Serge Carnovale, Artistic Director of the Wangaratta Festival of Jazz and Blues, visited the Bent Notes studio to chat about this year’s festival, providing his guidance for your Wang Hang!  This is the 2nd festival that Serge has artistically directed, working with the new board establilshed to resurrect the festival and put it back on the map.

Serge spoke about the achievements made last year and had great joy in his voice as he spoke about the venues and artists for this year’s festival, including the opportunity thay have taken to introduce a number of international artists.

Artists this year include Emma Pask. Clayton Doley, Luca Ciarla, Marlene Cummins, Black Jesus Expoerience, Dale Barlow, Amelia Evans, Leigh Barker, Tom Olloendorf amongst others.

For the complete programme, checkout wangarattajazz.com

Hear what Serge had to say in this podcast from JOY 94.9

Serge Carnovale was guest of Bent Notes on Sunday August 3, 2025

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Hamed Sadeghi asked his mother for a TAR when he was 14 years of age, after hearing it played on the radio and falling in love with the sound of the instrument.  He decided that Music was to be his career when 18 years of age then started his university studies into Persian Classical music.

Hear Hamed talk about his classical musical education in Iran before moving to Australia where he commenced fusing his Persian classical music with Western Jazz – creating his East-West fusion through his EISHAN ENSEMBLE – and how his music is founded in the Earth.  Their recent release – Northern Rhapsody – explores themes of connection, transformation and belonging – and was composed during a creative residency in regional Australia – where the earth contributed to the work.

Hamed’s ensemble – the Eisham Ensemble will be performing his “Persian Chamber Jazz” at the Hawthorn Town Hall on Saturday September 6, 2025.

Hamed Sadeghi was guest of Bent Notes on Sunday August 24, 2025

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When Paul Grabowsky and Michelle Nicolle visted the Bent Notes studio they spoke about the feelings, emotions and memories they recall after gigs and projects, and their consideration of the history of songs and music in their projects.

Paul spoke especially about his memories and experiences working with first nations people for many years and the learnings he has made about their music and history, and how that has impacted his other musical work.

Michelle spoke about her memories of a gig many years ago in Siberia, where not only was there a language barrier, but a different approach to music than had been her prior experience in the Jazz world. 

Both Paul and Michelle spoke with much enthusiasm for their new debut project together – NOIR – a collection of Sad Songs, reimagined as duets with deep meaning, meaning that comes from the lyrics, from the artist’s past experiences with the songs, and from Paul and Michelle’s and listeners memories of when they heard these songs in the past and what they may have been  experiencing at the time.

Hear Paul and Michelle in this Podcast from JOY 94.9 when they spoke with David Moyle and Chelsea Wilson in the Bent Notes studio.

And See and Hear Paul and Michelle launch the album NOIR on Saturday August 30, 2025 at the Melbourne Recital Centre.

Michelle Nicolle and Paul Grabowsky were guests of Bent Notes on Sunday August 10, 2025

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Quinn Knight visited the Bent Notes studio to chat about his musical upbringing, developing musical career, and the debut album of his father’s TL;DR project.  The album is called Too Long;Didn’t Read – an album described by Quinn as music for the listener to interpret as they wish.

The 4-piece project was founded by Trumpeter Peter Knight, and includes Peter (Trumpet, Electronics, Live Signal Processing), his son Quinn Knight (Drums), Theo Carbo  (Guitar, Electronics) and Helen Svoboda (Double Bass, Voice).

Quinn noted that Peter set one rule only for the quartet – when introducing a new phrase it must be played at least ten times before the next change or next improvisation proceeds.

Hear Quinn talk about his starting drumming when very your and his view for his future, and the enthusiasm in his voice for his music and TL;DR.

TL;DR is released on the Earshift Music label and is being launced on tour through Mallacoota, Orbost, Bruny Island, Hobart, Thebarton (SA), Newtown (NSW), Port Kembla (NSW) and Seddon (Vic).  More information from peterknightmusic.com.

Quinn Knight was guest of Bent Notes on Sunday July 13, 2025

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Mina Yu spoke on Bent Notes of starting her classical piano education at a really young age and of taking up the Jazz mantle when the concept of Jazz was introduced to her.  Mina has not become a Jazz musician, but rather a musician who plays in the Classical and Jazz spheres.

Three years in the making, this new album from Mina – A Day and Life – results from her cross- genre musical skills, and is a solo piano album providing musical interpretations of those everyday things that happen including – Waking up, Being Alone in The Tram, Walking Along The Stream, and Sleeping at the End of the Day.

Hear Mina talking about her musical life and this new album, in this podcast from JOY 94.9.

Mina Yu was guest of Bent Notes on Sunday June 1, 2025

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Melbourne based vocalist and composer Michelle Nicolle visited the Bent Notes studio upon the occaision of the release of her 11th album – THE SILENT WISH.  Michelle was about to leave Australia for a visit to America to launch the album in the country where she had recorded it with guitarist Larry Koonse.

The album is a collection of 10 songs including one composed by Michelle herself.

Hear Michelle discuss the sense of awe in the recording studio, and the attention to detail of her production team, as well as the care taken to put together a playlist for an audience so that the conviction in the vocalists interpretations due tio their understandiong of hte songs content can be heard and experienced.

Read more about Michelle and the new album – THE SILENT WISH at Michelle’s website – www.michellenicolle.com

Michelle Nicolle was guest of Bent Notes on Sunday March 9, 2025

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Perth based Pianist and composer Austin Salisbury spoke of his musical journey to date and bringing his piano trio to the Eastern States to launch their new album – OUTLINES – at the Church St Studios in Camperdown (NSW), and The Jazzlab in Brunswick (VIC)

Austin recalls his earliest musical memories which include watching the movie “The Blues Brothers” and marveling at the music of Ray Charles and knowing that the Piano was to be his instrument.

Austin graduated from the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts in 2017 and has been building his career ever since, composing, performing and working on projects including MELVE(contemporary Australian Jazz) and Mejadra(Afro-Cuban inspired Jazz with Imogen Thompson).

Austin’s piano trio released their latest album in 2024 and are launching it in the eastern states on Monday April 14, 2025 at the Church Street Studios in Camperdown NSW, and on Wednesday April 16 at The Jazzlab in Brunswick (VIC).

Stephen Hornby in the Dingo Jazz Journal said of the trio – “Exciting and accomplished young players who seem to have found kindred spirits in each other.”

Hear Austin in this podcast from JOY 94.9.

Checkout Austin’s website for more information about.

Austin Salisbury was guest of Bent Notes on Sunday March 23, 2025

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Pianist and composer Paul Grabowsky chatted about emotion in music, from composer, arranger, engineer, performer and the listener; and how vocalists have the greateast opportunity to imbue their vocal works with emotion.

Paul will be accompanying American countertenor vocalist Reginald Mobley with his Gospel and Spiritual repertoire on his Australian Tour during March & April 2025.  This repertoire was featured in Reginald’s 2024 album BECAUSE.  Paul spoke of some of the history of this African-American music and the emotional potential built into each piece, and his enthusiasm for these concerts with Reginald.

Reginald and Paul will be performing the Gospel and Spiritual repertoire in Melbourne March 30, Warragul Victoria April 17, Ukaria Cultural Centre Mt Barker South Australia, and Canberra ACT April 16.

Paul Grabowsky was guest of Bent Notes on Sunday March 23, 2025

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The post Emotions and the Gospel & Spiritual Jazz of Reginald Mobley appeared first on Bent Notes.

Andrew Harrison is a musician who composes to order.  His new EP – Time Is Truth – is a work he was commissioned to create by a gay couple wishing to celebrate 20 years of relationship committment in a very special way.

A couple who love music, their chioce was a musical suite to celebrate deeper truths about love and committment, through contemporary Jazz arrangements and intimate vocal performances.  Andrew sought to capture the many aspects and the unexpected twists and turns of a two-decade long journey shared between two people.

Hear Andrew talk in this podcast about the process, the interactions between him and the couple, and some of his past experiences that supported this creation.

Andrew is launching his “TIME IS TRUTH” EP at the Cross Street Music Hall at 3pm on Sunday March 16, 2025.

More details about Andrew from his website.  Checkout Andrew’s music at his bandcamp page – including his soundtrack for The Laramie Project – composed for an Australian production of ‘The Laramie Project’, a play written in 2000 by Moises Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project. The play looks at the aftermath to the horrific 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard, a young gay student at the University of Wyoming at Laramie. The murder was later declared a hate crime.  Andrew has used a component of this music in the ‘TIME IS TRUTH’ work

Andrew Harrison was guest of Bent Notes on Sunday March 9, 2025

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Drummer, Composer and Educator Sonja Horbelt, the Artistic Director of the Melbourne Women’s International Jazz Festival visited the Bent Notes studio to chat about the challenges experienced by Women in Jazz and the progress for them becoming featured artist and working musicians; and the fabulous women artists performing in this year’s Melbourne Women’s International Jazz Festival.

The festival cponcert series will be held agaon at The Jazzlab in Brunswick.

Hear about the Improvising Symposium and Equity in Tertiary Education discussion, the new Lumina Award, and so many talented Women featured across 9 days of festival, including Abi Lee, Mia Barham, Jess Green, Andrea Keller, Nat Bartsch, Holly Moore, Coco’s Lunch. Lucy Clifford. Kennedy Snow, Naked Raven, Ame;lia Evans, Genevieve Kuner and Louise Rankin!

All the festival details are found at mwijf.org.

Sonja Horbelt was guest of Bent Notes on Sunday November 24, 2024

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