The Umbrellas will play their first gig of the year this Saturday 5 March, 9pm at the Sound Lounge, Seymour Centre, cnr City Rd and Cleveland St.
It’s part of an evening to introduce the new Artistic Director for SIMA (the Sydney Improvised Music Association) who happens to be the wonderful bass player Zoe Hauptmann.
Led by Peter Dasent since 1985, The Umbrellas have evolved to become of one of Sydney’s most beloved jazz ensembles. Their “unpredictable, surreal, Italian-film-music influenced jazz” (Lucky Oceans, The Daily Planet), makes any performance a joy to behold. His stellar band realises Peter’s quirky humour and music vision as they play original music inspired by Frank Zappa, Thelonious Monk, Nina Rota and Tango.
Peter Dasent (piano/organ/accordion) James Greening (trombone, pocket trumpet, sousaphone) Andrew Robson (alto and baritone saxophone) Andrew Wilkie (vibes and marimba) Zoe Hauptmann (bass) Toby Hall(drums)
What : The Umbrellas
Where : The Sound Lounge at the Seymour Centre
When : Saturday the 5th of March, 9pm
You can find out more informations and book here
Secondly, our presenter Peter Dasent (from One Size Fits All) will be doing a solo gig on Thursday 10 March, 7.30pm @Foundry 616.
He will take you on a very personal musical journey for one hour of original piano compositions spanning more than 30 years. A little of what you can expect … ‘Blues For The High Priest’, (written in 1982 after hearing that Thelonious Monk had died)and ’Heavenly Creatures’ – an arrangement of the main theme Dasent wrote for Peter Jackson’s 1994 film of the same name.
It’s a double bill with Matt McMahon (Blow Presenter @ Eastside). Peter will play at 7.30 and Matt at 10. They’ll take you on very personal musical journeys. An hour each will not be enough … but for those who love jazz piano, a very special evening with two masters of the piano.
About Peter : Peter is a composer, songwriter, pianist and music arranger/director. He has composed music for film and television (including three Peter Jackson films), led his own ensemble The Umbrellas for 30 years, written songs for children and has played piano for the ABC-TV children’s show PlaySchool since 2000.
New Zealand born, Dasent was a founder member of the legendary NZ bands Spats and The Crocodiles and has been based in Sydney since the early 1980s. Leading the Umbrellas since 1985, he released three albums between 1986 and 1991, performing and touring extensively, while an album celebrating the band’s 30th anniversary was released in 2015: Lounge Suite Tango.
In 2013 Dasent recorded a CD of original music for solo piano at the legendary Abbey Road Studio in London – Songs For Solo Piano, released in November 2015. The pieces, composed at various times over three decades, range from gentle meditations to blues, rags and stomps, sometimes within the same piece.
About Matt : Winner of many prestigious awards, including the Freedman and National Jazz Awards, Matt McMahon is a leading Australian pianist/composer with many outstanding groups and albums to his credit. He leads the Matt McMahon Trio and is a co-leader of the Band of Five Names with which he has recorded several albums.
Matt is also the musical director for Vince Jones and a frequent collaborator (live and recorded) with such artists as Phil Slater, Katie Noonan, Sandy Evans, Simon Barker, Dale Barlow, Joseph Tawadros and many other Australian and international jazz greats.
His recent albums include Paths and Streams and Ellipsis, both recorded for the Kimnara label.
He has always collaborated with other artists in diverse areas of music making and as a soloist, draws on his love of piano playing in all its forms.
Tonight, you can expect improvisations that reflect his musical interests and heritage – paying particular tribute to his forebears Mary and William Navin who came to Australia from Ireland in 1847.
What : “Solo Piano Jazz Masters” featuring Matt McMahon & Peter Dasent
When : Thursday the 10th of March
Where : @Foundry616, 616 Harris Street, Ultimo 2007