic album came out in 1996 when I was in year 9 at high school I had a tape of it and used to listen to it no stop, great production great songs, great playing. I saw them on this tour and it changed my life. I have not been into there later stuff as much it all kinda sounds like this album again. |
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Billy Joel - The Stranger
I grew up listening to Billy Joel and and this is one of his best albums, great songs 52nd st is another rad record |
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Bill Evans - Everybody Digs Bill Evans
I transcribed some stuff from this album and just fell in love with Bills playing so logical and swinging. Philly Joe and Sam Jones what a band! |
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Matt Penman - Catch of the Day
Another great antipodean jazz artist, Great album Aaron Parkes is killing as is Eric Harlan. |
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Police - Regatta De Blanc
All the police stuff is great Sting is a bit of a wanker but still a great band, I really dig the live double disc of these guys too. Copeland is a mofo |
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 Tim Clarkson began playing jazz at age 15 in rural Queensland. Since moving to Sydney in 1998, he has appeared with a diverse array of performers in Australia. Tim recently followed up his Masters Degree research at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music on saxophonist Mark Turner by studying with him for 3 months in New York. The Tim Clarkson Trio launch CRAB with special guests - Matt McMahon and Phil Slater Duo on Tuesday 25th May at 505
Kurt Rosenwinkel Group - The Remedy
Mark Turner and Kurt Rosenwinkel - Two of the most original minds in modern jazz. This live double album recorded at the Village Vanguard captures many of the directions I aspire to in my own writing and improvisation. Mark Turner on tenor saxophone is my current hero on the instrument, and hearing him in full flight in live performance is a heart-rending experience. His solo on "A Life Unfolds" is possibly the most gut-wrenchingly beautiful thing I have ever heard. The phrase that comes to mind is "singularly focussed".
Jigzag - In The Middle
A must-listen Australian folk band - one of the best and very dear friends. This album (and all their others) is one that has reached the depths of my soul in the darkest of times, and uplifted me at the best. Beautiful melodies, original writing, it travels with me wherever in the world I am. An amazing balance of gorgeous lyrics, intelligent musicianship and more heartfelt soul than New Orleans style BBQ ribs. Laugh and cry - the best combination.
Barney Mcall - Flashback
Barney's compositional sense and playing I can only descibe as "epically beautiful". This album featuring Kurt Rosenwinkel and their performances at the 2007 Wangaratta Jazz Festival was the beginning of a number of things in my life, musically and personally. Every note Barney plays makes my heart ache. Immense gratitude to Barney both for recording with me in February in NYC and for contributing three lush and intensely beautiful compositions to the session.
David Binney - South
My original proposal for my masters thesis was a study of the compositions and improvisation of David Binney. A huge influence on my compositions over the last 3 years, one of the most unique minds and virtuosic improvisers in modern jazz. He explores much cellular development and can span from standards to complex intellectual material and pop-like melodies seamlessly - the consumate musician.The lineup on this album is stellar with Chris Potter and Uri Caine. I think I saw him play 15 times during my recent trip to New York to study with Mark Turner, and Binney's drummer Dan Weiss (now there's another topic!) was kind enough to record with me in NYC - a monstrous inspiration.
Huun Hur Tu and The Angelite Choir - Fly Fly My Sadness
An astounding colaboration between two of my favourite forms of music - Tuvan throat singing and the crunchiness of Bulgarian folk song. I have been a fan of Huun Hur Tu since their haunting first international release - "60 Horses In My Herd". Beautifully crafted, this is the raw beauty of music.
Coleman Hawkins - The High and Mighty Hawk
My first Coleman Hawkins record. His version of My One and Only Love on this album is my favourite to this day. The whole album swings hard but with a grace, elegance and romanticism of the highest calibre, especially Buck Clayton. Hank Jones is playing at his finest on this record, and I used to listen to it every day after school, wondering how they managed to be so beautiful and spontaneous all at the same time. One of my inspirations to play jazz.
Dave Matthews Band - Crash
The epitome of heartfelt, exposed, but mature and measured songwriting. This album has meant a lot to me and helped me to experience life fully and undiluted through some of the toughest times. Plus it grooves at a level previously unknown to man. It also reminds me about simplicity, and that music doesn't have to be complicated to move forwards, or to mean something.
Benoit Delbeq Unit - Phonetics
A recent release and recent discovery that Paul Grabovsky turned me onto when we crossed paths in New York. Delbeq's etherial melodies and sense of form and open space are perfect to feature Mark Turner doing what he does best. Other-worldly, somewhere inbetween free jazz, middle eastern marketplace, New York jazz club and outerspace, this bent my mind when I heard it. Truly beautiful and a groundbreaking example of being 'in the moment'.
John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman - John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman
Ah, but which John Coltrane album to pick?! I think what gets me about this album is the attention to sound. As a horn player I spend a lot of time thinking just about the sound of the instrument, and I feel like everyone on this record is really coaxing their sound with love and passion. Of all the amazing Coltrane albums, this is the one that makes me cry, especially him beside the deep, lush tones of Johnny Hartman's voice.
Charlie Parker - Charlie Parker with Strings
It's hard to play jazz, especially as a sax player, without being influenced by Charlie Parker. I feel this has stood the test of time as Bird's masterpiece - in full flight and in fine form. The dexterity and ease with which Bird dives in, out and around the harmony still blows my mind; his time, his vision and purpose in every note. An early inspiration for getting better at playing the instrument. I don't know if it's possible to wear out a CD, but I'm trying....
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 Aaron Flower, our April feature artist, and latest creative mind to release a recorded album under the Jazzgroove banner gives you an insight into his muse, and his iPod, with this, our latest selecta.
Aaron's band BAZ release the album Lady from Toulouse on Jazzgroove Records on April 28th at The Basement.
Bill Frisell – Gone Just Like A Train
This album was my introduction to Bill Frisell’s music. I love the space in the music and the mood of it all. He plays so little but the music sounds so big.
It was also my introduction to the other players in the band (Jim Keltner and Victor Krauss) who I’ve become a big fan of.
AC/DC – Highway To Hell
When I was a kid this album was all I listened to for years, I wasn’t even interested in hearing anything else. I don’t think any rock bands can top this album.
Joe Pass – Virtuoso 1
Most of what I know about playing jazz guitar is thanks to this album. Playing solo jazz guitar is a real challenge and when Joe plays it seems effortless. His sense of arrangement and execution of it is astounding. It’s also really groovy.
Deerhoof – The Runners Four
This is the most interesting music I’ve come across in the past few years. The production is amazing. It’s another good example of playing little and sounding huge, the guitarists don’t seem to play more than two note chords for most of it. Great guitar parts and sounds! Amazing Drummer
Joanna Newsom – Ys
It was so refreshing to me hearing such great unorthodox songs and orchestral arranging on such a successful album. The music is a really interesting and seamless blend of genres.
Nirvana – Nevermind
This album was the most exciting thing to happen to me during high school. I used to play that opening riff to Smells Like Teen Spirit all day, I thought it was the coolest thing ever. It really is a killer album.
Bob Dylan – Bob Dylan
This was Dylan’s first record. To me it’s such a fresh and exciting recording with so much life in it, especially ‘Freight Train Blues’. The songs are mainly versions of traditional country blues songs, but there are also two of his originals on there. One of which is ‘Song To Woody’ which is such a great song and great introduction to a new songwriter.
The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds
I found this album in my mid 20’s and couldn’t believe it was The Beach Boys. The music is so interesting melodically and harmonically and everythingly.
Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca
I only recently came across this album and it’s awesome.
Great guitar playing, really interesting singing, great production, great music.
Miles Davis – Kind Of Blue
Everyone knows it, this is the best jazz album ever.
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 Eamon Dilworth, trumpeter and powerhouse in all things internetty reveals his listening habits, with this, our first selecta. Eamon also maintains a highly informative and entertaining blog
Eamon's band The Dilworths released the album Introducing The Dilworths on Jazzgroove Records in 2009.
Miles Davis – 64 Concert My Funny Valentine
My housemate and I recently acquired the record of this concert and for the first 3 weeks in our new place listened to it over and over again every night. I can’t get over how the rhythm section reacts to every solo keeping things fresh and exciting. The way Ron and Tony make decisions about feel and direction makes the solos so exciting. Herbie’s solo on All Of You is possibly one of the greatest on record. The way this band interacts is one of the major inspirations for the Dilworths.
Terence Blanchard – Flow
Terence is one of my living idols. He has a big glorious sound and plays with such conviction and freedom that transcends the notes and harmony to which he’s playing over. The rhythm section on this record, Aaron Parks, Lionel Loueke, Derrick Hodge and Kendrick Scott, work so well in creating a bed for the soloist to improvise upon and help propel the music forwards. To me this band is like the 60s Miles band of today, always searching and making such a high level of music. There’s also a great live gig from the Village Vanguard you can download from the website.
Sonny Stitt – Sits in with the Oscar Peterson Trio
Back when I was 16 I had my first band and it was before copying hundreds of gigabytes of music from other people iTunes and I remember that this disc was getting passed around us. I think it was Alex Boneham’s originally and by the time it got through the band and to me it was fairly scratched (it was getting passed around without a case). For the 4 of us at the time this album was our life and only recently i managed to find it in a store in New York second hand. Man, this album is like the definition of straight ahead feel good swing. The kind of music that puts a smile on your face.
Ryan Kisor – Battlecry
When I first started learning with Phil Slater he gave me a whole bunch of albums on an Mp3 disc, and most of them I had never heard of. I took a random pick and this album came up and it was one of the first I could sing along to start to finish. Its a straight ahead record with Sam Yahel on Organ, Peter Bernstein and Brian Blade. Kisor is an unbelievable trumpet player and the lines he plays are almost compositionally perfect.
Hancock/Hargrove/Brecker – Directions in Music
This was the first “modern jazz” albums I got into. It’s a live album with Roy Hargrove, Michael Brecker, Herbie Hancock, John Patitucci and Brian Blade doing a tribute to Miles Davis and John Coltrane. I remember loving the sound and intensity they all played with but having no idea what was going on with forms and harmony. Every time I getting the CD out I still find it so exciting and spontaneous.
Kenny Dorham – Quiet Kenny
Phil Slater told me this was a must have so I ordered it from Amazon and from the first moment was hooked. Kenny is quite understated and gets such interesting colours out of his horn. Every track on this swings and Paul Chambers and Art Taylor create that feeling on 2 & 4 where I guess they coined the phrase “In the pocket.” There are so many great recordings from 1959 and this is certainly one of them!
Dvorak – New World Symphony
I heard the London Symphony play this live earlier this year and then permanently borrowed the CD from my girlfriend. This work has largely influence my writing in placing more emphasis upon themes and development from the material you already have. So much of it is built upon one melodic idea and passed throughout the orchestra. This idea has simplified my approach to writing new tunes.
Avishai Cohen – Continuo
This album has a great sound, energy and one of the best bass sounds on record. I went through a phase of checking out the Jewish New York scene, guys like Avishai Cohen (Trumpet), Omer Avital and Jason Lindner. There’s something very accessible about the music these guys produce, a lot based around the harmonic minor scale modes and rhythmically really groovy but mixed with virtuosic technique making complicated stuff sound simple.
Ambrose Akinmusire – Prelude to Cora
I spent some time hanging out with Ambrose in New York and recently when he was out and he has been a big inspiration for me. He got me thinking about having my own concept and thinking about my sound and where I wanted to head with it in the future. I really dig this album for its writing and the way an overall mood is created throughout.
Matt McMahon – Paths and Streams
The guys on this CD are local heroes of mine. I’ve been fortunate enough to see them live many times and had many conversations about music with Matt and Phil Slater. I saw the release of this album at the Studio and was blown away by the beauty and space these guys created. I bought the CD and went home and listened to it twice that night.
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