inner west jazz festival 2026: gig journal
i went to the inner west jazz festival held on gadigal land on thu the 28th of august, 2026.
here is a short gig journal!
snippets of joy
this was a very joyous program for me
gadigal jazz is full of beauty and i'm constantly in awe
that i get to witness such music
and feel so alive
and feel so much
here are some snippets of memories that i collected during the show
i met a remarkable double bassist and improviser, wilmer. he was visiting this city. we had a full
conversation about art, moving cities, the burden of being eldest children, and finding the freedom
to let go. thanks for encouraging me to keep making things. you were so humble and inspiring.
we both brought out a recorder - seems like we both had the same idea. thanks for the recording tips!
have fun with recording the crazy bird song of australia!
there was a couple in front me a few seats away
during the break they prodded each other
then they laughed with each other
a little way to inject fun into life
learning about how 21 shepard street came to be
from the purpose of creating a space for events like this
when smaller venues in this city are dying
where music and people congregate to heal together
alien meal
Henry Hall, double bass and electronics
Tom Vogel, drums and electronics
i was mesmerised by the use of field recordings,
and what appeared to be archival audio recordings.
the way the double bass was manipulated was remarkable, making sounds from nearly every part of the instrument.
the set ends with some birdsong, calm, and a sense of not wanting this feeling to end, delaying our applause as we arrive back to reality.
hilary geddes quartet
Hilary Geddes, guitar
Matthew Harris, piano
Max Alduca, double bass
Alexander Inman-Hislop, drums
The coming spring season was very much in front of my mind
I closed my eyes and thought about it
and then the way the the quiet turned into a frantic release of energy
it felt like all the flowers bloomed all at once
after a crack of rainfall.
the band's exchanges of smiles, playfulness, and just the most positive aura made this such a wholesome set.
believe with scott tinkler
Peter Farrar, saxophones and percussion
Novak Manojlovic, piano and percussion
Clayton Thomas, double bass and percussion
Laurence Pike, drums
Scott Tinkler, trumpet
i experienced frisson whilst hearing believe.
i had wanted to see them play for so long
but life kept getting in the way.
whole body chills, i tell you.
there was a particular part where scott played a few notes on a trumpet that i did not know were possible to create. i had a bit of a chill just thinking about it again now.
i was reading about lantern and spot consciousness1 earlier this week
this set made me feel like i was experiencing everything
all at once
in the best possible way
the lantern guiding me through my own recesses of thought i could not access
i was in awe at how peter played the saxophone using circular breathing
notes this long changed my brain chemistry
i wanted to cry.
