This year’s UNESCO International Jazz Day concert is a celebration of Adelaide’s compositional talent, featuring all original works from local artists. It is the finale performance of the 2024 Adelaide Jazz Festival.
Led by double bassist and composer Enne Rignanese, the Enne R. Project features drummer Zed Crawford, pianist Dave McEvoy, trumpeter Jackson Faulkner, saxophonists Jackie Wilde and Emile Ryjoch, and trombonist Alex Taylor.
A burgeoning talent in Adelaide’s jazz writing community, Enne R. received the 2023 COMA Emerging Jazz Writer’s Award for their work at last year’s International Jazz Day event. At this concert, they announce pianist, vocalist and composer Ciara Ferguson as the winner of the 2024 COMA Emerging Jazz Writer’s Award.
Enne R. does not seem to see limits when it comes to rhythm. Photo: supplied
Enne R. seems quite comfy performing at what they call a “fancy” jazz gig on one of Adelaide’s most well-known stages, running the audience through some jazz etiquette such as the use of “woo!” “yeah!” and “c’mon!” to acknowledge improvisations that resonate.
“E r r o r”, from their latest album, feels like being lost in a big city. Melody and sound flies in all directions with a frantic and brash melody. Ryjoch plays a solo of cascading bebop.
Their compositions “Pitter Patter”, “Double Empathy” and “Inertia” display a writing confidence. Enne R. does not seem to see limits when it comes to rhythm, with overlapping and interplaying rhythms featured in all of their works. “Masquerade” adds a touch of whimsy with its bass clarinet and clarinet melody.
“Dysphoria” is an arresting and powerful work reflecting the struggles of transgender communities, using singers Chelsea Lee and Courtney Hooper to give a voice to that experience.
Elder Conservatorium graduate Thomas Voss is a regular performer on the Adelaide jazz scene as a highly regarded trombonist and composer. A nominee for the 2022 Freedman Jazz Fellowship, he has performed in jazz festivals and orchestras across Australia with the likes of Vince Jones and Kate Ceberano.
Voss is charming as he introduces each piece. A bebop swinger, “Gone Postal”, starts his set before it moves into softer territory with “Dave’s Lullaby” and “Breathe”. A nod to late Adelaide trombonist Nick Mulder follows with one of his compositions, “Child’s Play”. It features Voss’s searing trumpet section, ripping up into the stratosphere.
One of the night’s highlights is “Stoner”, inspired by John Edward Williams’ novel of the same name. Guitarist Benjamin Finnis and pianist Dave McEvoy open the piece with a gentle and tender performance of Voss’s melody. When bassist Bonnie Grynchuk and drummer Sam Millar join them, it lands beautifully. It sounds like a sunrise. The band emanates a real warmth as the composition takes an understated journey through the life of Williams. Finnis shines.
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Another notable work, “Ghost Town”, begins theatrically with lots of unusual and eerie sounds. This piece feels urgent, reflecting on the loss of native flora and fauna across Australia. Its climax is an existential scream for help across the band and features soloist Lachlan McGargill’s tenor saxophone. Voss’s music is so organic in the way it builds, yet not predictable at all.
The set ends with a bombastic, bright and noisy swing number: “Vote 1”.
When a showcase like this comes around in Adelaide it is special to see so many musicians who are all incredible players and writers in their own right coming together to create something bigger. As international artists flock to the city for our numerous festivals throughout the year, it is easy to forget the high quality of young, innovative voices that are on our own doorstep.
The UNESCO International Jazz Day concert was presented at the Dunstan Playhouse on April 30 as part of the Adelaide Jazz Festival.
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