Place
When Aaron Choulai was only twenty-one, Paul Grabowsky called this debut “a milestone in Australian jazz”. The disc presents original compositions recorded in a New York studio with leading American players.
Tim Ries tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone
Scott Wendholt trumpet
James Genus double bass
Clarence Penn drums
Choulai wrote most of the programme for the session, hearing New York from the outside as a young Papuan–Chinese–Jewish Australian who had not yet been there. Tim Ries, Scott Wendholt, James Genus and Clarence Penn, long steeped in that city’s jazz life, gave the charts a lived-in force he felt few others could match.
The set moves from the title piece through Tic Toc, Dreams of Paper Roses, Twenty One, Lotte, the scorching The Return of Dixon and Bedira, and closes with the standard You Don’t Know What Love Is.
Most of the music was written specifically for this album. At the time New York was in the forefront of my mind and I guess subconsciously I was trying to recreate an impression of the New York jazz tradition.
It is quite different from anything I have written before and is what New York sounds like to a 20 year old Papuan, Chinese, Jewish Australian who had never been there at the time. Tim, Scott, Clarence and James, who are very much the 'real deal' and have lived and worked in New York most of their lives, interpreted the music in a way which brought it to life for me, and in a way which I doubt many musicians could.
Reviews
... his compositions are freshly inventive, with The Return of Dixon the scorching standout. An impressive debut ...
... an inventive, thoughtful and intelligent pianist with a midas touch, who is both rhythmically and harmonically adept.
augmented by Wendholt's supercharged soloing endeavors. We surmise, that the best is yet to come from this bright, twenty-one year old artiste.
A startlingly good first-up effort. . . Given the breadth of Choulai's performing interests, this is just the beginning of a beautiful career - but it's a mighty fine start.
Artists
Aaron Choulai
It was at Bennetts Lane in early 2003 that New York saxophonist Tim Ries, in Melbourne for the Rolling Stones tour, discovered Aaron playing. Tim was so impressed that they played together in Melbourne and Tim encouraged Aaron to come to New York to record with some of New York's finest jazz players.
James Genus
James Genus (born 1966) is an American jazz bassist on electric bass guitar and upright bass, long established in New York as a session musician and sideman.
Audio previews
Tracks
- Place Aaron Choulai 8:18
- Tic Toc Aaron Choulai 4:47
- Dreams of Paper Roses Aaron Choulai 5:29
- Twenty One Aaron Choulai 7:22
- Lotte Aaron Choulai 9:16
- The Return of Dixon Aaron Choulai 7:24
- Bedira Aaron Choulai 9:47
- You Don't Know What Love Is 6:27
Performers
- Aaron Choulai
- Tim Ries · tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone
- Scott Wendholt
- James Genus
- Clarence Penn
Where to listen
Place is available as a CD. It can be purchased online through Buywell Music or the Australian Music Centre which both offer online ordering.
Product details
- Catalogue number
- MD 3285
- List price
- $25.00 AUD
- Total playing time
- 58 minutes 50 seconds
- Thanks to
- Pacific Islands Trade and Investment Commission Australia
- Release date
- 2004
- Musical work
copyright - © 2003 Aaron Choulai
- Sound recording
copyright - ℗ 2004 Move Records
- Categories
- Australian, Jazz
- Genre
- Jazz & Improvised
- Barcode
- EAN 9314574328523