Abel Cross's High 5

Historical article recovered from a Wayback capture dated 2018-02-24.

Abel has worked as a professional musician, composer, and teacher since graduating from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in 2007. He is a dedicated ‘genre-hopper’, writing and performing with his own original contemporary music projects, and as a sideman with a diverse range of musical luminaries from Australia and abroad. In recent years, Abel has grown to take a keen interest in new media project development and performance, which he continues to pursue. He can be seen performing regularly with groups such as the Abel Cross Neo-Bop Quintet and 3ofmillions.

“To select only five concerts that have influenced my own musical development has been no mean feat. Though I’ve been enlivened and inspired by many innumerable performers over the years, I can safely say that the five gigs below really changed the way I thought about music and what I wished to achieve through my own playing.”

1. ZENI GEVA – Wollongong Youth Centre, 1996

I was all of 15 when I saw this trio from Osaka perform. I really didn’t know what I was in for, but an older friend of mine let me know that these guys were a ‘must see’. After being exposed to trad jazz in my youth, I’d migrated to the more abrasive sounds of punk/hardcore and switched the trumpet for a bass guitar.

Zeni Geva challenged a lot of my early preconceptions of music. They had two guitars, drums, and no bass?! They played on low quality equipment (probably not a choice, but a reality of international touring) but had an incredibly powerful and unique sound. Also, they played in time signatures that I never even knew existed, but always maintained a strong groove.

Above all of these things, I got to chat with the guys in broken English after the show, and found they were the most open and humble people. Nothing like what my teen perception of a rock star was like. This really affirmed to me the importance of being a good person, and then a good musician.

2. MARK HELIAS TRIO – The Basement, 2001

This gig was a turning point for me. The trio was Mark Helias on the bass alongside Tony Malaby on tenor, and Gerald Cleaver on the drums. The initial thing that struck me was the incredible tonal control that these three guys had on their instruments. It was obvious that everything they played was just like they were hearing it and they were totally in the moment. The tunes that they played were Helias’, and each was a vehicle for exploration. Such open compositions. Such free playing combined with such strong ideas and intent.

I’d been dabbling with the double bass at this stage, more out of an interest for the instrument that any style of playing. But I walked out on to Reiby Place after the gig thinking, that’s what I want to do!

3. THE NECKS - Illawarra Performing Arts Centre, 2001

This may have been the first free-improvised gig I ever attended. It was at this time that I’d begun taking the double bass very seriously, and trying to balance that with completing a BSc. After seeing some gigs around the place I was really keen to see these guys cut loose (particularly Lloyd on the bass!) but that’s not what they did at all.

There was so much space in the music this night. More so than any time that I’ve seen the Necks perform subsequently. It was as though each note was being plucked from thin air, with each new turn in the music appearing in the same way before floating and slowly vaporising back in to the aether. Chris, Lloyd and Tony each made their own statements but developed the music in such a unified way, each listening as much as playing. This gig really opened my eyes to the power of space and the strength of simplicity.

4. TIM O’DWYER TRIO - Wollongong Conservatorium of Music, 2006

This gig took place after I’d moved away from Wollongong to study at the Sydney Conservatorium. It was one of the first tours that Trio Apoplectic embarked on, and for this night we were sharing the stage with this trio of Tim O’Dwyer, Clayton Thomas, and Darren Moore. In retrospect, I was very glad that we played first, because they blew us off the stage.

It was a hot summer night, and from the first note Tim played the band was ON! Each of the guys had a ferocious sound on their instrument when played conventionally and each used a variety of extended techniques and preparations, which combined to create an amazing dynamic and textural range in the band. The boundaries between pre-composed and free-composed material were blurred as seamlessly as I’ve ever witnessed. It was a truly fantastic master-class in collective intuition, intent, and energy.

5. JOHN McNEIL/BILL McHENRY QUARTET – The Village Vanguard 2007

I attended this gig at the end of a month-long pilgrimage to NYC. Whilst there I’d taken lessons with Henry Grimes, Rufus Reid, Mark Helias, and Drew Gress and seen some amazing bands; Bley/Peacock/Motian, Paul Motian Trio, Trio 3 w/ Geri Allen, Ellery Eskellin & Jim Black. The whole trip had been such a jolt to someone who was weary from four years of study at music school. The decision to check these guys out was really on a punt. I didn’t know the band, but they were playing at the Vanguard so, why not?

This quartet turned out to be the best gig I saw on this trip to NYC. It was the last gig of their week at the Vanguard and they were cookin’. The focus of the band is to play a lot of old and obscure bebop repertoire but to perform it in an open and very contemporary way. It rocked my world. These four guys shared a deep intuition, razor-sharp wit, and respect for the tradition, and presented ‘old’ music in a way that sounded totally fresh. It was like hearing Ornette Coleman’s ‘Shape of Jazz to Come’ for the first time. Not so much for what they played, but for the vibe that was in the room. And of course to hear it in the ‘best jazz club in the world’ made it a most memorable experience.