Two Australian jazz players who have become fixtures of the London jazz scene, A version of this piece appears in the Camden New Journal (https://www.camdennewjournal.co.uk/article/wizard-from-oz-how-newcomer-has-made-his-mark-in-londons-jazz-scene)

I remember seeing a very fresh-faced Graeme Blevins in the sax section of the Guy Barker’s Big Band almost two decades ago. In the epic suite dZf, he usually had to follow an incendiary solo by that Italian firecracker Rosario Giuliana. A less confident and competent player might have been intimidated by the altoist, but I was always impressed by how an unruffled Graeme quickly created his own narrative on tenor, building on what had gone before. As he told me recently: “In jazz, like most music, it’s about colour and contrast and completing the musical picture. It’s not a competition.”

Graeme has only got more adept since those days (he doubles on clarinet and flute, too). After all, he got to dep for the venerable Bob Mintzer in the Yellowjackets  recently. Those are big jazz shoes to fill, but he came away with nary a blister. “The first time you have to win over an audience is quite nerve-racking. But I’m totally up or a challenge like that. And by end they were all cheering, standing ovations, second encore, all that.”

       Hailing from Perth, Australia, Graeme came to London in 2004, aged 23, after three months studying in New York with Seamus Blake and Chris Potter. He had been assured that New York was where you went if you wanted to forge a career in jazz. However, he decided to seek his fortune elsewhere.  “As amazing as New York as, I was still in love with the idea of London. I definitely don’t regret that decision. I still can’t imagine living away from this unbelievable city.”

So how did a newcomer make his mark in London’s jazz scene back then? “By going to every single jam session there was and practicing six hour a day.” Eventually he came to the attention of Clint Eastwood’s bass playing son Kyle and joined a group that included Andrew McCormack on piano and Graeme Flowers on trumpet. “It was the gig that was a bit of a step up for me. And we all got along musically and personally like a house on fire, so it was great.” So good, in fact, he stayed for eight years.Graeme has also played with a host of big names – Kylie Minogue, Phil Collins, Gregory Porter, Jamie Cullum, Kurt Elling and, latterly, Raye. Look at RAYE’s Live at The Albert Hall, where there is a track called Graeme Blevins x Mary Jane, where he gets to blow an extended intro to her love-letter to mind-altering substances. RAYE, you’ll be pleased to know, is every bit as unaffected and genuine as she seems from the outside. Graeme describes her as “a beautiful soul”.

        Graeme has two upcoming London shows with smaller groups – one of them with his old friend and colleague Richard Spaven, best known as a master of broken-beat, dubstep and intricate jazz-fuelled rhythms. “I’ve known Richard for twenty years – we’re both big cricket fans,” says Graeme. “The thing is, the moment you hear him, you know it’s Rich behind the kit. And that’s very rare these days. He’s an incredible musician.” The gig at Camden’s Jazz Café on September 23 is to spotlight Spaven’s new album Light of Day. It’s a groove-led monster, and the live band includes Graeme on alto flute, James Copus on trumpet (a duty he shares with Nils Petter Molvær and Verneri Pohjola on the record – it’s quite the trumpet-fest) and the ever-reliable atmospherics of Stuart McCallum on guitar. Details: https://thejazzcafe.com/event/richard-spaven-3/?accept=true.        There’s also a show in the main club at Ronnie’s with pianist Jamie Safir to launch his debut album, Momentism. “I can’t wait for that. Jamie is a sweetheart and what a beautiful band – some of my favourite musicians to play with.” He’ll be on stage with Jamie on keys, Conor Chaplin on bass and Luke Tomlinson on drums. The show is on September 14 and tickets are here:  https://www.ronniescotts.co.uk/find-a-show/jamie-safir.   There’s also London gigs with Jamie Cullum coming up (see https://www.jamiecullum.com/#tour), more RAYE and Guy Barker’s Jazz Voice, the traditional opening gig of the London Jazz festival in November (https://efglondonjazzfestival.org.uk/events/opening-gala-jazz-voice-4). Graeme Blevins. Remember the name. Every bandleader in London does.     

The mural that features on the cover of the Devil Invites You to Dance c. Tara Minton

     Like Graeme, Tara Minton – a fellow Australian, from Melbourne this time – is a firm fixture on the London jazz scene, not only as a harpist/singer/composer but also a promoter, notably with Spicejazz (see https://spicejazzsoho.co.uk). She too has an impressive CV, working with Björk, Stan Sulzmann, Geoff Gascoyne, Emma Rawicz, Alice Zawadski, Vivienne Aerts (see below) and The Ronnie Scott’s All Stars, but also pops up all over the city, including at Jazz in Kentish Town (I caught her when it was at the Parakeet). Tara has a new album out, The Devil Invites You to Dance, which is something of a departure, a testament to how she fell – hard – for Mexico. It is thoughtful, introspective and very personal disc, but with bursts of joy cutting through any melancholia. I can recommend it – listen to El Colibri with its cascading harp intro (over birdsong), Flora Purim-style wordless vocals, lovely bright-toned flugel from Miguel Gorodi, dancing harp solo and a funky percussion break with handclaps from Emilio Yanez Ruiz and drummer David Ingmells. Or the stately and sombre Iztapalapa, with distant, plaintive sounds from Tara, perhaps reflecting the dark night of the soul that she talks about in the sleeve notes, before Miguel kicks it up a gear with Mariachi-style trumpet, and the sun shines a little, moving into an elegant harp solo and keening vocals before Miguel returns with dramatic effect. The album is launched with a gig Upstairs at Ronnie’s on September 11 (https://www.ronniescotts.co.uk/find-a-show/tara-minton-quintet). It’ll be a good one.