The Street: Pick of the Capital Jazz Project

I'm shattered to be missing the whole of the Street Theatre's Capital Jazz Project, starting tomorrow night, 3 August, at the Street Theatre, and running until 12 August. I got along to fair few sessions of last year's, and enjoyed every semi-quaver.  This year, I had booked in to attend at least one session every night, but a combination of work and personal commitments have now conspired to thwart me completely.

If you can make it, though, the CJP it is a great opportunity to experience some performances from interstate artists you'd normally have to get down to Bennett's Lane or the Adelaide Cabaret Festival to enjoy.  So if you're browsing through the attractively full programme and trying to choose what to attend, here are the ones I'm most upset to be missing:

Paul Capsis - Make me A King.  Capsis is a remarkable performer and love him or hate him, you should definitely hear him sing at least once in your life time.  This sounds like it will be cabaret rather than  pure jazz, but as that's where he excels, that really shouldn't stop you.

Gian Slater & Invenio - I've been trying to find my way to hear Gian Slater live for years now, and from all accounts this is an extraordinary work. I'm fascinated by the use of voice purely as an intrument, and apparently the air at Stonnington was thick with wool as her choir Invenio knocked the socks off all who heard them.  I think this is the thing I am saddest to be missing.

Joe Chindamo, "Another Place, Some Other Time": He's also doing a session with some young musos from the School, called FreshBace, but if you want to hear Chindamo at his virtuosic best, this is the concert to queue for. One of the mosted gifted pianists you will ever hear, in any genre, anywhere.  YouTube his Umbrian performances if you want to see what I mean, and try for a seat on the left, as believe me, you'll want to watch his hands.

Dick & Christa Hughes:  There's nothing Dick Hughes doesn't know about jazz, and nothing his daughter Christa can't sing.  They're both original, talented, and absolutely fearless. Street Two is the
right choice for this performance in terms of ambience, but it's a crying shame that not more people will be able to cram in to such a tiny venue. 

If you can't attend any of these, there are an awful lot of consolation prizes on offer.  I'm hoping that locals will really get behind and support the CJP - with the destruction of the ANU Jazz School, and cutbacks from local venues, the Canberra jazz scene can use all the support it can get.