Mike Kenny´s Lab Band – Album Launch
In January this year Mike Kenny recorded two nights of live music at Colbourne Ave. The album is almost ready, and they’ll be playing the songs this week to warm you up for their upcoming CD and DVD launch. Three horns, piano, bass, and drums, playing original Sydney jazz. This album captures the energy and passion of six wonderful improving musicians in a moment in time:
- Mike Kenny: Trumpet Flugelhorn
- Richard Maegraith: Saxophones, bass clarinet
- Jason Morphett: Saxophones
- John Harkins: Piano
- Brendan Clarke: Double Bass
- Jamie Castrisos: Drums
Since completing an Associate Diploma in Jazz Studies at the Sydney Conservatorium in 1992, Mike Kenny has become a recognised artist on the local jazz scene; performing with the likes of Mike Nock, Judy Bailey, Rod White and other well known musicians. As band leader and principal composer, Mike also formed the ten-piece jazz ensemble ‘Selah‘ in 1995. Selah produced two CDs and toured country NSW, Victoria, and overseas to Turkey in 2001 and Kazakhstan in 2002.
‘Mike Kenny’s Lab Band’ was originally a place to try out ideas and keep sane. Eventually, someone who had some biff worked out that they were actually making pretty good music and let them loose at a few jazz festivals. Much to everyone’s surprise ‘the civilians’ actually liked their music, and these square pegs in round holes got a bunch more gigs, just before the top brass decided that that much fun at taxpayers expense should be stopped. So they went their own way until Mike had the idea:
‘Lets re-institutionalise the de-militarised lab rats, add a couple of Jazz cats (Harko and Clarkey) and see what happens!’
Now take some old standards that everyone knows and loves, run them through some vigorous experiments involving the harmonies of John Coltrane and Roger Frampton and who knows, sparks might fly, explosions take place and the hypothesis that music is the merging of melodies, minds, modes and past masters be proved.
About the venue
Colbourne Ave is a listening venue, an acoustic venue, a place where you can hear the details in the music, located in Glebe. It is a venue for Jazz, with an emphasis on the piano.
Music starts at 8pm ever Thursday. Usually, it’s two sets with a break for coffee and a chat – all over between 10 and 11pm, but you are welcome to hang around and finish with a bottle of wine after that. It is a very comfy venue with relaxing lounges, soft lamps and candles, an excellent piano, great acoustics, eclectic programming and access for all ages.
What: Album Lunch – Mike Kenny´s Lab Band
When: 9th of July 2015, 8pm
Where: Colbourne Ave, St Hohns Road, Glebe
$20 / $10 Concession; byo dinner, snacks, beverages, glasses provided