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ABC Jazz is excited to announce the release of I Wrote A Song For Her, For Me, the debut album by Jayden Blockley. This is gorgeous, old-school music-making – a quintet of friends collaborating to create something new and pure.One of Australia’s rising jazz stars, Blockley was the winner of the 2018 Generations in Jazz James Morrison Jazz Scholarship. In recording this album, he gathered an incredible group of musicians from all over Australia to create their unique sound. Recorded with the ABC’s Mal Stanley in Melbourne in July 2019, this is the sound of a mature and exciting young songwriter and group leader emerging before our eyes.Jayden writes, “There is liberation and reward to expressing your feelings into a creative process, whatever form it may take. Being creative is such an undervalued quality of our humanity, and the creative process wasn’t something that I appreciated until embarking on this project. I didn’t consider myself much of a writer before this record and writing music wasn’t something that felt entirely natural to me, but it’s been the single most rewarding experiences of my musical journey. I’ve come to realise that even if there was nothing in the world to dedicate my songs to, I’d still write them because it’s the process of creating something meaningful to me that I cherish so much, hence the title I Wrote A Song For Her, For Me.Many of my tunes are inspired by my experiences growing up in Perth and the subsequent struggles and homesickness after moving away to study. Bao was written for my mum when I was feeling particularly homesick one day in Mount Gambier. It’s become an unofficial tradition for us to make dumplings together every time I come back home. I grew up on a road calledDarwinia Loop, so Darwinia is a tribute to some of my close friends and neighbours who I share fond memories growing up with. I didn’t originally intend for the album to be about my home in Perth, but it’s what I'm reminded of every time I hear it, so for me, this record is also a tribute to all the things I love about the home I grew up in.Assembling the musicians on the record was like putting together my dream team of people I really wanted to play with. When planning for the project, I considered recording in Sydney and in Perth, but eventually decided Melbourne was the best option simply based on my vision for the personnel.Will Pethick and I grew up playing together and have lived together for a few years whilst studying in Mount Gambier. We’ve developed a trust and great understanding of each other’s phrasing and sound, which worked perfectly for the amount of rubato writing that I did. He knew exactly how and where I wanted to place the notes. Theo Carbo has been someone I’ve wanted to play with ever since I met him. He brings such a vibrant palette of sounds and textures, which really brought my songs to life. I’d played with Patty Danao for a few years through uni and heard him play many times with James Morrison’s band. Patty has such a deep sense of groove and plays with a sensitivity that I knew would be perfect in this band. Sam Anning, as well as being the ultimate bass player, was one of my compositional inspirations. He was immediately onboard with my vision for this music, but also helped take it to places I couldn’t have imagined at first.All the players on this album have such a unique musical voice and they each get such a beautiful sound out of their respective instruments. Although the music I wrote was mostly fleshed out before I brought it in, they gave it so much life. They each left their own creative mark on the record.” TRACKLISTING1. Bao 7’562. Subconsious-Lee (Lee Konitz) 8’283. I Wrote A Song For Her, For Me 5’044. Song For A Better Day 8’455. When Will The Blues Leave? (Ornette Coleman) 7’276. Darwinia 6’007. The Straight And Narrow 9’398. An Ode To The Optimists 10’34 Jayden Blockley – saxophoneWill Pethick – tromboneTheo Carbo – guitarSam Anning – bassPatrick Danao – drums
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ABC Music is thrilled to announce the release of ‘Beautiful World’, the new album by Frances Madden.One of the classiest entertainers Australia has produced in years, Frances has been described as ‘Australia’s rising star of jazz, blues and ballads’ by Sydney radio station Fine Music 102.5, and as ‘one to watch’ by ABC Jazz’s very own Mal Stanley.Beautiful World brings together a combination of jazz infused melodies entwined with some memorable pop hooks and occasional hints of gospel: from the hypnotic and seductive ‘The Tango Never Lies’ or the pulsating Latin rhythms of ‘Dancing in the Street’, to the emotive and soul stirring ‘Side by Side’. Set within a landscape of luscious arrangements, Frances delivers performances that are heartfelt, engaging and captivating. Her songs are filled with stories and lyrics that are at times inspiring and uplifting, while at other moments delightfully whimsical and playful.The title track ‘Beautiful World’ is likely to be a favourite at radio. Noteworthy too, is that Frances gives a nod to the late, great Peter Allen with her own arrangement and rendition of ‘I Go to Rio’.Frances plays to full houses at leading jazz venues and festivals around Australia. She has supported touring international artists including Dionne Warwick and Grammy-Award winner Gregory Porter as well as headlining at the acclaimed JZ Club in Shanghai. Her self-released first album If this were a dream went to #5 on the ARIA Jazz Charts.1. Beautiful World 3’222. Paris Melody 3’303. You’re Doing So Well 4’284. Side by Side 4’115. The Tango Never Lies 3’366. Dancing in the Street 3’327. Practical Magic 2’588. I Go to Rio 3’019. Sunday 3’1510. The One Who Walks Me Home 5’19Frances Madden vocals, piano, Hammond C3, keyboardCarl Dewhurst guitarsPhil Stack double bassTim Firth drumsHarriett Allcroft backing vocalsIan Cooper stringsKarl Laskowski tenor saxophoneRay Cassar trumpet
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Multi award winning vocalist Jasmine Rae has announced her new album ‘Lion Side’ will be released on July 24th. The brutally honest songwriter and electrifying live performer has also released the video to her current single ‘Green Light’.‘Lion Side’ is a culmination of several years of soul searching, rigorous and often tortuous self-assessment, indecision and the need to find greater inner-purpose and direction. Ultimately, Jasmine Rae has rediscovered that her true path to self-enlightenment is through her music.“I took a long time to make this album, but ultimately I simply had to do it,”says Jasmine Rae.“Music has always been my way of thinking out loud and figuring things out. Writing and performing allows me to express those feelings… to be dramatic… be loud or be fragile… be emotional… and be real.” Recorded in both Sydney and Nashville with producer Lindsey Jackson (Jessica Mauboy, Tori Kelly, The McClymonts), Lion Side comes from an artist who is an inspiration to everyone around her, while often wounded, angry and fragile. In fact, she would even go as far as saying ‘Fraudulent’ at times. The album’s current single ‘Green Light’,which is being embraced by both pop and country formats, reflects Jasmine’s battles with anxiety and indecision. “There are always opportunities: The opportunity to take action, or to purposefully let something go; to make a call or leave things unsaid; to change or try again or try differently,” says Jasmine Rae of the song. “No decision – is a decision in itself. This song is the inner dialogue of one of those experiences. These are some of the circling thoughts of doubt and indecision that drive me crazy.”Also available today is a second album release track with album pre-orders, ‘Carrying The Flame’. The song is a tribute to Jasmine Rae’s greatest mentor, and the friend who is now carrying on his legacy, while creating his own. “Being real is a superpower. It’s what heals us together.”It’s the mantra behind Jasmine Rae’s album Lion Side, which will be released on July 24, 2020
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Travis Collins, the 2019 CMAA Male Artist of the Year and CMA Global Artist Award-winner, is never more at home than he is under stage lights – world-beating band in tow. It’s this captivating dynamism and essential energy that thrills at the core of supercharged new album, Wreck Me.“For a while, we were messing with the idea of calling this Reckless Abandon,” Collins jokes of the album’s guiding ethos. “We were just like, we’re going to find or write songs that we want to go out and play, and never get bored playing.”Wreck Mesaw Travis reuniting with Nashville super-producer, Luke Wooten (Brad Paisley, Dierks Bentley). The first two singles to drop, Make Up and Weekend, went on to impact the national country airplay charts. The third single, Rainy Day, is a gentle, earthy sway, and finds Collins giving thanks for the life of a friend lost too soon. As Travis goes on to describe the album, ‘Wreck Me’ is an album that took its first steps before I even really knew I was making ‘an album’.. session by session, I was just trying to record a bunch of songs that hit me right.. songs that challenged me as a singer and songwriter.It’s the widest footprint of styles and sounds that I’ve ever put together. Each song has its own moment, some dive deeper and more personal, and others soar into new places I haven’t been yet. I’m really proud of that. I feel it’s the truest reflection of me musically so far.”For the tireless Collins,the two years since the release of his previous studio outing Brave & The Broken can be measured in country miles. That album stormed the charts, spawned a string of No.1 hits, and launched a sweeping national tour that saw Collins and band bring their expansive sound to audiences far and wide.Brave & The Brokenarrived amid an immensely rich period in Collins’ already enviable career.Then the CMC Male Artist of the Year for two years running, Collins made 2018 his own. Brave & The Broken landed hot on the tail of three Golden Guitar wins for Our Backyard (2017) with Amber Lawrence, and a CMAA Awards sweep in 2017 on the back of Hard Light (2016), which saw Collins take home Golden Guitars for Male Vocalist of the Year, Song of the Year, and Single of the Year. Hard Light also netted three No.1 hits.Rounding out an immense few years, Collins took home the 2019 Golden Guitar for Male Artist of the Year, and last year opened for US megastars Tim McGraw and Luke Combs. Wreck Me sets to be the next chapter in an already impressive career.Tracklisting:Wreck MeBetter Than You Found ‘EmRainy DayDamn GirlGirl Outta The CountryOwn A BoatMake UPWeekendDesperado
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Multi Award Winning Country Music Artist Adam Brand is back with his new album, Speed Of Life. Already labelled by critics as “his best and most positive work yet”.Produced by Luke Wooten (Dierks Bentley & Brad Paisley), the new studio album succinctly reassures fans that Adam is in a good place in life, following his record breaking “Milestones” tour in 2018 and the birth of his first child, a baby girl, last year. A relaxed Brand sings of life, love and laughter on Speed of Life.“The whole experience of making this album was a vastly different experience to all the other albums I’ve done in the last 20 years. It was a calm and stress free process and I put that down to the place in life I’m at. I felt no pressure in putting this album together… no urgency to find that big hit song… to be honest I let my heart guide me this time, and my heart was full of the wonderful notion of my baby girl who was about to be born. I whole heartedly believe she gave me that calmness and clarity in knowing what I wanted to sing about this time around." Says Adam.The new single ‘Fly’ is also released today and is a song that Adam describes as a prayer you want to give someone you love. The video was shot in the Nashville studio of Grammy Award winner producer Luke Wooten while Adam was there recording the song, as well as in Australia. A stellar career that shows no signs of slowing down with Adam nominated for multiple ARIA Awards, win 12 Golden Guitars, sell over half a million CDs & DVDs, as well as earn 3 x Platinum & 5 x Gold albums.Adam is scheduled to perform on CMC Rocks next week and Big Country Festival in May.Speed of Life is an example of how Brand continues to deliver as one of the modern giants of Australian Country Music. It seems that life really has been good to Adam Brand.Tracklisting:1. Speed of Life2. Life’s Been Good To Me3. Fly4. Messin’ Up A Good Thing5. Freakin’ Weekend6. Just A Love Song7. Baby I Miss You8. You Are Not Alone9. Don’t Wanna Let You Down10. Time Of Our Lives
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Iconic Australian band Custard makes a welcome return in 2020 with their eighth studio album, ‘Respect All Lifeforms’.The album kicks off with lead single, the irresistible nationwide lockdown hit, ‘Funky Again’ - a catchy pop offering that mentions the Russian winter of Operation Barbarossa AND home renovations in one convenient 3-minute package.The accompanying video, directed by long-time Custard collaborator, ARIA Award winning Andrew Lancaster, skillfully combines the band’s three true loves - Jacobean architecture, social distancing, and late 70s New York funk.Custard circa 2020 features the classic line-up of David McCormack, Glenn Thompson, Paul Medew and Matthew Strong. Originally formed in Brisbane in 1990, Custard released a series of classic guitar pop albums over the next decade, including Wisenheimer, We Have the Technology and Loverama. The band developed a cult following, touring extensively across Australia and abroad, as well as producing a parade of unforgettable singles, including ‘Apartment’ and ‘Girls Like That (Don’t Go For Guys Like Us)’.After disbanding at the end of the 1990’s, the band returned in 2015 with new album Come Back All Is Forgiven, which was followed by 2017’s The Common Touch.In more recent times, frontman David McCormack has found a new legion of fans as the voice of Dad ‘Bandit’ in the smash hit ABC Kids series Bluey, which has quickly become the most watched program in iView history, with 21.3 million views to date.‘Respect All Lifeforms’ Track list:1. Couple’s Fight2. Funky Again3. Harlequin Records4. A Cat Called No5. Wishing6. Take the Skinheads Bowling7. The Min Min Lights8. Talkative Town9. Like People10. Watcha Waiting For11. Come Tuesday
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For her 20th studio album, Katie Noonan takes listeners back to where it all began – the iconic pop songs of the 1980s that first ignited her passion for music.From pooling pocket money with her brother to buy the first Crowded House album, to having her mind blown by the incredible video clips of a-ha and 1927, to dancing around in stonewash denim singing Whitney Houston, Billy Joel and Cyndi Lauper songs into a hairbrush mike, these are the singers and the songs that inspired her to pursue a career in music – a career that has seen her named one of the greatest Australian singers of all time by the Herald Sun, with five ARIA Awards from 25 nominations across a number of diverse genres.On this album Katie is joined by four of the finest jazz musicians in Australia – Zac Hurren (saxophones), Sam Keevers (piano), Phil Stack (double bass) and Evan Mannell (drums) – all fellow babies of the 1970s who grew up with this music as their earliest influences.They put new jazz spins on these classic tunes that reveal just how good the songwriting was, despite the occasional daggy synth effect or over-the-top production. Terence Trent D'Arby’s smash hit ‘Sign Your Name’ is reimagined as a sultry late-night groove, while Whitney Houston’s ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’ is transformed into a piano ballad that exposes the heartache and longing at the core of what has long been a party-starter.‘Electric Blue’ by Icehouse is given an irresistible cha cha makeover, while ‘Don’t Dream It’s Over’ and ‘True Colors’ are stripped right back to their bare bones, with Katie’s extraordinary voice taking centre-stage and delivering performances of these songs as raw and moving as you have ever heard them.This is a joyous and heartfelt album, full of surprising and delightful takes on beloved classics. It’s an album for that small part of us that is forever leaping around our bedrooms, singing along to the radio, and gazing adoringly at the posters of pop stars on our walls – even if nowadays that’s a more accurate description of our children than ourselves!TRACKLISTING 1 Don’t Dream It’s Over2 Blue3 If I Could4 Just The Way You Are5 True Colors6 Electric Blue7 I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)8 When Tomorrow Comes9 Russians10 Sign Your Name11 Take On Me12 Running To Stand Still Katie Noonan: VoiceZac Hurren: Tenor and soprano saxophonesSam Keevers: PianoPhil Stack: Double bassEvan Mannell: Drums, cymbals and percussion
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ABC Jazz is thrilled to announce the re-release of Lush Life: A Tribute to Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn by The George Golla Orchestra, timed to celebrate George’s 85th birthday in May 2020. One of the iconic records in the history of Australian jazz, Lush Life has been unavailable in any format for a number of years.Lush Life holds a significant place in Australian music history as the winner of Best Jazz Album at the inaugural ARIA Awards in 1987, and features a Who’s Who of performers including John Hoffman on flugelhorn, Craig Scott on bass, Len Barnard on drums, James Morrison on trombone and George himself on guitar, and produced by the great Cleon Dennis.Lush Life is a tribute to the extraordinary professional and personal relationship between two greats of American jazz – Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn. Their creative partnership lasted 25 years, and led to an enormous catalogue of works that have become cornerstones of the genre, including ‘Don’t Get Around Much Any More’, ‘Take The A Train’, ‘Mood Indigo’ and ‘It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)’, all of which feature here.In the original liner notes for the album, George writes, ‘One nice thing about reaching maturity is the knowledge that one has accumulated a vast backlog of experience, both pleasant and otherwise. In the garden marked ‘pleasant’ lies a bed of wonderful music heard and experienced down the years, a great proportion of which was created by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, two long-term collaborators of magical ability in the idioms of jazz. When long-time friend and producer Cleon Dennis suggested I record some of their best tunes, I was naturally overjoyed as I’d spend years playing much of the material in various settings. I felt comfortable and sure that I could do justice to the spirit (as much as I perceived of it) of the Duke and Billy. They were men who lived their full lives in urban society, sophisticated yet warm, full of humour and wit. Their music is a perfect vehicle for the gentle side of jazz.’We hope you enjoy getting to know this gorgeous record all over again.
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‘This is your one chance. You have your secret dreams. Follow them! Make them come true!’Using words and music, The Peasant Prince tells the inspiring story of Li Cunxin, better known as ‘Mao’s Last Dancer’: his childhood and his journey to become one of the world’s greatest ballet dancers.With music by composer Katy Abbott setting the scene, Li tells his life’s story in eight episodes over half an hour - from his humble beginnings in rural China to his triumphs as principal ballet dancer of the Houston Ballet. It is a story that will inspire the young and the young-at-heart, with reflections on a family living in hardship, inspiring teachers, and the joy of finding that one thing that you love most in the world.Based on Li’s best-selling memoir Mao’s Last Dancer and children’s book The Peasant Prince, this is a heart-warming tale for anyone who ever dared to dream. TRACKLISTINGEnglish version/Mandarin version1 Introduction 9 序章 (Introduction)2 Kite Themes –Hopes and Wishes 10 风筝——希望与心愿 (Kite Themes – Hopes and Wishes)3 Frog in the Well 11 井里的蛙 (Frog in the Well)4 Home and School 12 家里，学校 (Home and School)5 Leaving Home, Arriving Beijing 13 离家到北京 (Leaving Home, Arriving Beijing)6 By the Light of a Single Candle 14 烛光之中 (By the Light of a Single Candle)7 USA 15 美国 (USA)8 Dance of My Life 16 一生最重要的舞蹈 (Dance of My Life) (Music by Katy Abbott • Words by Li Cunxin AO)
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Strong Cotton Socks is a trio made up of James Macaulay on trombone, Flora Carbo on winds, and Merinda Dias-Jayasinha on vocals.The band came together quite spontaneously and collaboratively. Inspired by Dias-Jayasinha’s performance at a late-night jam session at the Jazzlab following the Melbourne Jazz Festival, Macaulay sent her a sketch for a chorale. The following day Dias-Jayasinha responded with lyrics for it, prompting them to organise a jam and inviting mutual friend, Flora Carbo, along. It worked so well that Strong Cotton Socks was born, making their debut at the Jazzlab in early 2019.Playing arrangements of original repertoire, Strong Cotton Socks collaborate to bring words and music together in a chamber-like setting with space to breathe, pause and to improvise. From through-composed arrangements of songs and shorter set pieces, to longer works featuring more improvisation, everyone contributed arrangements in a very natural, collaborative process.TRACKLISTING1. Transposed 1’422. Sleep Through 3’003. Falling Towards You: I 3’244. Falling Towards You: II 1’485. Falling Towards You: III 3’416. Lately 4’037. Dreams of Tokyo 7’218. Stroop 4’449. Flowers Away 2’3610. Flordrey 3’06Strong Cotton SocksJames Macauley – tromboneFlora Carbo – saxophoneMerinda Dias-Jayasinha – vocals
