1. Growing Up
I grew up in a musical family – everyone had a hack on the old quarter-tone-flat heirloom piano, which was very treasured during big family hangs. Impressionistic classical music became unknowingly interesting to me, as well as the rock/pop songs I played with bands and jammed with friends in high school.
2. Inspirations
I really got into the Wayne Shorter Quartet albums like Speak No Evil and JuJu when I became serious about learning about jazz piano at uni. Certain patriarchs of piano were really fundamental to me in certain ways – Keith Jarrett, Paul Bley, and of course Herbie Hancock and Chick. After absorbing a bit of jazz I became growingly interested in improvisation within and outside of the style.
3. Your Band
In the first jam I had with Ken [Allars] and Finn [Ryan], we realised we should work on this trio and make something of it. Jamming out these epic melodies, we aimed to take the material as a reference point and improvise textural journeys, tending to keep it fresh by improvising new sections and endings, and sometimes beginnings. Finn is so distinctive. His drumming tends to challenge certain conventions. On trumpet, Ken has this insane ability to just make everything a timely blossom and he pulls you in via his incredible sound and virtuosity.
4. The Music You Make
The live session we recorded last year captured our favourite material. We are super excited to be playing a few concerts in the middle of August to release the album Amoroso.
5. Music, Right Here, Right Now
I’ve found the Sydney jazz and improvised music scene so diverse and really supportive. There are always amazing bands playing at Jazzgroove, SIMA and Foundry, not to mention the hangs that tend to spring up all over the place.
Grey Wing Trio play SIMA at The Sound Lounge on Friday August 1
