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The City Lights album launch in Canberra was filmed with the help of talented videographer, Matt Ong. We’re going to release the videos in the same order as the tracks on the album.

City Lights is the first, we hope you enjoy watching it on YouTube and give us a like and share 🙂

Song background

The song City Lights, title of the Bella Groove album, was conceived about 8 years ago!

I wrote the main chorus of City Lights after seeing Dan Sultan perform at the Sydney Opera House.

It was exciting seeing a live band at The Opera House Studio. The Studio theatre, “with its capacity to transform, is a space where the edges of art are not only reached but explored”. I have been fortunate to see a few “bizarre and beautiful” acts perform at the Studio.

So, I was buzzing… walking down the promenade at Circular Quay, heading back to my inner West abode. Suddenly the tune just came to me, beginning with the lyrics:

Come down now, come to the city tonight

There you’ll find brighter skies than you’ll ever see

A full moon out there, full moon out there

Come take a risk with me…

The rest of the lyrics came later. The melody was fixed!

Piano player and arranger, Hugh Barrett, played some cool chords and I figured out the intro! Hugh went away and worked on a horn arrangement, then we had a tune!

Thanks to Matt Ong and James Robinson who assisted Matt with filming the launch.

 

 

 

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Album post-launch update

On April 9, an enthusiastic crowed filled the main hall at the Ainslie Arts Centre! It was great to see such a supportive audience turn up for live music on a stormy Canberra day.

Thanks to Helen Musa, City News and Eric Pozza, Canberra Jazz, for such wonderful reviews!

The afternoon was a success, more than I could have ever envisaged!

Tributes

Thanks to all those involved in this project including; my fellow musicians, my partner, my mum, my family, friends, HiHat Music Studio and Andrew Edgson at Studios 301.

Listen to and buy album

The Bella Groove album, City Lights is now available on bandcamp!

You can purchase the CD and buy the streaming digital album or single tracks on Bandcamp.

It’s also on iTunes, Google Play and soon to Amazon, Pandora, Deezer, Tidal, YouTube, Microsoft Groove, ClaroMusica, Saavn, MediaNet, and Shazam!

I hope you enjoy this album.

Bella Groove album launch band members were great

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It is said that bass players provide the link between the rhythm and melody of a song.

The amazing Eric Ajaye and the talented John Burgess are the bass players on the Bella Groove debut album.

I was so excited when Eric agreed to play on my album. Not only is Eric deeply respected amongst fellow musicians in Canberra, he is a widely respected player worldwide!

Eric has toured many parts of the world with acclaimed musicians such as; Freddie Hubbard, Taj Mahal,  Nancy Wilson, James Morrison, Bob Sedergreen, Paul Grabowsky and Sandy Evans. He has also worked as a session musician on several film and TV projects in the U.S. and recorded for artists such as Chaka Khan and Bill Cosby.

John has been playing bass for 20 years. Eric was his teacher and mentor at the ANU Jazz school. According to Eric, John is the “poster boy” for the upright Steinberger electric bass. He produces such a unique tone and plays awesome solos too!

John has been my ‘go-to’ bass player in Canberra since Bella Groove formed in 2012. So it made sense for John to play on my debut jazz album!

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Where would this album be without pianist, Hugh Barrett and guitarist, Victor Rufus!

Hugh was fabulous arranging 3 of my original tunes, City Lights, Open Your Mind and City Of Yes.

Hugh also spent countless hours putting down arrangements for some of the jazz standards on the album! He is also such a great pianist! It has been an honour to work with him.

Victor did a wonderful job arranging my tune, Tamar Dreaming. As one of Canberra’s go-to guitarists, he has been a key part of Bella Groove for over a year now. So it felt natural to have Victor play on my album.

Victor is heading off to New York soon to record an album. He will be missed!

I can not forget pianist Don Fraser, the original Bella Groove harmony player. Don is now living in Melbourne and playing the local traps. Don arranged my fun swing tune called Should We…?

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Woo hoo! The album is now ready for mastering!

Thanks to Greg Stott and Mark Sutton, of Hi Hat Music Studio for doing a fabulous job editing and mixing the album!

Thanks especially to Greg Stott for the amount of hours dedicated to mixing 12 tunes!

I thoroughly recommend anyone to Hi Hat Music Studio. Greg and Mark are the loveliest guys to deal with, they’re so easy going! The quality of their work is paramount.

Now I’ll be handing over the tunes to be mastered by Andrew Edgson, from Studios 301. Thanks to Bob Scott‘s recommendation.

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Maintaining the groove.

Where would this album be without the Bella Groove drummers!

Update: Album launch tickets available now!

Steve Fitzgerald

It was great to have my “go-to” drummer on the album! Steve plays with the acclaimed Canberra band Brass Knuckle Brass Band and Victor Rufus Reverberation and many more local groups!

Steve is so easy going and upbeat (excuse the pun!). He has a natural feel & depth to his playing, without overplaying.

Thank you Steve for keeping me in line with those endings 🙂

Mark Sutton

What a privilege to have Mark play on the album. He certainly is one of the best swing drummers in town!

Mark has played with the ‘who’s who’ of the Australian Jazz scene including Mike Nock, Bernie McGann, Dale Barlow, Sean Wayland, James Muller, Matt MacMahon and Idea of North.

I’m also lucky to have Mark play considering the time and effort he spent on recording/editing/mixing.

 

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Album launch concert

I’m excited to confirm a date and venue for my debut jazz album launch!

The concert will be held at The Ainslie Arts Centre, Main Hall from 4 to 6pm on the 9th April. Doors open at 3:30pm for tickets.

All of the musicians who played on the album will be there, including the two lovely back up singers, Juanita and Francine.

Tickets will be $20 full price and $15 concession. Available online and at the door, please book early as seating is limited.

Tickets also include a signed CD and poster!

I will update the website soon with links to purchase tickets. So keep in touch so you don’t miss updates.

 

 

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Final Session!

Oh what a fun session last Sunday!

I was so excited to have my friends Juanita Cucinotta and Francine Minjoy come along to Hi Hat Music Studio to record backing vocals for my soul number.

Juanita and Francine gave the tune so much more depth and texture. They came up with some amazing  vocals in a short space of time. They were fantastic!

Thanks to Mark Sutton and Greg Stott again for doing such a great job recording and editing!

I can’t wait until the final product.

 

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The line-up

The band is back at the Hippo Co this week and what a line-up!

This time we have two special guests:
Esteemed Australian trumpeter Miroslav Bukovsky and National Jazz Award finalist for keyboard, Hugh Barrett, will be playing with Bella Groove for the first time at Hippo Co!

The remainder of the Bella Groove line-up are; the talented John Burgess on electric bass and the amazingly versatile drummer Steve Fitzgerald (also the drummer for the Brass Knuckle Band).

We’ll be aiming to get the groove on this Wednesday!

The tunes

The set list includes some upbeat favourites by Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and Horace Silver, including a tribute to Al Jarreau, who recently passed away.

I’m also looking forward to trying some of my new original tunes that were arranged by the amazing Hugh Barrett!

Look forward to seeing you there!

Miroslav Bukovsky, Hugh Barrett, John Burgess, Steve Fitzgerald will play at Hippo Co

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Horn Finale!

Woo hoo…! It was great to have Miroslav Bukovsky and John Mackey in the studio last night!

With no time to view the tunes beforehand, Miroslav and John just sailed through their parts. Everything just fell together so smoothly.

Their playing just added that final touch that was so integral to the album.

So it was a real treat to have this awesome duo play for me!

I can’t wait for the final mix and to share all the tunes with everyone!

Here is John and Miroslav in action: