A jazz night out with friends

A product of the 20th century, jazz music is certainly one of the most influential cultural exports the US, with some help from Europe, has shared with the world.

We know how the songs will start off, but we can never tell how they will end

Its reach is now entrenched in practically every country around the globe, and it continues to evolve and blend with en-demic cultures to spawn new styles and sub-genres, not least in Malta where, despite being somewhat compact, the scene remains impressively productive.

This is perhaps best reflected not only in the popularity of the annual Malta Jazz Festival, but also in the presence of jazz-related events in the Maltese cultural calendar.

Leading pianist and composer Dominic Galea still sees room for improvement, but acknowledges this as a significant step for jazz in Malta.

This year, for the third year running, jazz has been included in the Manoel Theatre’s programme.

The venue’s prestige notwithstanding, Galea’s interest in this development is twofold. First, because he is part and parcel of the Maltese jazz scene, with years of experience and dedication to the genre behind him.

Secondly, because it is his trio, namely Dominic Galea and Friends, who will be performing at the first of the Manoel Theatre’s two jazz concerts this winter.

“The previous two years featured White Russian Quintet and Festen, both foreign bands that include Maltese musicians, so to us it feels all the more special because this will be the first all-Maltese jazz line-up.”

The line-up in question, namely Galea, drummer Noel Grech and Mario ‘Cocker’ Aquilina on double-bass, has been playing together as a trio for almost a decade.

“We’ve had the opportunity to play together before, but as a proper trio, we’ve been together for nine or so years,” Grech says.

During that time they have releas­ed an album, 2002’s No Talk, No Nonsense, and performed at a jazz festival in Cyprus and the Malta Jazz Festival too.

He reels out a list of other events they’ve played at, ranging from private functions for foreign dignitaries, events during the Malta Arts Festival and the odd jazz night in some cosy local venue among others.

“The trio kind of dissolved when each of us headed off to do his own thing a few years back,” Galea explains, “it was kind of put on the back-burner for a while, but I knew that it hadn’t run its course yet. I always felt we should get back together and work on new music.”

The idea to reconvene came to mind when all three were attending a concert.

“We looked at each other during that performance, and you can say it was the spark we needed to get back together.”

Aquilina couldn’t make it to the interview, but his absence is compensated by the various mentions he gets in the conversation, mostly for his dedication to music and jazz in particular.

“I feel very comfortable playing with Mario and Noel,” Galea says.

“We all play from the heart, and perhaps because we’ve worked together so much and we have similar musical tastes, we understand each other better and connect much easier when we play.”

This – both Grech and Galea agree – contributes greatly to the style their playing takes.

“It’s a modern style, and by that I mean contemporary… quite in line with what’s going on in jazz these days,” Grech explains.

Galea goes into more detail:

“In contrast to the bebop and swing sound we’re known for, our approach here is more open – a balance of rich chord textures that define the song but performed with a fluidity that allows us to wander in and out of the various motifs and take the song to a completely different place than where it originally started from.”

This is what keeps the whole performance exciting, or at least one of the factors that does, because as he explains further, “each one of us is a soloist in his own right”.

What this also means is that there is a higher incidence of improvisation, depending, of course, on the feel of the musicians in relation to what they are playing at that moment.

This perhaps ensures even more vehemently that no one performance ever sounds the same as the next, or as Grech puts it “we know how the songs will start off, but we can never tell how they will end”. Galea fully concurs.

“The main idea is to keep the music free, allow space for spontaneity to flourish and of course to enjoy ourselves too.”

The concert, which will take place at the Manoel Theatre on November 8, is split into two parts. The first part will feature all-new, original instrumental numbers which Galea reveals will feature on a new album the trio will be releasing early next year.

“There are a couple more numbers that aren’t finished yet, so we won’t be playing those, however, we will be playing a special arrangement of a classic Maltese tune on the night.”

The second part of the concert will feature various elite guests, namely Charles ‘City’ Gatt, saxophonists Sammy Murgo and Carlo Muscat and vocalist Doreen Galea, joining the trio to perform a repertoire based around jazz standards. They have come up with a set that caters for all tastes.

Apart from the concert, Galea is eager to mention there will be an after-party during which there will be an exclusive pre-album launch of his latest release.

The CD album is called Għanja, and is a collection of music set to some of the most representative poems written by Dun Karm Psaila.

This CD is being released to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the death of Malta’s national poet, and features four of the most popular singers on the island, namely Bayzo, Mary Rose Mallia, Lawrence Gray and Doreen Galea, whose 2009 Ommi album had also featured classic romantic Maltese poetry set to music by Dominic Galea.

Tickets for the Dominic Galea and Friends concert at the Manoel Theatre cost €10, €15 and €20 and can be booked either by e-mail at bookings@teatrumanoel.com.mt, via SMS on 9966 1616 or by calling 2124 6389.

www.dominicgalea.com

bugeja.michael@gmail.com