Keeping up a cracking pace with these blogs, I know! At least it’s less than a year since the last one.
I’m sure you are all aware that the Queensland Music Festival is currently happening, in Brisbane and far-flung places around the state. A very special event is happening this Saturday night 13/7 in the QPAC concert hall. The Genius of John Rodgers is a performance that will show-case the amazing diversity of the talents of said JR, John Bone, the Rat, however you know him. There is a long list of participants, including the Queensland Orchestra, Kate Miller-Heidke, Scott Tinkler, Simon Barker, Paul Grabowsky, Pearly Black, Megan Sarmardin, Andy McDonnell, Jamie Clark, Erkki Veltheim, and even me, as a member of the ‘Art Choir’. It will be an amazing celebration of John’s multifarious talents, hope you can join us.
Ok, now the smaller gig. Once a year or so, I get to lead my own band as vocalist/bassist, at the Brisbane Jazz Club. This year it’s Thursday next week, the 18th of July, and the tricky bit is that it’s not at the BJC. That beloved little building on the river is undergoing some renovations, and in the meantime, the shows are happening at the Russian Club, 19 Lotus Street, Woolloongabba. It’s one of those cute little suburban halls (although really this is pretty inner-city) with a proper stage and tea & coffee making facilities. Most of them have a portrait of the Queen but I don’t think there is one because, well, it’s the Russian Club. I’ll be joined by Bruce Woodward on guitar and Aaron Jansz on drums, with a special guest, Josh Hatcher on saxes. I’ll be singing a bunch of OLD songs (I’ve almost got a whole set from 1934), many by well-known composers, but the twist is, the songs I do are not the well-known ones. I like to champion the less performed songs, that are every bit as good, but for whatever reason, not heard often, at least not in Australian jazz. Many of them come with a back story – I’ve been doing my research! So I hope you can join us at 7:30.
Event website:http://www.brisbanejazzclub.com.au/#event|helen-russell-trio-at-queensland-russian-community-ctr|1818