Fridays @ Cross Street is an ongoing series presenting the new wave in jazz, experimental and new music. Shows in a relaxed and cosy setting-in the Library – an intimate 25 seat salon style venue, and in the main hall.
Cross Street aims to connect the local community with new and exciting musical ideas- creating an inviting, fun and enriching listening experience. Cross Street are pleased & excited to share this night with the BMF 2024
8:pm-8:50 Loose Leaf Trio (Library)
9.15pm-10:15pm Gemma Horbury; “The Story of The Earth” (Main Hall)
10:45-11:30 pm Blah Blah Bley-play the music of Carla Bley (Library)
Loose Leaf: Saragossi/Svoboda/van der Schyff
Led by award-winning saxophonist Andrew Saragossi and featuring two of Australia’s most idiosyncratic and exciting improvisers Helen Svoboda (d.bass) and Dylan van der Schyff (drums), Loose Leaf (MEL/CAN), are an adventurous trio who thrive in the penumbra of jazz and improvised music. The group employ a captivating blend of individual expression and collective exploration to cultivate moments of profound beauty, fierce intensity, deep groove and pure spontaneous ecstasy. “I don’t know much but I do know this – music is about feelings and communication and the trio Loose Leaf have both in spades.” – Ian Muldoon, The Music Trust Each member brings a deeply personal and fearless approach to their instrument and music in general, employing extended techniques and textural improvisation, alongside expressive lyricism to create a truly unique listening experience every time. “…Andrew’s thumbprint of inventiveness on the page and on the horn is perceptible. Alongside his lilting and explosive expression, Dylan’s effervescent kit stylings and Helen’s impressive bowing technique and commanding voice on the bass come together to provide, on each measure, intrigue, delight and wonderment to the ear.” – Josh Underhill, Hot Cup of Jazz The trio released their debut album “How We Cope” in April 2023 through the Brisbane-based independent label MADE NOW MUSIC. After concluding a national tour in support of the release in May & June 2023, the trio are now looking forward to returning to Brisbane in November to perform at the Brisbane International Jazz Festival.
Gemma Horbury – The Story of Earth
This is the story of Earth, from its beginnings in a cloud of stardust, 4.6 billion years ago. A trek through time from the first oceans and the formation of the moon, to finding the “just right” balance of oxygen in the atmosphere.
Tumble back to the present at 100 million years a minute, in a story shared through words, gestures and music.
Gemma Horbury is an artist, performer and community collaborator working across sound, music, video and installation.
She curates Melbourne’s iconic exploratory music and sound night La Mama Musica, and performs regularly with ensembles including Lo-res and the JazzLab Orcheztra. In 2019, her group ThunderGrass won the Melbourne International Women’s Jazz Festival Recording Prize.
Gem uses art to imagine radical futures: new ways to live together in the time of climate emergency. From the site-specific aeonium installation “grow” (Thornbury Station), to the animation “Things With Holes In” (SeenSound), and “Ritual for Plastic and Everlastings” (with Emily Bennett at Make it Up Club), Gemma plays with notions of ugly/beautiful, dead/alive, and trash/treasure to draw attention to the dissociative state humanity so readily accepts. #ListenForTheFuture, begun during Melbourne’s second lockdown in 2020, invites people to share their vision for tomorrow through short audio-visual artworks. Listening is also at the heart of her recent work creating rituals for connection, slowing down and exploring interspecies relationships.
Blah Blah Bley – Play the Music Of Carla Bley
Matt Sheen piano Stephen Hornby bass Ronny Ferella drums
Blah Blah Blah – a conventional jazz piano trio setting that moves from the sublime to the absurd. Powered by the music, spirit & creativity of the American composer/pianist Carla Blay. One of the true originals from the jazz tradition. Bley’s music can be sweet, funny, dreamy and just simply beautiful.
This is old music played new- by three of Melbourne’s forward thinking jazz & beyond musicians.
