Bent Notes

Serge Carnovale visited the Bent Notes studio to chat about his new role this year as the Artistic Director of the Wangaratta Festival of Jazz and Blues.

Serge spoke about the range of artists appearing  across the many venues in and around Wangaratta and the venue-based ticketing system introduced this year, as the festival is re-born alongside the National Jazz Awards – this year for Saxophone.

This years artist roster includes Vince Jones, Hetty Kate, Mark Fitzgibbon, Ilaria Crociani, Kellie Santin, Tamara Kuldin, Julien Wilson, Jack Earle, High Society and lots more!

Find more details about the 34th festival at the website – www.wangjazzblues.com.

Serge Carnovale was guest of Bent Notes on Sunday July 21, 2024

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Harry Mitchell described the philosophy behind his latest album – NOON – when he spoke with David Moyle and Chelsea Wilson on Bent Notes.

NOON is created as a collection of songs inspired by Harry’s observations of society’s collectively diminishing attention spans.  The inspiration said to Harry that he should create someting long-form – that can’t be consumed quickly. (recalling the days when you would put a vinyl record on the turntable then sit down to listen for 22 minutes for each side.)

Harry would like us to listen to the entiure album from start to finish in one sitting to receive the best appreciation.  Harry has composed the pieces reflecting each other in a Pallindromic fashion, including both longer and shorter composistions to tell the story.

Find NOON on Bandcamp, and read, see and  hear more about Harry at his webiste – harrymitchell.net

Harry Mitchell was guest of Bent Notes on Sunday July 21, 2024

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The Take Note Leader of the Melbourne International Jazz Festival for 2024 is Jazz flautist and composer Erica Tucceri.  Erica visited the Bent Notes studio to chat all things Take Note – an impportant role that addresses the underrepresentation of women and gender diverse musicians in jazz by celebrating and promoting women and gender diverse leaders on stage and in high schools across Victoria.

Erica spoke of the joy of meeting so many young musicians when visting secondary schools as part of the role; her thrill at being commissioned to write a major new work to be debuted at the festival, enabling Erica to write for an ensemble including a String Quartet; learning the drums, and making percussive sounds in her music that surprises the secondary school students!

Hear Erica in this podcast from JOY 94.9

Erica Tucceri was guest of Bent Notes on Sunday September 1, 2024

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Violin player, artist, songwriter and entertainer Xani Kolac described her path to become a professional violin player and entertainer when she was guest on Bent Note recently. Xani reminisces about causing her violin teacher to cry from the beautiful interpretation she gave of Dvorak’s Humoresque, and auditioning for the VCA with her sister playing the bass.

Xani spoke about the focus on improvisation and using the effects pedals and other equipment to produce her style of music using her electric violin – calling upon her skills in the worlds of Pop, Rock and Jazz to create interesting and entertaining sounds and musical sequences to keep her audiences enthralled.  Xani has described her music as exploring the spaces between Pop, Jazz, Electronic and Chamber music.

Hear Xani recall her first gigs along Fitzroy Street St.Kilda and how so many amazing jazz artists are taking part in the FUSION ON FITZROY event across so many Fitzroy Street St.Kilda venues on Satuday August 31, 2024.

Xani Kolac was guest of Bent Notes on Sunday August 18, 2024

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Australian born musicians Jody Sternberg (Voice, Sax) and David Lewis (Trumpet, Piano) have lived in France for some years and spoke with David Moyle and Chelsea Wilson on Bent Notes when they visited the JOY 94.9 studios recently as they commenced their 2024 Aussie tour.

Jody Sternberg & David Lewis in-studio at JOY 94.9

Jody recalled her journey from Australia where she played sax in her primary school band, to Japan where she was discoverd by an American blues pianist who advised her to audition to study at the Berklee College, before moving to America to do just that!  Jody finally settled in France where she discovered that her voice would be her primary instrument.  David recalled his opportunity to study in Europe included Sweden, before settling in France.  Both recalled the joy of studying and performing with the major players of the day.

Jody and David will perform during their Aussie tour in Perth (The Ellington Jazz Club), Sydney (Camelot Lounge, August 8), Hobart (MONA, August 19), Melbourne (Beleura House August 23, and The Jazzlab August 24) before returning to France.

Jody Sternberg and David Lewis were guests of Bent Notes on Sunday July 28, 2024

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When trumpeter and band leader Travis Woods and sousaphone player Jay Scarlett from The Horns Of Leroy visited the Bent Notes Studio they spoke about the way they as a band are inspired by the music and the musicians of New Orleans.  They recalled the immense energy they picked up from watching, listening, jamming and performing with these bands and how this changed their outlook and musical creativity in their own projects, whilst still being conscious of their music being filtered through their Australian heritage and experiences.

The new album, Monster In Your Head, features 12 brand new pieces written fresh for this project around the experiences of break-ups.  The music was so fresh to the recording studio that Travis had not heard them all completely until the album mixing was taking place!  Checkout the album on Bandcamp.

The Horns of Leroy are Ben Harrison & Travis Woods – Trumpet, Chris Vizard & Nick Pietsch – Trombone, Jay Scarlett – Sousaphone, Daniel Berry & Tim Clifton – Percussion.

The Horns of Leroy are performing together with Thando and Sydney based brass band The Hot Potato Band at the Fitzroy Brass Party on Friday July 26, 2024 at The Night Cat – celebrating 30 years of Night Cat.

Travis Woods and Jay Scarlett were guests of Bent Notes on Sunday July 14, 2024

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Michelle Nicolle visited the Bent Notes studio to chat with David Moyle and Chelsea Wilson about her brand new album – 10 Live At The Jazzlab.

The album was recorded at the Jazzlab by the ABC during the 2023 Melbourne International Jazz Festival and has now been released to the world.

Michelle talks about the thrill of performing in ALL RISE with the Lincoln Centre Jazz Orchestra led by Wynton Marsalis and the MSO at Hamer Hall during 2023; the scat syllables that we hear in scat singing and how one should not try to think about them; and performing a gig with her quartet with a set list made up entirely of her own compositions.

Michelle launches the new album of her own compositions at The Jazzlab on Saturday July 20, 2024.

Michelle Nicolle was guest of Bent Notes on Sunday July 7, 2024

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Melbourne Drummer, Composer and Artistic Director of the Melbourne Women’s International Jazz Festival, Sonja Horbelt visited the Bent Notes studio to chat all things 2023 Festival with David Moyle and Paul Gardner.  The festival runs from December 3-10, 2023 with most events schedueld at The Jazzlab.

Sonja spoke about the legacy and the memory of the late Lynnette Irwin, for many years the backbone of the artistic direction of the festival, and the person to whom this years festival has been dedicated.

Hear about the amazing female musicians performing in the festival this year including Teri Roiger, Peggy Lee, Elly Hoyt, Mim Crellin, Nina Ferro, Ilaria Crociani, AURA, and so much more – including an industry panel, perfromance workshop and a singers symposium.

Checkout the festival at www.mwijf.org.

Sonja Horbelt was guest of Bent Notes on Sunday November 19, 2023

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Cheryl Durongpisitikul

Cheryl Durongpisitkul spoke with David Moyle on Bent Notes about the work involved in preparing for the debut of her new suite for 12-piece improvising ensemble that channels her own personal experiences of loss, grief  and healing.

As the Take Note leader for 2023 for the Melbourne International Jazz Festival, Cheryl was commissioned to compose this work as well as visit secondary schools across Victoria, as part of the festival’s activities to address underrepresentation of women and gender diverse musicians in jazz by celebrating and promoting women and gender diverse leaders on stage and in high schools across Victoria.

Cheryl debuted the work – I Still Miss You – to an enthusiastic and appreciative capacity audience at the Jazzlab as the official openeing gig of this years festival.

Hear what Cheryl had to say in this podcadst from Bent Notes on JOY 94.9

Cheryl Durongpisitkul was guest of Bent Notes on Sunday October 15, 2023

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Zac Hurren, Katie Noonan, Ben Hauptmann

Katie  Noonan‘s ELIXIR project kicked off in 1997, with their goal to explore the relationship between text and sound and celebrate great Australian poetry.

The current line-up for the trio is National Jazz Award, ARIA Award winning and Freedman Jazz Fellowship finalist saxophonist/composer Zac Hurren, Freedman Jazz
Fellowship winning and National Jazz Award finalist guitarist Ben Hauptmann and 5 x ARIA, AWMA, AIR and APRA award winning musician Katie Noonan.

Album Cover: A Small Shy Truth

Their new Album – A Small Shy Truth – the 4th album for the trio, is based upon Poetry of Michael Leunig – whose unique poetry was featured on the trio’s 3rd album – Gratitude and Grief (KIN Music 2018)

Hear Katie talk about the need for vulnerability when composing music, the wonderful poetry of Michael Leunig, and Sassy The Staffie!

Elixir, featuring Katie Noonan, launches A Small Shy Truth at the Melbourne Recital Centre on Saturday night, October 28, 2023 as part of the Melbourne International Jazz Festival.

Katie Noonan was guest of Bent Notes on Sunday October 22, 2023

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