Different musical experiences but it’s still jazz

Out of Invercargill and touring the whole country is a twopiece noise machine called Murgatroyd, and they’re coming to play at Lucky Bar + Kitchen on January 10.

Touring in support of their “savage” new EP titled SHARPS!, the “electroscum munters bring their seething, uncompromising live show” to Whanganui for one night only.

“Murgatroyd is a two-piece employing guitars, vocals and drum machine to make noisy sludge rock,” says Matt Hoffman. He and Jordan Cossill make up the band.

“This year has been a banner year for us — we released and toured an EP in March this year, and received the Band of the Year accolade at this year’s Southland Entertainment Awards. The great Duke Ellington was quoted as saying, “I don’t know how such great extremes as now exist can be contained under the one heading of jazz”.

The music evolved quickly, from Dixie to swing, bebop to cool, free and avant-garde . . . and that takes us only to the 60s. The question of what jazz is rages on, with saxophonist Jake

“We’ve recorded our second EP, titled SHARPS!, and are touring the North Island in support of it. We’re playing loads of places we’ve never been before, including Whanganui, and we’re super excited to bring the madness to your town!

“We try to bring an uncompromising, intense show that borders on performance art. Basically, we bring sick riffs, walls of guitar noise, and epic, sometimes harrowing, vocals. Basically, we like to get out of our minds when we perform, and shed the humdrum strictures that everyday life imposes on us.”

Murgatroyd are Jordan Cossill — guitar, effects, aerobatics; Matt Hoffman — vox, drum machine, effects, nightmares. Baxendale of Jazz Aotearoa quoted as saying, “if someone says they play jazz, then that’s good enough for me”.

Jake will be in town this Saturday performing with his band Antipodes at the Musicians’ Club at 8pm. The group focuses on an interactive approach to the music, the strong melodies tying together long, open improvisations. Described as “a northern European aesthetic with an authentic Australasian feel”, the sounds are drawn from a mixture of contemporary jazz, pop and folk and improvised music.

Compare that to multiinstrumentalist Geoff Culverwell’s description of the latest version of his VSOP Quintet, performing this Sunday at Lucky Bar & Kitchen at 6pm.

“Adding the Latin /Afro Cuban fusion element to the repertoire has added another dimension and a serious quota of groove to proceedings . . . I will see if I can get Rafael (Cuban percussionist) to do some salsa for you! Look forward to some authentic Afro-Cuban grooves and some Portuguese vocal. Tranquila!”

These are two different musical experiences. What you can be sure of is that you will hear music you have not heard before, played by some talented and accomplished musicians.

The Wanganui Jazz Club is presenting these events. Contact president Ken on 022 431 5434