Sandy Evans

November News from Sandy

admin — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 19:56:10 +0000

Hi friends,

I hope you are all well and enjoying life, the universe and everything.

I’m pleased to let you know about some exciting projects I have this month. On 11th November I go to India for a tour with the AAO Two Oceans Ensemble playing for the Hindu Fest. The concert will include the premiere of a new collaborative suite Meetings At The Table of Time that I have co-written with Guru Kaaraikkudi Mani.

By a miraculous and fortunate twist of fate I have an interlocking tour with Ben Walsh and The Orchestra of the Underground performing the amazing film project Fearless Nadia in Mumbai and Chennai. If you will be in India, please come along!

Closer to home, this Saturday I’ll be at the Sound Lounge for SIMA with my sextet. We will premiere new work as well as excerpts from When the Sky Cries Rainbows and compositions by Alister and James.I leave first thing Sunday morning so this will be a bon voyage concert! This is the first SYDNEY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S FESTIVAL. The lineup for the Festival is fantastic and well worth checking out.

On Friday night I’m playing with Mantratonic (featuring the incredible sitar player and singer Sarangan Sriranganthan) in a free concert for Parramasala.

More info about all these events below.

My very best wishes,
Sandy

Sandy Evans Indian Project playing in Adelaide

admin — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 02:45:58 +0000

At the Space Theatre on Saturday 22 September – Sandy Evans’ Indian Project. Sandy performs with bassist Brett Hirst, and Indian virtuosi Sarangan Sriranganathan and Maharshi Ravai.

Read a pdf of the Patrick McDonald feature article in the Adelaide Advertiser >

Sandy Evans Trio Indian Project – Tour

admin — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 04:14:34 +0000

Sandy Evans (tenor/soprano sax), Brett Hirst (bass), Toby Hall (drums), Bobby Singh (tabla), Sarangan Sriranganathan (sitar, vocals)

Click to download brochure in PDF format showing the information on this page

A rare opportunity to see one of Sydney’s leading Indian musicians, tabla player Bobby Singh, in a thrilling dialogue with jazz musician Sandy Evans and her superb trio with bass player Brett Hirst and drummer Toby Hall. Expect soulful melodies, breathtaking improvisations, hypnotic grooves and stunning percussion solos, redefining the fusion of jazz and Indian music. This is a not to be missed event.

Dates and details

Saturday June 23rd Live at the Village, Springwood
8.00pm Presbyterian Hall, 160 Macquarie Rd, Springwood
Bookings: from June 1st at Turning Page Bookshop, Springwood or 0247515171

Saturday June 30th Live at the Sound Lounge Sydney Improvised Music Association
8.30pm Sound Lounge, Seymour Centre, Chippendale
Ticket Price: $20–$10
Bookings: www.sima.org.au or 0293517940
Includes National CD launch of Cosmic Waves

Friday July 6th, Wollongong Conservatorium
7.00pm Wollongong Conservatorium Auditorium, Murphys Avenue, Keiraville
Ticket Price: $20–$10
Bookings: www.wollcon.com.au/events
or 0242281122

Saturday July 7th Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre
8.00pm 105 William Street, Bathurst
Ticket price: $25–$15
Bookings: 0263336161

Saturday August 4th Capital Jazz Project 2012 Street Theatre
7.30pm 15 Childers Street, Canberra City
Ticket Price: $25
Bookings: www.thestreet.org.au or 0262471519

Friday August 24th Taree Gallery
8.00pm 13 Macquarie Street, Taree
Phone 0265925451
Ticket Price: $28–$23
Bookings: www.gtcc.nsw.gov.au/mec or through Video Ezy, Victoria St, Taree on 0265525699.

Saturday August 25th Newcastle Jazz Festival
7.30pm Newcastle Jazz Festival
2.00pm Sandy Evans & Bobby Singh Workshop
City Hall, King St, Newcastle
Ticket price: Session passes available
More info and ticket information
www.newcastlejazz.com.au

JRMA Fundraiser – 12 July 2012

admin — Sun, 17 Jun 2012 07:00:22 +0000

2012 JRMA Fundraiser - Sirens Big Band

Since 2005 the Jann Rutherford Memorial Award (JRMA) has been helping to redress the gender imbalance in the field of Jazz performance. This has been effected by supporting outstanding young female instrumentalists and arranging mentorships for those with potential.

The Jann Rutherford Memorial Award was founded in 2005 to assist in the professional development of an outstanding young female jazz musician. The Award is named in honour of the late jazz pianist Jann Rutherford, and is funded by private donations.

Over the years we have had 2 generous major sponsors but now must look for alternative support. So a massive fundraising concert is planned for Thursday July 12, 2012 at the wonderful new club Blue Beat in Double Bay.

Three main groups will perform.

1. Paul Cutlan leading ‘The Jann Rutherford Quintet’.

Paul writes:- The Jann Rutherford Quintet with guest pianist Matt McMahon are privileged to have the opportunity to perform compositions from both her solo piano and quintet albums. These range from hard bop classics such as Mr Visa Man, through tender ballads and waltz numbers to songs like Expectations, bursting with optimism and joy.
Matt McMahon (piano), Roger Manins & Paul Cutlan (saxophones) Craig Scott (bass) and Dave Goodman (drums).

2. Hannah James Quartet

Jazz bassist, composer Hannah James was the recipient of the 2011 Jann Rutherford Memorial Award. Hannah’s group is a showcase for her beautiful, subtle and sophisticated compositions
Hannah James (bass) Tim Clarkson (saxophone) Casey Golden (piano) and Ed Rodrigues (drums)

3. The Sirens Big Band

In 2010 the award recipients were Jessica Dunn and Harriet Harding. It enabled them to launch The Sirens all woman big band.

They have had exceptional success including a season in the Sydney Festival re-creating the days of the famous Trocadero.

As a bonus we can expect some anecdotes both from long term collaborators Paul Cutlan, Roger Manins and the rambunctious star of Beer Drinking Woman Christa Hughes. Christa also promises a sample from the show which Jann collaborated on.

8pm Thursday July 12 @ BLUE BEAT 16 Cross Street, Double Bay – $40/$25 bookings (02) 9328 4411

Also massive raffle with prizes including concert tickets, books, cds, photo sessions. $5 each or 5 for $20.

Further information direct ticket sales, interviews etc (02) 9938 2180 jrma@ozemail.com.au

Waratah – Art Gallery Residency July and August

admin — Sun, 17 Jun 2012 04:56:59 +0000

Waratah | Saxophone, koto and percussion

Art After Hours, Music

Waratah is an Australian music trio that fuses jazz, contemporary and international musical elements. It features the sweet, flowing lines of eminent saxophonist Sandy Evans, the exquisite textures and passion ofSatsuki Odamura’s koto and Tony Lewis’s unique armoury of percussion instruments. The music is composed by the members of the group and is brought to life through dynamic, improvisational dialogue.

Every Wednesday from 18 July – 22 August 2012, 5.15pm & 7.30pm

Free
Duration 1 hour
Related exhibition: Kamisaka Sekka

Art Gallery Road, The Domain, Sydney NSW
Dinner available 5.30–8.45pm

Concert for Kenny

admin — Sun, 17 Jun 2012 03:21:34 +0000

A musical tribute to Ken James, Sunday 24 June 2012 @ Paddo RSL, Oxford Street Paddington, opposite Paddington Town Hall

Doors open 1:30 PM
Music from 2:00 PM, last band from 8:00 PM
Tickets $10 at door

Featuring

Ten Part Invention
Terence Eldon Big Band
Steve Hunter Band
The Stag Band
Judy Bailey
Dave Levy
SHAWNUFF Swing Band
Western Front featuring Monique Morrell
and many more
Proceeds to help with funeral costs

Review: Cosmic Waves in The Australian

admin — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 03:57:13 +0000

WORLD: TONY HILLER
From:The Australian
June 02, 2012 12:00AM

SYDNEY saxophonist, composer and beachside resident Sandy Evans’s love of the Australian coastline and her deep appreciation of Indian music combine to make Cosmic Waves a cross-cultural collaboration to cherish.

With the inestimable assistance of the Chennai-based Carnatic (South Indian) ensemble Sruthi Laya and subtle contributions from Sydney colleagues, the country’s pre-eminent female jazz instrumentalist has continued a journey that emanated from a tour of India in the mid-1990s as a member of the Australian Art Orchestra.

Flowing through 12 tracks, the music created by these consummate players ebbs and flows majestically. The opening piece, Ksheera Sagara (Ocean of Milk), featuring meditative, improvised duets between Evans’s soprano sax and co-author B. V. Balasai’s equally ethereal bamboo flutes, radiates melodic ripples as a lead-in to the more rhythmic Big Swell, created by the combination of sax, percussion and Alister Spence’s piano.

The leader switches to tenor sax for her energetic composition Floating on an Emerald Sea before Big Swell Reprise offers a short, sharp and altogether more turbulent and percussive take on the earlier theme.

Inspired by fauna collectively spotted north of Broome, the atmospheric and evocative Noisy Whale and Oystercatchers and edgier Eagle Landing at Cape Leveque provide a stark comparison even if they are virtual companion pieces.

The spectacular Kimberley coast of Western Australia was also the motivating force behind Cosmic Waves at West Beach, a 10-minute ensemble highlight that sees all the players riding the crest of a proverbial wave.

A ragamalika study, it shines the spotlight on the virtuosity of Sruthi Laya leader Guru Kaaraikkudi Mani’s mridangam (double-headed hand-drum), and V. Suresh’s ghatam (claypot hand-drum) playing and U. P. Raju’s dexterity on electric mandolin, as well as featuring some fast and furious exchanges between the stringed instrument, sax and flute.

The album’s cornerstone track is distinguished by vocalising of percussive patterns and phrases from Mani, similar to the technique exhibited by popular Anglo-Indian singer Sheila Chandra. Another gentle vehicle for duet improvisation between Evans’s soprano sax and co-composer Balasai’s bamboo flute, Morning Star and the percussion-dominated Clouds at Dawn come before a minor mandolin masterpiece from Raju, Child of the Sea, and the album’s most blues-infused cut, The Agile Wallaby.

The album reaches an elegant if slightly anticlimactic conclusion with Sea Blossom, a 7min 26sec drone-backed solo bamboo flute improvisation. Nevertheless, Cosmic Waves represents a significant symbiosis, one that respects and honours the depth, beauty and complexity of both Western jazz and Carnatic music.

Label: Underscore Records/Birdland
Rating: 4! stars

See more about Cosmic Waves here…
Cosmic Waves on The Weekend Planet
Cosmic Waves
New CD – Cosmic Waves

Cosmic Waves on The Weekend Planet

admin — Mon, 07 May 2012 12:25:02 +0000

The Weekend Planet, ABC Radio National Sunday 20 May 2012 9:05PM

‘Definitely not at the shallow end of ‘Indo-jazz fusion’ Cosmic Waves is a lovely, uncommonly creative cross-cultural encounter.

‘Its Australian leader is a great jazz saxophonist who lives in a beach suburb of Sydney.

‘The ocean has often inspired her; in this context it ‘became a metaphor for the flow of ideas between jazz and Carnatic music’, two musics ‘so deep, it takes a lot of commitment to speak interculturally.’

This is how Doug Spencer starts his 20 May 2012 program featuring Cosmic Waves. Read more on the Weekend Planet web page >

April 2012 Gig update – personnel changes

admin — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 08:20:06 +0000

Back from a successful trip to India, Sandy has unfortunately broken her nose, and is under doctor’s orders not to play for a month.

Please note these changes to Sandy’s appearances in April 2012

Tuesday 10th April: Matt Keegan will dep for Sandy with her sextet at 505 for Jazzgroove. Sandy will be directing the band (not that they need it!)

Sunday 15th April: Simon Barker will dep in for Sandy with Roger Dean and Phil Slater at The Kinetic Jazz Festival.

Friday 20th April: Andrew Robson will dep for Sandy with MARA! (Sandy replaced him in the band a couple of years ago after he replaced her, so he’s replacing Sandy, replacing him, replacing Sandy…or something like that…… Whatever way you look at it, there couldn’t be a more perfect dep)

The Koto Dreaming Concert at Camelot with Waratah and Satsuki Odamura and The Sawai Koto Ensemble has been rescheduled (see gig list on teh right of this page).

A huge thanks to Jeremy Rose who played at Jazz on the Green last Sunday. Sandy hopes to have him back in the future after his inspiring playing last Sunday. Sandy expects to be fine for the next Jazz On the Green date on Sunday 6th May. North Manly Bowling Club from 4pm til 6. Free entry

Sunday 15 April – SEDition at Kinetic Jazz 2012

admin — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 08:40:30 +0000

The grand masters that make up this trio have played together in other formations and musical contexts before. But in SEDition they will deviate from anything they’ve done together previously.

Sandy Evans, Roger Dean and Phil Slater, on an acoustic mission.

Download the flyer >>>>

Visit the Kinetic Jazz website >>>>

Sandy Evans

November News from Sandy

Sandy Evans Indian Project playing in Adelaide

Sandy Evans Trio Indian Project – Tour

Dates and details

Related show

JRMA Fundraiser – 12 July 2012

1. Paul Cutlan leading ‘The Jann Rutherford Quintet’.

2. Hannah James Quartet

3. The Sirens Big Band

Waratah – Art Gallery Residency July and August

Concert for Kenny

Featuring

Related show

Review: Cosmic Waves in The Australian

Cosmic Waves on The Weekend Planet

April 2012 Gig update – personnel changes

Sunday 15 April – SEDition at Kinetic Jazz 2012

Related show