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"M’s" is "Mike’s dance studio" in New York’s Lower East Side where this recital was born. It features the Australian jazz group (touring several northern centres and Christchurch this month) led by Andy Sugg, a Melbourne-based tenor and soprano saxophonist whose music explores contemporary post-Coltrane improvisation in original compositions. His music can claim a range of influences such as contemporary jazz, rhythm and blues, and avant-pop. The eight tracks were recorded in New York with six other brilliant US and expatriate Australian musicians, including Andy’s daughter Kate Kelsy-Sugg (piano and vocals). Sugg demonstrates his smooth mastery of the sax, and impresses with original compositions showing his claimed stylistic progress into "the flavour of Brian Eno minimalism, Kurt Rosenwinkel fusion and Bjork avant-pop". Bravo.
Verdict: modern jazz that pleases.
This disc fuses the elements of film music, story-telling and traditional instruments of the Maori. The story-teller Joshua Henare Rogers and soprano Sharon Elizabeth deliver the tale of Hinemoa and Tutanekai (17.5 minutes) followed by Ihenga and the Fairy Folk of Mount Ngongotaha (27 minutes). The third and final track is Pink and White Terraces, purely instrumental, with virtuoso sounds of the taonga puoro well displayed by Horomona Horo. The CD is obviously one aimed at the tourist market but its musical background is an interesting one, devised by Paul Lewis, an English composer who is very experienced in writing music for high-profile British TV drama, but also spent some time in New Zealand and has enjoyed learning about its Maori legends and musical culture.
Verdict: Good tourist promotion.