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Jonathan Zwartz's High 5
Jonathan Zwartz's High 5 Jonathan Zwartz is one of Australia's leading Jazz Musicians. He has played and recorded with many of the most outstanding…
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Jonathan Zwartz is one of Australia’s leading Jazz Musicians. He has played and recorded with many of the most outstanding Australian music artists including Katie Noonan, Renee Geyer, Vince Jones, Bernie McGann, Mike Nock, Dale Barlow, Sandy Evans, Tina Harrod, Steve Kilby and James Morrison.
He is in demand to back international stars on their Australian tours and has played with American Jazz artists Pharoah Sanders, Branford Marsalis, Chico Freeman, Andy Bey, Mark Murphy, Kurt Elling, Johnny Griffin, Barbara Morrison, Larry Goldings, Ben Monder, Tim Ries and Billy Drummond and UK Superstars Nigel Kennedy, Cleo Laine and John Dankworth, among others.
Jonathan co-produced a 10 part documentary series on Jazz in Australia titled ‘the Pulse’ involving over 100 musicians and 10 venues which has been screened and re-screened on ABC television since it’s airing in October 2001.
He has organised many noteworthy events in the Australian Music scene including the Starfish Club (which was co founded with Hamish Stuart, Jane Zwartz and Lisa Krieger and broadcast live to air on ABC Radio National) as well as live music programs for Sydney venues Winebanc and the Astral Bar. Winebanc particularly boasted some notable ‘unadvertised’ performances by stars such as Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Christian McBride, Joshua Redman, Carlos Santana Band, Alicia Keyes Band, and the Rolling Stones Touring band with Keith Richards and Ron Woods in the audience.
He has a Masters Degree in Music Performance at the Australian National University and also has an associate Diploma in Jazz Studies from the NSW Conservatorium of Music where he studied with Don Burrows.
Jonathan has also studied in the USA with Rodney Whitaker (Lincoln Centre Orchestra) at the Michigan State University, and with bass luminaries Ray Brown, Rufus Reid and Milt Hinton in New York.
He recorded a debut CD in January of 2008 with Barney McAll, Hamish Stuart, Doug deVries, Phil Slater and Fabian Hevia entitled ‘The Sea’ which was released in November 2009. This album won two prestigious ‘Bell’ Awards in 2010.
Jonathan is currently working with vocalist Tina Harrod, having played on her ‘Worksongs’ album and co-writing and co-producing with Tina, her follow up ‘Temporary People’.
‘Worksongs’ won a Bell award for best Jazz Vocal album, 2009.
“These are but five, but really there are many inspiring gigs I have seen here and overseas, and in different genres. Also there are players on the local Sydney scene who inspire me every time I see them, like Simon Barker, Phil Slater, Matt McMahon, Bernie McGann, Chris Abrahams, Tina Harrod, Carl Dewhurst, Zoe Hauptmann, Bobby Gebert, Andrew Dickeson, Dale Barlow, Kristin Berardi, Hamish Stuart, and many many more. They inspire me because they all are really good at what they do, they have an individual voice, and they never cease their quest for musical knowledge. They remind me that it’s music itself that informs me of what I don’t know, and therefore my next step ”
1. LARRY GOLDINGS TRIO – Augies NYC, 1989
I still have a cassette bootleg of this gig somewhere. Larry Goldings would have been about 19 years old or something, he was playing a DX7 (remember those?) with a volume pedal to simulate tremolo and a mini moog that had half of it’s key tops missing, - they were replaced with Popsicle sticks. They played a selection of standards but it was Larry’s solo on ‘I didn’t know what time it was’ that really shook me, idea after great idea, groovy as hell, dynamic, lyrical, and building every chorus,- it sends shivers down my back thinking of it. One of those great musical moments that happen on a gig and I was lucky enough to be there when it happened.
There’s a certain intellectual cool about the way NY musicians play standards, it runs deep, it’s not only the arrangements but also how they play the song and use quotes as part of a musical language that comes all the way down from bebop and beyond.
2. ORNETTE COLEMAN BAND – Berne Music Festival, 1991
I was touring in Europe at the time and Ornette came on with his band that included Jamaladeen Tacuma on electric bass. This music was really out! I had listened to Ornette for ages but to see him with this particular band live was a very different experience . I remember at one point in one of the tunes this amazing cacophony of 7 different instruments all playing in a different meter, and seemingly different tunes even, all going full steam ahead relentlessly until they all spiralled down on this one note, which was the end of the tune. I was amazed, like how did they do that?
Ornette has a really joyful sound to his playing, which I find to be something of a paradox when you think of the music he’s recorded, and how heavy and dark it can be.
3. WAYNE SHORTER BAND – Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, April 2010
This was one of the most amazing concerts I have seen. Controversial to be sure! People walked out. But for me, it was like super condensed brain food, the music a stimulating layer upon layer upon layer, and all the while the poor inadequate brain trying to catch up, until finally about 15 minutes into the concert it does catch up and suddenly the music is sublime. It was like seeing a continuation of the spirit of Miles Davis. Pushing the creative and artistic boundaries and using every single piece of musical skill possessed (and those musicians weren’t short of musical ability), to do it. Incredible musicianship sublimated to a musical idea. All happening in the ‘now’.
Amazing, and really inspiring.
4. MIKE NOCK SOLO – The Basement, Sydney, Jan 2nd 2008
Mike Nock playing solo anytime is great, but this night he was on fire. Mike is forever pushing the creative boundaries, and on this night his playing created this effect of shimmering notes. There was a flow to his ideas and it seemed as if he could play anything he heard, any idea in the inner ear . Mike’s love and respect for music was/is beautiful, evident and understated. Music first, always.
5. JAMES MULLER & JOHN SCOFIELD – Wangaratta Jazz Festival Nov 1 2009
James came on the stage with his trio and played a one of his tunes before inviting John Scofield up to play. He admitted to being nervous about having his great inspiration and mentor play next to him on stage in his introduction, so everyone in the marquee began to feel this energy of expectation. John Scofield set the tone by starting with a duet arrangement of ‘We’ (Dizzy Gillespie) where they both played the head, and then playing in a way that encouraged an exchange of ideas and discouraged a cutting contest. And so what followed was this electrically charged concert with these two incredible musicians taking each other on an exploration of the music, and the audience totally hooked and along for the ride.
