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Reviews
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VADA Right from the start it’s clear we’re dealing with a mixed bag here. The opener Plod! probably sums it up. It begins as a moody traditional jazz piece, gentle double bass, a doubled sax and trumpet run, that would feel right at home alongside Miles Davis circa Kind of Blue. Suddenly as they reach for the crescendo they veer to the left, sounding like a jaded weary ensemble roped into playing a mob wedding, before sliding seamlessly back to where they began. The remainder of Plod’s 11.25 minutes snakes through numerous divergent twists and turns, each feeling as slick and silky smooth as the last, briefly flirting with saloon bar sleaze, Klezmer, Dixieland, and violent sounding cabaret. There are no violent John Zorn style jump cuts here though, just free form thinking and a strangely considered evolution that’s enough to keep anyone guessing. A recently established local outfit consisting of two tenor sax’s, trumpet, pianoforte, clarinet, bass, and percussion, it’s clear that Vada don’t allow themselves to be too limited by jazz’s codes and conventions, utilising traditional instruments, though freely manipulating styles and structures within their tracks. Whether it’s the jumpy groove and piano run of Gould School, the sparse and somewhat gentler Music For a Silent Film, the tunes are infused with an almost self destructive streak, or perhaps a limited attention span that keeps them moving well beyond their initial premise, incorporating and reinterpreting the traditions in new and innovative ways that send the tunes off in totally unexpected directions. -Bob Baker Fish-
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VADA - Debut This is a very exciting new sextet on the local scene, comprising VCA players aged between 17 and 20. In addition to high energ, they display a refreshing spirit often missing with young players concerned with technical precision. Much of their camaraderie comes from the fact that four members went to the VCA high school together. Led by pianist/composer Aaron Choulai, much of their material is based on folk forms such as tango, waltz and klezmer, but reharmonised with unusual textures. In an update of the Mingus approach, they also incorporate contemporary influences such as hip-hop. The personnel are Eamon McNelis (trumpet), Tim Shaucross (woodwinds), Carlo Barbaro (tenor sax), Tom Lee (acoustic bass) and Rory McDougall (drums). -Martin Jackson- |
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from melbourne newspaper 'the age' may 3, 2001 But perhaps the most striking act of the evening was Vada, a new group comprising current students and recent graduates of the VCA. Displaying a surprisingly mature approach to composition and improvisation, the six young musicians alternated whimsical ensemble themes with loping grooves and mostly well-focused solos. The standout performer was Eamon McNealls (sic), a teenage trumpeter who plays with remarkable focus and clarity of tone. One to watch. -Jessica Nicholas- |
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Vada's set featured swaggering keyboards, sultry rhythms and terrifically inventive trumpet work from Eamon McNelis -Jessica Nicholas- |
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In spite of the high standards set by visiting international musicians, the local acts were in no way overshadowed. Melbourne wunderkinds Vada, led by boy genius Aaron Choulai, ripped through an all original set of post-modern takes on Klezmer, New Orleans and circus music, with a maturity that ridiculed the fact that they looked like they should have been in bed by nine o'clock (or am I just getting older). -Des Cowley- Then there is Vada, a group that looks as though it is comprised entirely of dropouts from a Year 12 science class, whose youthful energy excited audiences each time they played. -Brain Wise- [Blues Before Sunrise] share piano pounder Aaron Choulai with the excellent young jazz sextet Vada. *Author unknown |