For Media Enquiries and Interviews contact Angela Gadd (Publicist - Brisbane) E: angelagaddmusic@gmail.com P: +61 (0) 421783890

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28th September 2015 : MEDIA RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

JAZZGROOVE MOTHERSHIP ORCHESTRA TOUR NOVEMBER 2015 Featuring guest guitarist and composer James Muller

November 4 CANBERRA | The Street Theatre | 730pm | Tix 02 6247 1223 | $39 / $ 35 November 8 SYDNEY | The Basement | 730pm | Tix MOSHTIX 1300 438 849 | $28 / $20 November 13 BRISBANE Powerhouse| 5pm School Matinee (60mins) | Tix 07 3358 8600| $30 / $20 | 730pm Concert (2 sets) | Tix 07 3358 8600| $45 / $35 November 26 NEWCASTLE |Unorthodox Church of Groove | 8pm | Tix 0401 342 030 | $30 / $25 November 27 WOLLONGONG, Bruce Gordon Theatre IPAC | 730pm | Tix 02 4224 5999 (10am-4pm) | $35 / $30 / $25

www.facebook.com/james.muller.3 www.mothershiporchestra.com

Two of the biggest names in Australian jazz join forces to present an incredible celebration of Australian Music.

One of Australia’s most celebrated musicians, guitarist/composer James Muller teams up with Australia’s leading jazz orchestra, the Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra for an exciting new collaboration. Following their recent sold-out show at the Sydney Festival, the Sydney-based JMO is embarking on an East Coast Australian tour with Muller, delivering a new program that promotes new Australian music played by cutting edge Australian musicians in collaboration with one of the worlds leading arrangers, Florian Ross. Since its inception in 2003, the ARIA nominated and 2012 Australian Jazz Award winning Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra (JMO) has gained a reputation as one of the world’s most exciting and innovative independent jazz orchestras. ‘The Mothership’ represents many of Australia’s finest young improvisers and beams out a supernova of energy and sound. The JMO is on a mission to blur the boundaries between jazz, rock, classical delivered through the dynamic context of a jazz orchestra. The collaboration between JMO, James Muller and Florian Ross has been a long time in the making. During September 2006 James Muller was playing guitar in the Mothership Orchestra during their first national tour. This tour featured German pianist & composer, Florian Ross. Florian and James hit it off personally and musically so the discussions began about the Mothership one day commissioning an extended work that featured Muller. It taken almost 10 years to come to fruition but its been worth the wait as the new program promises to be spectacular. There is also a long history between Muller and Theake, JMO’s Musical Director - they have made 5 CD’s together, toured Europe twice and Australia 3 times and used to be neighbours in Sydney in the late 90s. “It is with a great feeling of excitement that the Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra is able to develop a collaboration of such innovation combining one of Australia’s most incredible improvisors, James Muller alongside one of with worlds most innovative jazz ensemble composers, Florian Ross” says David Theak, JMO co-founder and Artistic Director. “The past 12 years have delivered an incredibly diverse range of musical experiences as we've developed the Mothership from a ‘dream’ into Australia's most internationally recognised jazz orchestra. Personally, being able to collaborate with jazz legends such as Chris Potter, Maria Schneider, Jim McNeely and cutting edge artists Bert Joris, Florian Ross, Miguel Zenon and Darcy James Argue, has been a dream come true for myself and the orchestra. "

JMO Artistic Director David Theak has been a tireless and powerful advocate for large ensemble jazz in Australia through his work with JMO, as a teacher at the Sydney Conservatorium and as guest artist with the West Australian Youth Jazz Orchestra. Theak created the ‘Mothership’ as a young member of Sydney’s Jazzgroove scene and is now mentor to scores of emerging musicians nationally and internationally. This tour includes a special school matinee show at the Brisbane Powerhouse – a shorter 60min set at 5pm caters for students and educators. This is apt given that QLD boasts one of the best state school instrumental music education programs in the world, with most schools in QLD having access to qualified teachers running music programs based in their schools. There are hundreds of students in Brisbane alone that play at school in a big band in the same format

as the Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra. This show is a chance for these budding young musicians and music enthusiasts to experience the ‘end point’, to see a working, touring, modern big band comprised of some of Australia’s finest musicians. Always exciting, dynamic and highly original, the Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra continues to push the boundaries of new Australian music through collaborations and performances with international musicians such as Maria Schneider, Miguel Zenon, Chris Potter, Darcy James Argue, and Maria Schneider. Their celebratory 10th anniversary in 2013 was a tour-de-force and their recent sold-out concert at the Sydney Festival was received enthusiastically by the public and critics alike.

Guitarist James Muller is one of the most exciting and innovative musicians on the Australian music scene today. His distinctive sound, coupled with masterful improvisation and breathtaking virtuosity, has made him one of the most respected and most significant young musicians in the country. Born in Adelaide in 1974, James began teaching himself the guitar at age 12. James has recorded three critically acclaimed albums under his own

For Media Enquiries and Interviews contact Angela Gadd (Publicist - Brisbane) E: angelagaddmusic@gmail.com P: +61 (0) 421783890

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name and made multiple tours to Europe, Asia and the US to critical acclaim. Few people have lit up the Australian music scene so brightly and so quickly. Muller is the recipient of numerous accolades including the coveted ARIA award, the highest acknowledgement in the Australian recording industry.

Musician Bios and Reviews:

James Muller

Guitarist James Muller is one of the most exciting and innovative musicians on the Australian music scene today. His distinctive sound, coupled with masterful improvisation and breathtaking virtuosity, has made him one of the most respected and most significant young musicians in the country. Born in Adelaide in 1974, James began teaching himself the guitar at age 12. Initially inspired by the rock guitar legends of the sixties & seventies, the harmonic complexities of jazz soon caught his ear. Armed with the Jim Hall records from his parents’ collection and the support of his high school music teacher, James had discovered jazz and for him there was no looking back.

By the time he burst onto the Sydney scene in 1996, at just 21 years of age, James Muller had already recorded his first independent album “No You Don't”. He was soon playing and recording with some of the biggest names in jazz and rock including: James Morrison | Vince Jones | Katie Noonan | Dale Barlow | Bernie McGann | Don Burrows | Mike Nock | Renee Geyer Jimmy Barnes | Nigel Kennedy | Rai Thistlethwayte (Thirsty Merc) | Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra, as well as US musicians: John Scofield |Chad Wackerman (Frank Zappa, Allan Holdsworth) | Vinnie Colaiuta (Sting, Jeff Beck) | Keith Carlock (Steely Dan) | Bill Stewart (John Scofield, Maceo Parker) | Adam Nussbaum (Michael Brecker) | Christian McBride (Pat Metheny). He also has recorded three more critically acclaimed albums under his own name and made multiple tours to Europe, Asia and the US to critical acclaim. Few people have lit up the Australian music scene so brightly and so quickly. Muller is the recipient of numerous accolades including the coveted ARIA award, the highest acknowledgement in the Australian recording industry.

Winner of the ARIA for Best Jazz Album 2000 - James Muller Trio “ALL OUT” | Winner of the National Jazz Award, Wangaratta Jazz Festival 2000 | James Muller Quartet “THRUM” nominated for Best Jazz Album ARIA Awards 2002 | “PAUL BLEY” taken from “THRUM” winner of the APRA award for Most Performed Jazz Work 2003 | Winner of the esteemed Freedman Fellowship 2004 | James Muller Trio “KABOOM” nominated for Best Jazz Album ARIA Awards 2006 | Full length interview in esteemed US magazine “Guitar Player” April 2008

“I really love James Muller. He’s a great guitar player” - Allan Holdsworth

“James has it all..I love his playing.” - John Scofield

“James Muller is a mountain of guitar virtuosity...All the things that are the most effective in jazz, rock, blues and country guitar emerge naturally at the right time, in the right place and it can give the listener shivers” - John Clare (Sydney Morning Herald)

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Florian Ross

Orchestrator of the James Muller/JMO project, Florian Ross is a musical explorer. His journey into the many lands of jazz began with studies in Cologne and later London and New York, where he honed his skills both as a pianist and a composer. Florian's special area of devotion and expertise was post-bop, which flowered into his remarkable ability today to handle all forms of contemporary and improvised music. His first album as a leader appeared in 1998. Now he has a dozen to his name, with more on the way – watch this space! It's not cool to drop names, but if we were going to we could mention everyone from Bob Brookmeyer and Kenny Wheeler to Vince Mendoza and John Scofield. Florian has worked with them all. He has taught at many German universities and academies and is currently teaching Piano and Composition at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz, Köln. He has also been involved in teaching clinics and workshops all over the world. He has played, composed and arranged for many orchestras across Europe including the Metropole Orchestra, WDR and NDR Big Band. Florian’s international awards for playing and composing are too numerous to list, but among them are the coveted first prize in the Danish Radio Big Band International Thad Jones Competition and the prestigious WDR Jazz prize for composition.

Taken from an interview with Andrew Cartmel, Spring 2014

*** The Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra: Since its inception in 2003, the ARIA nominated and 2012 Australian Jazz Award winning Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra (JMO) has gained a reputation as one of the world’s most exciting and innovative independent jazz orchestras. Comprising 17 members playing 5 saxophones, 5 trumpets, 4 trombones, guitar, piano, bass and drums, ‘The Mothership’ represents many of Australia’s finest young improvisers and beams out a supernova of energy and sound. The JMO is on a mission to blur the boundaries between jazz, rock, classical delivered through the dynamic, rhythmic and textural context of a jazz orchestra. Playing original music from Australia’s most accomplished and creative large ensemble composers, the JMO also pulls big name collaborators into its orbit – in the last three years alone the JMO have worked with Miguel Zenon Quartet (NY), Maria Schneider (NY), Jef Neve (Belgium), Darcy James Argue (NY), Chris Potter (NY), Jim McNeely (NY), Bob Sheppard, Alex Sipiagin, Bert Joris (Belgium), Jazz Legend Charles Tolliver (USA) and John Hollenbeck/Theo Bleckmann (USA) plus Brisbane based singer Kristin Berardi. “Speaking of resonance, Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra hit like a slammed door” – Australianjazz.net “[The] Orchestra effortlessly rose to the task of interpreting Schneider’s sumptuous works” – Theatrepress.com.au “The textures, orchestral voicings and raw energy carry the listener to places unimagined” – Jazzlocal32.com

“Exquisitely played…[a] magnificent performance” – Offtherecord.com.au

For Media Enquiries and Interviews contact Angela Gadd (Publicist - Brisbane) E: angelagaddmusic@gmail.com P: +61 (0) 421783890

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“The JMO acquitted itself marvellously, diving into [Chris] Potter’s demanding charts with intense focus and discipline. The ensemble sections were razor-sharp, peppered with feisty solos that demonstrated the strength of the individuals that make up this orchestra. Potter was clearly impressed.” – Review by Jessica Nicholas in The Age, June 4 2012

THE JAZZGROOVE MOTHERSHIP ORCHESTRA ARE: Guest Guitarist & Composer – James Muller David Theak – Artistic Director & lead saxophone Murray Jackson, Evan Harris, Matt Keegan, Nick Bowd – saxes Darryl Carthew, Dane Laboyrie, Andy Fiddes, Simon Ferenci – trumpets Dave Panichi, Lucian McGuiness/Ellie Shearer, Ben Gurton, Justin Kearin – trombones Hugh Barrett – piano Tom Botting – contrabass Jamie Cameron – drums