Top 5 Jazz Pianists with Zorsy

Blending the oft-opposed energies of jazz, classical, RnB and progressive rock, Zorsy takes inspiration from such diverse sources as Funky Knuckles, Anomaly and jazz trumpeter Roy Hargrove. The result is a quirky fusion that maintains a groove despite its odd chords and time signatures. 

With the release of his latest single ‘Insoulate’ which fuses eclectic influences into a mélange of sonic expression, we ask Sydney artist Zorsy who are his top 5 jazz pianist. 

 

Kenny Kirkland –

https://youtu.be/1g2fu4P1ckk

 

A surprisingly fairly discovery for me to get into as of late, but a master at comping and understanding space behind a fuming bebop section, or the sensibilities behind a ballad. Hearing him play with Branford Marsalis or Kenny Garrett would allow me to appreciate how he would listen behind such great soloists and support them accordingly. Favourite Album: Kenny Kirkland

 

Oscar Peterson – 

 

 

The master of bebop piano. Some of my first introductions to Jazz was the dexterity and swing that Oscar could bring to the table irrespective of the tempo. There is an infinite array of formidable blues language from any one of Oscar’s solos. When I would transcribe his work, everything would make sense and would be the easiest to apply to my own playing. Favourite album: Night Train

 

Benny Green:

https://youtu.be/k3npiBHuhZo

 

Another Bebop great, who’s finger dexterity could come close to rivalling Oscar Peterson and Art Tatum. Known to begin and end shows with tunes at 350 BPM or higher, Benny green reinvigorates the bebop world with new originals, modern harmony yet solo’s that swing. He so happens to work with other personal favourite jazz musicians Christian McBride/ Russell Malone quite often and together their trio works have never made me feel swing harder. Favourite album: These are Soulful Days

 

Hiromi – 

 

Whilst known for her fusion works with trio Simon Phillips and Anthony Jackson, Hiromi has been one of my biggest influences for the piano. One of the current jazz musicians who i’m attracted to the play style of because she carries the finesse and delicate touch from classical playing that truly makes her melodies sing. Every line and shape has a melodic contour. Straying a bit more away the traditional jazz idiom, her works and playing reflect a lot of polyrhythm and evoke such musical prowess to nail the rhythms let alone to play them with such ease of touch. Favourite album: Place to be

 

Bill Evans –

A classic whom I will constantly be learning from for the rest of my musical life. As a player, Bill changed a lot of the way harmony and rhythms were perceived, often creating his own voicing for typical songs, he added so much colour, and whilst not the most technical amongst other names on this list, there would always be some sort of magic i could hear in his playing. He revolutionised the typical piano trio and the communication between him and his rhythm section was unbelievable. Often if i come up with a musical problem when composing/playing i’d think to myself… “How would bill do it?”  Favourite album: Time Remembered

 

A varied musical upbringing saw Zorsy trained as a classical pianist in his youth, but also
drawn to jazz and hip-hop records, and ultimately the wide-ranging world of video game
music. These passions merged and blossomed into The Consouls, a project in which he
rearranged and performed some of video gaming’s most beloved pieces alongside a band
of like-minded musicians.

 

After years of honing their craft in the studio and on stage, James Draper and Jordan Brady recorded their debut album over a six-month period at La Cueva, an idyllic, remote studio in Byron Bay, as well as a few stints at The Grove.

WINTERBOURNE TOP 5 PODCAST

 

 by Jordan Brady

* Gear Club: Something our friend and engineer Jackson turned us onto, where they talk about mixing, mastering and production. We’re far from capable of understanding most of it but it’s still fascinating.

 

• Song Exploder: Each week a different artist presents a song and breaks it down track by track. The Killers did one about ‘Rut’ which first got me into it, and there are tonnes of really great ones. I spent many hours on a hammock in my front yard listening to these and becoming extremely inspired to make music.

 

• S-Town: The story of a small town in deep Alabama where lots of shit goes down. I don’t really know what was so captivating about it, but it’s a true story that’s well worth a mention because both of us became extremely immersed very quickly.

 

• Flintoff, Savage & the Ping Pong Guy: We love cricket, football and ping pong, so ah… yep. That.

 

• Underwater Sunshine: The Podcast: Discovered this one very recently, it’s a podcast by Counting Crows who are one of our favourite bands of all time. They get deep into talking about music they like which is quite entertaining for obvious reasons, and in their latest episode they gave an enormous wrap to Gang Of Youths which was quite nice to listen to.

Following the release of their bright and upbeat first single Better, Winterbourne  share a live video of the first offering from their forthcoming debut album. 

 

We are Sean and Conor Price, Irish brother duo best known for their success in the X Factor 2017. Our music includes elements of raw acoustic music, catchy pop hooks, hints of singer-songwriter and energetic rap!

Our Top Five Tracks out at the moment by Sean and Conor Price 

1. Shawn Mendes & Zedd- Lost in Japan (Remix)

We are massive fans of Shawn Mendes. We admire how his sound has matured as he has gotten older. ‘Lost in Japan’ was one of our favourite songs off his latest album. This remix adds another level of production which we love.

2. Lewis Capaldi – Grace

Lewis Capaldi has a massive instantly recognisable voice. We love his music. Simple, effective and suitable for any mood you’re in. This song just gets better and better with every listen.

3. Wild Youth – Can’t Move On

Wild Youth are one of Ireland’s most popular up and coming bands at the moment. They are an amazing live act, great writers and sound lads. ‘Can’t Move On’ has the ability to brighten up anyone’s day and have you singing along in seconds!

4. Drake ft Michael Jackson – Don’t Matter to Me

Being huge Michael Jackson fans when we were younger we were really excited to hear his voice on a track with one of the most mainstream artists at the moment. It doesn’t disappoint. This chill song has a Weeknd vibe and we can’t seem to ever get enough of it!

5. Sean and Conor Price – Quit

What sort of artists would we be if we didn’t like our own music! We had to add our own song on the list. We love our latest single! With simplistic piano, beautiful strings, big voice and impactful drums we love this song!

Upcoming gigs

31st October London Borderline

1st November Manchester Academy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lu9I39IRQ_I&feature=youtu.be

My name is Lydia Singer and I’m a singer-songwriter and, yes, Singer is my real name and not a stage name!!

I’m 16 years old and from a small village just north of London (well, some of the time as I move around a lot with school and family), and I’m going to tell you a little about my 5 fave things about my school term dates and what I’m up to in and outside of school.

Five fave things about my school term dates  By Lydia Singer

Autumn term:

I just started my A-Levels and I’m excited to be studying Music, Music Technology & Business Studies.

As it’s hard to break into the music industry my plan B is to be a music producer, and I am beginning to use the software I’ve been watching my producer’s play with when I’m in the recording studio. Business studies will help me with all of the paperwork!

Autumn also means I’ve been performing at London Fashion Week, at the House of iKons show, with all of the amazing designers, models, glitz & glamour.

I’m also performing at my school’s Commercial Music Show with some new material as this is a vocational course I’ve chosen.

Christmas term:

I’m in my school acapella choir, Tring Park 16, and we always perform at the Christmas carol service. We won BBC Senior Choir of the Year and made the finals on the ITV show ‘Pitch Battle’. The choir performs for the elderly in the small town of Tring. It’s also magical when it snows!

Spring term:

I love spring, when it starts to warm up and the flowers start to come out.

I also have some new material coming out in January 2019. 3 wicked songs that I wrote in the recording studios over a 6 day period, when I was in London.

Fingers crossed, they’ll all be played on BBC Introducing again!

Easter term:

I love this long Easter break and I’m hoping to go to Australia to see my Auntie Marlene who lives in Manly. I am super excited about this as I’ve never been to Australia before and I can’t wait to go to the Great Barrier Reef as I’m an Advanced Scuba Diver.

Really hoping to see more giant manta ray, or maybe hammer head sharks as I’ve never seen them before.

Summer term:

Finally, the end of term will arrive and hopefully I will pass my school exams. I’m currently Grade 6 piano and have just started to learn the guitar. I’m hoping to be able to play this well enough at gigs and festivals during the summer.

This term also makes me feel slightly sad as it’s another year closer to finishing at my school, an amazing school. This will be when we will all go our separate ways into the world of dance, drama, musical theatre or commercial music… look out for me world in 2019!

All upcoming dates and gigs will be promoted on my social media which is @lydiasingerhq on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. I have lots of exciting things coming up that I can’t wait to share and some I’m not allowed to share yet!!

TOP SECRET.

What happens when you cross David Attenborough with P!nk? You get a person like no one else on this planet, what you get is dirtgirl!. Much more than a fictional reality, she is an unreal pop star with a very real heart and a hyperreal tribe of millions that she reaches everyday

My fave things about Spring by dirtgirl 

1. Change!
   
   Everything in nature changes – especially in Spring! New shoots, fresh blossoms, babies being born…  change is all around us. Some people struggle with change but change is natural. Spring is a magical time to surrender to the power of change! 
   
   2. Flower power!
   
      Every time I go outside in Spring my nose tells me there are fresh blooms about – I can smell so many delicate scents around me! My ears also tell me there are flowers blooming. How? The buzzing! There are SO many bees in my garden at the moment, busy floating from bloom to bloom – wearing their pollen pants, of course! 
   
      3. The sunshine! 
   
      I love going outside, whatever weather. But there’s nothing like feeling those first rays of Spring sunshine on your face after months of cooler days. It’s like the planet giving you a big warm hug deep down to your soul – a big hug that leaves you with a bounce in your step!
   
      4. Getting grubby!
   
      I love getting grubby in Spring because there are SO many ways to get grubby… Turning my garden over. Planting. Pruning. Planning. Mud pie making. Scavenger hunts in the sunshine and even nature craft. There’s no end to the ways we can get grubby in the Spring time! 
   
      5. Festival season is coming! 
   
      I love to dance all day… especially in the warmer weather! And some of my fave festivals happen during the hotter months – The Lost Lands, Woodford Folk Festival… Spring means Summer is coming and long days make for even more time to boogie! 

DIRTGIRL LIVE PERFORMANCES

Hailing from Sydney, Zeadala has never been one to shy away from embracing her ‘differentness’ and addressing the many social justice and political issues present in our society as she continues to work with communities and connect to her audiences through her raw and hauntingly honest music. This is shown in her latest release ‘Your Hands’ featuring Mack Fyah.

 Things I wish I knew as a young mixed-race girl growing up in Australia by Zeadala

1. Your perspective of the world is unique and important: There were times when I felt so much like an outsider growing up, the only thing I could do was to sit and observe the world around me. To study human behaviour and our weird need to feel elite, or better than, by excluding people we considered too different from ourselves. This kind of mentality is obviously problematic to our progression as the human race. However, because of this experience, my learnings have contributed to the deep compassion and empathy I feel for all human beings and our collective existence.
   
2. Your ‘differentness’ is your strength: You look a bit strange (in a good way!) and people can never seem to pinpoint exactly “where you come from”. But this, is your very own super power! Your ability to morph and move through spaces has rendered you something like a ninja- and that’s pretty damn cool! 
   
3. Half the cultures, double the advantage: Two very different types of food at dinner, two very different languages spoken you can add to your resume, and your secret ability to understand when someone is giving you a compliment in a language they think you don’t understand, or perhaps even some shade! Either way, you will be so onto it. And will be able to respond accordingly. Double the cultural holidays, and double the families you can get to know and stay with when you go to your parents’ motherlands. Need I say more? My ability to understand on a deep level the cultural heritage of my Mother who is Thai and Father who is Iraqi (with all the diversity in their traditions) has allowed me to grow up with a mind that is open, one that continues to unlearn, unclutter and clear the narratives we are usually fed about cultures other than our own. And for that I feel so blessed.
   
4. Don’t get down about identity politics, mono-racial kids struggle with it too: Sometimes I don’t feel Iraqi enough to fit in, Thai enough to even call myself Thai, or even Aussie enough to call myself Australian. Our identities are so many things, and more importantly ever changing things. We are daughters, sisters, lovers, musicians, artists, activists, educators, feminists, woman. Some things are constant and sometimes we will cease to see ourselves in particular ways. The way we choose to identify needs not to be validated by anyone other than ourselves. If you feel that is what you are, and how you want to express yourself, then by all means, identify with that thing. 
   
5. No one in mainstream media looks like you & role models are few and far between: Don’t sweat it: I would love to turn on the TV and see more people who look like me. To see more cultures exemplified and particularly to see more first nations people being represented. I want to see Australia on TV, in music, on the radio, in theatres. That means all of Australia. In all its multiculturalism, in all its colour. And if no one looks like you. BE THAT PERSON. Get out there. Make yourself known. Shine. You’ve the right to. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJyp7M5yQRU&feature=youtu.be

Canberra hip hop artist KG who has proven time and time again he is a force to be reckoned.  Having spent time visiting Indigenous communities over the last few months learning more about the culture and also sharing his own background, music and dance to help inspire, KG and this new single ‘Change’ looks to charge momentum surrounding the marginalised and the sectors of our communities who need help and positivity the most.

‘Five things I’d change about the Cultural Gap’  by KG

1.) Education in schools. The curriculum needs to include real Australian history not vague stories of what really happened to our Indigenous people. 
2.) Indigenous languages should be taught in all Australian schools yet instead we learn languages of other countries other than our own.. 
3.) The tourism industry should promote visits to our communities so we can actually see how people in our country live in circumstances so different from our own. NT is by far one of the most beautiful places on earth. 
4.) Media – the fact we have hardly any Indigenous or people of other cultural backgrounds in our media – whether it be sports,journalists, tv panels, musicians. What is the reason for this? How can we even learn about other cultures when we only see the same kinds of people in the media?
5.) When the media are covering Indigenous issues – how about actually get Indigenous people on the panels rather than an all white panel discussing Indigenous social issues? Then we can understand how life is for an Indigenous person and the daily struggles they face, it would teach the general public to show more empathy and compassion towards those in different circumstances therefore minimizing the cultural gap.

Education man it’s the key. My biggest thing right now is education. I’ve learnt Australian children are taught the bare minimum on Indigenous culture throughout primary school. Our kids are being taught more about the First Fleet and making James Cook out to be a hero, when in fact isn’t true. I’ve learnt that our real history is hidden. Is it because Australians are ashamed of their history?

So you see if young people aren’t learning the truths of what our First Nation people went through then how can we expect them to have empathy or understanding on their current situations? 
It’s accountability and more than anything acknowledging the past, it’s the only way we can change the cultural gap. The issue we have in Australia is people don’t want to acknowledge the truths of the past.. so if we can’t do that than how can we move forward. We need to all be educated on what our First Nation’s were put through, how their peaceful lives and culture were uprooted from colonization. How it still affects people in this day. I think Australian’s also don’t recognize how recent these events really were and they really need to understand that’s it’s not as simple as ‘getting over it’.

I know we can’t change the past but we can definitely change the cultural gap by acceptance and acknowledgement of the past. That way we can all start living together and respecting one another as one nation but until we make some huge changes, starting with our government and policies, than we still have a long way to go before any kind of reconciliation. 
The fact our Prime Minister was to justify Australia Day staying where it is just shows still how the people ruling our country haven’t the slightest idea of Australian history or culture. 
We have the oldest culture in the world, which should be something all Australians are proud to be part of and instead we’re so far from that. I’ve spoken to so many Indigenous people and they’d do anything to share that culture with all Australians, which would be such an honor, but of course that can’t happen till we make many of the changes I’ve just touched on. 

Top Five Antidotes to make your life better by The Fix Ups 

Hey! we are The Fix Ups, and we would like to share our top 5 antidotes to a better life! 
Writing and playing music is something we are immensely passionate about, but there are certainly loads of ups and down you can experience in the musical journey. Read on to see what we are inspired by in life, and what we think is important for longevity and health as an artist, individual, and band member. It’s not all go go go; sometimes you gotta take it slow slow slow!!

Dinner

We trailed out yesterday for a Sunday roast. It was so good to have dinner together after a hard days work. It gives you a chance to catch up on each others lives, and you also find out things you wouldn’t normally discuss at rehearsals.For example. Marlene found out that Santa gave Ash a pony for her 5th birthday, and Ash found out that Marlene was married! Throw your friends in there to spice up the night, complacency and monotony becomes so boring!

Group Holidays.
Life can get really busy, and catching up with people can be quite hard. We like to plan weekends away with a group of friends to the hot springs or the beach. It’s a real bonding moment between people. Last time we did this, Nikos forgot the keys to his grandparents holiday house, and we had time to kill on the beach. Serendipitously, our mate Yolanda serenaded us with some classic Aussie tunes she had to sing for Australia day. It’s amazing how fun a game of celebrity heads or charades after dinner with a few glasses of wine can be!

1. Musicians Wellbeing, physical, RSI, play with no stress in muscles, play like a buddhist monk

Playing music can be super taxing on the body, and every member of The Fix Ups have had RSI problems. In the song, It’s Your Life the piano part is fast an repetitive. It has to be played in a clear and relaxed way, like a Buddhist monk on sedatives..See your doc, do some yoga, and go for a swim! Talk to your bandmates about it; often it starts in the mind. The last thing you want is a body that doesn’t do what you want it to do anymore!

1. Having a industry mentor, how to do stuff? Exciting, reading

Having a mentor in your industry is super important. This person can be a fantastic role model, that can help draw out the amazing creative person you often have trapped inside you! The Fix Ups members all have mentors, whether it be life coaches, teachers at university, or family and friends. They can also show you how to be a ethical, awesome human being at the same time!

1. Go to gigs, stay on the scene, keep inspired, go to gigs

In the immortal words of James Brown “Stay on the Scene!”, or in other words, go to gigs! These can also be art shows, photography exhibitions, whatever inspires you to do what you do best. The Fix Ups regularly go to their muso friend’s gigs, which is both fun, but also super inspiring and informative. Introduce yourself to people, even if you’re frightened of doing so. The only way to grow yourself is to put yourself in uncomfortable situations. Live life passionately, because fear rarely has dire consequences.