For the second year, Adelaide Festival Centre will join the global celebrations for UNESCO’s International Jazz Day. On April 30, two SA jazz ensembles will join forces to celebrate this international event. Returning after their sold-out concert in 2022 The New Standard will celebrate women composers with their all-female band, and they will be joining forces with jazz trio ER@SER DESCRIPTION.
ER@SER DESCRIPTION’s unique style of music, performed by two synth players (Dave Goodwin and Jack Strempel) and a drummer (Alex Flood), blends jazz, fusion, pop and soul. ER@SER DESCRIPTION have performed at Perth International Jazz Festival and supported acclaimed Australian artists such as Kate Cebrano and Paulini.
The band’s drummer, Alex Flood, caught up with me recently to talk about ER@SER DESCRIPTION.
“Dave Goodwin started the band around the end of 2015 when we were all at Adelaide Uni studying jazz. We mainly wanted to take the knowledge and skills we had learnt studying jazz and apply them to synth and fusion music, so we had an excuse to buy more keyboards!
“Being a group of two keyboard players and a drummer, the band kind of gave us a freedom and an outlet to be front and centre playing music the way we wanted to, and allowing each of us to morph between being the lead instrument, the rhythm section, or the soloist. Being friends first and band mates second has really allowed us to be creative and innovative in what music we play and produce.”
Over the last few years, ER@SER DESCRIPTION has produced and recorded some fantastic albums, but they’ve also performed for and with some incredible artists. I asked Alex if they have moments where they stop and pinch themselves at how quickly things have progressed for them.
“Though we have fun on stage and off, we have always taken our music and work ethic seriously. A mantra that often pops up is ‘we take the music seriously, but not ourselves’. Working hard to challenge ourselves and create a new sound has led to us creating music and forming relationships with some pretty amazing people and artists, and while we sometimes can’t believe the incredible opportunities we’ve had, we are always proud of the hard work that went into the music and ourselves to get there.”
As younger musicians, do they think that their age helps to open the door to exposing a younger generation to jazz music?
“We didn’t really think about our age or target demographic, goals etc when we first started making music together. It was all about the music, and the audience just organically followed and grew from that.
“At the time, we were all at university studying music so a lot of our initial demographic came from friends, and then friends of friends, and then naturally our audiences diversified as we gigged more and released more music. I think our music is very unique and exciting to younger musicians, students, etc, and therefore accessible, and has provided a pathway to help younger people to appreciate so-called ‘jazz music’.”
Alex and I discussed how important it is for venues like Adelaide Festival Centre to present events for international Jazz Day, and focus on women in jazz.
“All art venues, regardless of size or stature, have a responsibility to represent the art and culture of the local community. Adelaide Festival Centre has been a staple for showcasing international, national and local talent for many years, across multiple art forms, but to really focus on women in jazz is vitally important for growth in representation. Women and other minorities have been underrepresented in too many art forms for too long and it is great to see a venue as important as Adelaide Festival Centre provide a focus on this, and more than anything, let us access music from anyone who creates it.”
Performing alongside The New Standard, ER@SER DESCRIPTION promises us a wonderful night of live music.
“We’ll be presenting a mix of old and new material, but especially leaning into new forms of electronic improvisation using drum sequencers (drum machines), midi triggering, and live effects in a dance music frame of mind.”
UNESCO International Jazz Day with ER@STER DESCRIPTION and The New Standard will be at the Dunstan Playhouse, 30 April at 7.30pm. Further information and tickets can be found here: https://www.adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au/whats-on/international-jazz-day .
Interviewed by Ben Stefanoff
More News
