Freedman Jazz 2018 review: Nick Garbett expresses and impresses
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Garbett began by duetting on the elegiac Wal’s Peace with Jonathan Zwartz, a bassist at the pinnacle of improvised musical expression in Sydney, and in that and each subsequent solo the trumpeter displayed his acute instincts for colouristic variation and contrast in maximising a given melodic line’s potential.
Further enhancing his vision was the jack-in-a-box vibrancy of alto saxophonist Peter Farrar, the distinctively slippery and haunting playing of pianist Danny Pliner and the barrage of surprises supplied by drummer Finn Ryan.
A worthy winner, Garbett will use the Freedman Foundation’s $20,000 prize to further his touring and recording career, notably in Europe. A performance like that presented here would translate favourably to any stage.
Adelaide drummer Angus Mason led a trio with bassist Marty Holoubek and tenor saxophonist Chris Soole. While cross-fertilisation between Sydney and Melbourne players is now routine, Adelaide remains an enigmatic outpost, and so it was a particular pleasure to encounter the exceptional Soole, a saxophonist utterly devoid of affectation, who generates a broad, warm sound, and plays with consummate conviction and economy.
The third finalist was Carl Morgan, a gifted guitarist whose praises I have often sung, but whose conception seemed a little undercooked on this night.
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