JAZZ CD OF THE WEEK

SCOTT TlNKLER: SOFA KING

ORiGiN Music

CD GUIDE

distinctive

AT LAST we can look Jeff Kennett (patron of the Wangaratta Jazz Festival) in the eye. Sydney has a modern jazz club to rival Bennett's Lane in Melbourne. I refer of course to the Side On Cafe at Annandale, where this outstanding CD will he launched on Friday. You must book. As it happens the disc was recorded in the downstairs studio of the famous Knitting Factory club in Brooklyn, where Scott Tinkler's trio had just performed to much acclaim.

Original jazz talents do it fairly hard in Australia (witness Bernie McGann). We expect a copy of some Arnerican stylist. You can still hear the very modern influence of trumpeter Dave Douglas from John Zorn's Masada band on this disc, but Tinkler has increasingly buried that beneath his own vocabulary and very distinctive sound. There is a direct Australian influence on the concept of his trio - and that comes from Mark Simmonds's fiercely propulsive Freeboppers. Once again, Tinkler has developed this in his own direction

We have here the hard, stark combination of trumpet and drums (Simon Barker) propelled by the thick, dark powerful bowstring of the well named Adam Armstrong's double bass. Chasing each other through many time changes, dividing rhythmically to meet around the other side of the bush, this trio is more intense and exciting than almost anything coming out of America at the moment. Tinkler has lately added a few gradations of intensity before he has those shattering brassy peaks.

John Clare

*****

***** EXCEPTIONAL
**** EXCELLENT
*** VERY GOOD
** AVERAGE
* POOR