Toby Wren
Jazzworx
24 August

The ambience of the Jazzworx performance space was transcended with mesmorising drones from an electronic shruti box and a sunset red stage wash, setting an exotic mise-en-scene in anticipation of Toby Wren’s world premiere, carnatic jazz fusion collaboration.

He was joined by mrdangam virtuoso Eshwarashanker Jeyarajan (mrdangam, ghatam); Sean Foran (piano, keyboards, harmonium); Helen Russell (double bass); and Joseph Marchisella (drumset).

This innovative concert featured Toby Wren’s latest compositions, fusing elements of jazz and carnatic (south indian classical) music. Toby’s first carnatic Uh Oh, was performed with the full band and provided a fresh insight into his learning and influences after returning from a research trip to India in 2006.

The piece seemed complex and certainly not written for easy listening, with it’s abundance of melodic ideas and rhythmic textures based on four beat cycles divided into five.

Toby and Eshwarashanker also performed as a duo, playing Toby’s brilliant blues tune Jazz Hands, re-contextualised in the carnatic jazz fusion style.

After introducing a clearly recognisable head, the tune delved deep into carnatic tradition by introducing descending melodic motifs, evoking sounds of the Indian sitar, via Toby’s use of a technique of pulling away through a series of legato notes down the fret board.

The effect was stylistically authentic and quite beautiful, with joyful spontaneity intersecting between jazz licks and carnatic cliches. The masterful interactions between guitar and mrdangam seemed much more like a fluid conversation rather than simply exchanging complimenting rhythmic statements as is often heard in a jazz context.

The overall performance provided some excellent improvisations from across the band featuring some ‘outrageous outbursts’ of exciting exchanges between Joe and Eshwarashanker.

Combining informed composition, exoticism, free style jazz technique, with a splash of Australian larrikinism, this innovative new work is poised to be one of the most exciting contributions of contemporary jazz fusion to come out of Brisbane.

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Hash Varsani is the owner of The Jazz Directory, a network of sites related to jazz, travel and everything else he loves. He also runs a selection of jazz related sites including Jazz Club Jury, a jazz club and festival review site. Check out his Google+ Profile, to see what else he's up to...probably setting up another website from one of his many passions.

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