The Field’s music is a meeting place of styles. You can hear jazz, blues, country and Celtic influences throughout. There are hints of Ry Cooder and Bill Frisell as well as Little Feat and the more obscure Celtic leanings of Pentangle and Richard Thompson. Here’s how Sydney music critic John Shand described their sound after hearing them play at the venerable Side On Café a few years ago:

“The Field's music is immediately friendly, drawing the listener in with its obvious warmth and drawling geniality. With greater familiarity we find that, while it is by no means urban music, nor is it quite country. Perhaps it may best be described as Arcadian, given its pervasive stillness and radiant sense of contentment.”

Shand’s comment is unwittingly correct, given that Bruce Reid’s birthplace is the eastern maritime provinces of Canada, the birthplace of Arcadian music. Despite many years in Australia, the influences are still evident. The slide guitarist is The Field’s founder and main writer, as well as being a member of Sydney’s renowned jazz group The Catholics.  He is also guitarist with Oz rock legends, Dragon and worked in that capacity with singer Wendy Matthews for over a decade.  

On bass, Lloyd Swanton - one of Australia’s foremost jazz musicians. Swanton founded and still leads The Catholics. He is also a founding member of The Necks, perhaps Australia’s most successful jazz export.

Guitarist John Stuart is an accomplished jazz guitarist, a respected composer and arranger and also a fine steel guitarist (See the Snaketown Rattlers). John is also a fine percussionist and was a member of the great Jackie Orszaczky Band during their historic 6 year residency at the Rose of Australia in Sydney. He is a producer and engineer (Pugsley Buzzard, Kate Rowe) and  his studio, Sound Heaven, situated in John’s hometown of Wentworth Falls in the Blue Mountains, is one of the busiest in the region.

Drummer Hamish Stuart is a legend in this country. He was a mainstay with the late Jackie Orszaczky for several decades. He maintains an incredibly busy and diverse schedule these days, playing with The Catholics, Ian Moss, Lucie Thorne, Tina Harrod, Andrew Robson and Tim Rollinson. His discography is a veritable whose who of Australian Jazz, Rock and R&B.

The Field have two critically acclaimed albums out, a self titled first CD and the second, News From Home, both out on Sydney’s prestigious jazz label, Rufus Records. They have just recorded their third release entitled Merle Takes a Holiday - they are not officially launching it until August so this will be a preview of the new songs.

Listen to a few songs here : facebook.com/pages/The-Field/140177029388749

For his debut performance at Colbourne Ave, Steve Foxe and his quartet will be exploring the music and ideas of Kenny Wheeler's Angel Song.

Steve Foxe - bass
Jeremy Sawkins - guitar
Nick Bowd - alto sax
Andy Fiddes - trumpet

the exploration of sonic soundscapes
the flow of cascading rhythms
the pathway into unknown territories

David de Vries - Guitar
James Waples - Drums
Brendan Berlach - Saxophone
Spike Mason - Saxophone

Amphibious continues our series of fine music concerts.  It's jazz, influenced by chamber music.  It's experimental, in a beautiful way. Sometimes it's a bit like Bach.  It's great musicians playing whatever they want, the sort of improvisation our lounges love.

Their website is excellent: http://www.amphibious.net.au

(and somehow, against all the odds, Amphibious got an article in the inner west courier!)

Playing Jazz spiced with Afro-Brazilian rhythms, the band includes long time collaborator and bass man, Hugh Fraser; distinguished emerging guitarist, Aaron Flower and American percussionist Chris Field.  Read more at guystrazz.com, or check the great story while you listen at myspace.com/guystrazzmusic

This is a special one-off FRIDAY concert, to celebrate the birthdays of Guy and Aaron!

come and discover Sydney’s most unique music space!

featuring:
SPIKE MASON QUARTET
JESS GREEN & THE PRELOVED
THE FANTASTIC TERRIFIC MUNKLE
BRI COWLISHAW

A sculpture by Ian Scott will be on sale for $1000.

Beer from Little Creatures, wine and food for sale.

media enquiries (02) 8013 8219 / 0405 726 753
www.cafechurch.org.au/eightoclocksharp

$20 / $10 lounges, candlelight, tea and coffee - wine, beer, and food available for this night only.

pete kohlhoff (bass), charlie meadows (guitar), gary daley (accordion), cameron reid (drums) - sorry i didn't get you in the picture
Beautiful grooves from this new quartet - they'll rock your socks off, in a scandinavian / country / roots sort of way.
with:

Charlie and the Maddox Factory

Charlotte Craib and John Maddox will get you happy with their quirky choonz.  we don't book many singers - we've got that thing about amplification.  but charlie and jonny don't need anything between you and their vocal chords except their smiles.

In 2003 Spike Mason once again curated a huge series of concerts mostly jazz and world music with some amazing vocalists.  It would be six more years before any of us found the energy to organise a series of this standard, running for this long.

1st may

Tempo di Tango :: string tango trio

8th may

Michael Kahr :: folk piano jazz

15th may

Dr Aimless :: jazz-pop fusion
TUFA :: southeast asian electronica

22nd may

Java Quartet :: dark melodic acoustic jazz

29th may

Sarah Blasko :: seductive woman of pop
Lady Jane :: acoustic mellow rock

5th june

Khayal ::classical nth indian vocal music

12th june

Louise Perryman :: soothing, siren, sensual soul
Deborah Dicembre :: acoustic rock

19th june

Hevahl :: kurdish folk, trance grooves
Eastern Music Ensemble :: indian classical

26th june

Geospace :: jazz sax quartet - Alfredo Lopes

3rd july

The Splinter Orchestra :: 20 piece improvisation group

10th july

Aris Kartsonas Project :: original jazz guitar ensemble

17th july

Barney Wakeford Group :: piano jazz

31st july

Paul McNamara & Friends :: jazz piano, solo, duo, trio

7th august

Andy Bull :: intelligent nu-soul songs
Mbahago :: spike's got a new daughter

14th august

Mic Conway's National Junk Band :: post millenial vaudevillian cabaret

21st august

Selah :: album launch - 10 piece jazz

28th august

Tom Waits Tribute :: many songsters and songs