(Garton’s) prowess as a musician is distinctive, frequently engendering an ethereal ambience in some compositions, creating a sense of mystery and drama.
—Eric Myers (The Australian)
The Scornful Four has recorded a new album of original compositions and improvisations, with a limited edition run of vinyl albums hitting the shelves of local record stores in July.
Following on from their 2023 live album which launched the project/imprint that has become the landmark Jazz in Meanjin series, the band has taken the fire and spontaneity of live performance into the studio.
Hopeful Music for Hopeless People is a two-sided reference: providing hope to those who feel like they are living in a hopeless world, but also as an antidote to the hopeless (read: useless) leaders that the world seems to be blighted by currently. The songs find beauty in the universality of the human experience: loved ones (‘Sun Drenched Son’, ‘Hymn for the Light’, ‘Like an Angel’), the passing of dearly beloved elders (‘Birthday Goodbyes’), parental advice (‘One Day You Will Know’) and the quiet comfort of warm beverages (‘For Tea’).
Recorded in a single three-hour session with the audiophile purity of only four condenser microphones (one for each musician) in one room, the album is imbued with an honesty and immediacy of communication and expression that is rarely heard, even on jazz records.
For fans of Gerry Mulligan, Sandy Evans, Bernie McGann, Ornette Coleman, Mark Simmonds.
The Scornful Four features Andrew Garton on saxophone, Sharon Elaine on trumpet, Helen Russell on bass and Aaron Jansz on drums.
The project eked out an existence as a Chet Baker/Gerry Mulligan Quartet rip-off/tribute with Garton on baritone saxophone, but a switch was made to alto with revered reference to the enigmatic beauty and undeniably Australian rasp of Bernie McGann, as well as the often chord-less ensembles of Ornette Coleman. The classic jazz hero-worship continues with nods to the legendary pianoless groups of Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane’s fiery 1960s ensembles, the intensity of Mark Simmonds and Scott Tinkler, and the genre-breaking excursions of Sandy Evans.
The launch show will take place as part of Slow Music Club 05 on Thursday September 17 at The Junk Bar.
The series celebrates space and minimalism in sound, and so the quartet will be presenting pieces within that framework—with new pieces and interpolations that invite the audience to connect deeply with the music. The Junk Bar’s dedicated performance room provides the ideal setting for this intimate experience, as the slow music club series continues to attract growing audiences seeking a welcome antidote to the hyperpaced drudgery of contemporary life.
Then we may just break the rules at the end of the night and showcase a couple of tunes from Hopeful Music for Hopeless People.
The Scornful Four will be joined by other local acts Voltfruit and Shade Hadie who will similarly perform their versions of “slow” sets.
Following on from their 2023 live album which launched the project/imprint that has become the landmark Jazz in Meanjin series, the band has taken the fire and spontaneity of live performance into the studio.
Hopeful Music for Hopeless People is a two-sided reference: providing hope to those who feel like they are living in a hopeless world, but also as an antidote to the hopeless (read: useless) leaders that the world seems to be blighted by currently. The songs find beauty in the universality of the human experience: loved ones (‘Sun Drenched Son’, ‘Hymn for the Light’, ‘Like an Angel’), the passing of dearly beloved elders (‘Birthday Goodbyes’), parental advice (‘One Day You Will Know’) and the quiet comfort of warm beverages (‘For Tea’).
Recorded in a single three-hour session with the audiophile purity of only four condenser microphones (one for each musician) in one room, the album is imbued with an honesty and immediacy of communication and expression that is rarely heard, even on jazz records.
For fans of Gerry Mulligan, Sandy Evans, Bernie McGann, Ornette Coleman, Mark Simmonds.
The Scornful Four features Andrew Garton on saxophone, Sharon Elaine on trumpet, Helen Russell on bass and Aaron Jansz on drums.
The project eked out an existence as a Chet Baker/Gerry Mulligan Quartet rip-off/tribute with Garton on baritone saxophone, but a switch was made to alto with revered reference to the enigmatic beauty and undeniably Australian rasp of Bernie McGann, as well as the often chord-less ensembles of Ornette Coleman. The classic jazz hero-worship continues with nods to the legendary pianoless groups of Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane’s fiery 1960s ensembles, the intensity of Mark Simmonds and Scott Tinkler, and the genre-breaking excursions of Sandy Evans.
The launch show will take place as part of Slow Music Club 05 on Thursday September 17 at The Junk Bar.
The series celebrates space and minimalism in sound, and so the quartet will be presenting pieces within that framework—with new pieces and interpolations that invite the audience to connect deeply with the music. The Junk Bar’s dedicated performance room provides the ideal setting for this intimate experience, as the slow music club series continues to attract growing audiences seeking a welcome antidote to the hyperpaced drudgery of contemporary life.
Then we may just break the rules at the end of the night and showcase a couple of tunes from Hopeful Music for Hopeless People.
The Scornful Four will be joined by other local acts Voltfruit and Shade Hadie who will similarly perform their versions of “slow” sets.
