live music

  • Piano Man. Taking the panel off my Beale — video

    I removed the front panel of my Beale piano! I thought it would be fun to see all those moving hammers. Some of my students don’t know what’s inside an old-fashioned piano, so I played a short version of Billy… Continue reading

    Piano Man. Taking the panel off my Beale — video
  • Chong Ali at the Flamin’ Galah

    Photography 📷 @le_akira Last year I reviewed Chong Ali at The Flamin’ Galah for Scenestr, but I never put it on my blog. In these Covid lock-down times I thought it would be good to relive some of that. I’ve… Continue reading

    Chong Ali at the Flamin’ Galah
  • Andre Bonetti

    Above: Andre Bonetti in Greshka at SCHEMA Festival 2019. Photo by SCHEMA Collective I write about Andre Bonetti every year. I’m mad about his 17-piece metal jazz big band Valtozash Bigband, and have likened him to enfant terrible Django Bates… Continue reading

    Andre Bonetti
  • The SCHEMA Collective

    SCHEMA Festival 2019 was in November and I went there to write a review for Scenestr. Some of the SCHEMA Collective took time out to chat, so here’s more about them. Rashid Alkamraikhi is a co-founder of the Collective, and… Continue reading

    The SCHEMA Collective
  • ‘Going Home’, Haystack Mountain Hermits CD review

    Country music is new to me, but the Haystack Mountain Hermits put me right in the picture: tell me a story, let your instruments sing out, and fill my space with your glorious harmonies.  This is Australian country music at… Continue reading

    ‘Going Home’, Haystack Mountain Hermits CD review
  • Chong Ali and Akira Le: growing the fam

    Photo of Chong Ali by Akira Le. A lovely thing has happened to me. I am meeting creative Asians in Queensland. You know, the ones who didn’t pursue STEM careers. There are a lot of them! I started meeting some… Continue reading

    Chong Ali and Akira Le: growing the fam
  • Review: Laughing Buddha by Chong Ali

    Laughing Buddha is a new single by Vietnamese Australian emcee Chong Ali, who hails from Brisbane. It premiered on Australian music portal Tone Deaf on July 23 2019. I love this. Chong Ali is a poet. With a big heart… Continue reading

    Review: Laughing Buddha by Chong Ali
  • Estampa @ Brisbane Jazz Club

    This review was first published in Scenestr and the Brisbane Jazz Club website. Fancy some wine at a Parisian brasserie, or sharing tapas at a café in Rio? We packed suitcases, headed for the Brisbane Jazz Club on Thursday July… Continue reading

    Estampa @ Brisbane Jazz Club