Album Notes

STOP PRESS - "Flute Song" nominated in the MUSICOZ Jazz Category 2003!(Australia Wide competition) It's different! It's fresh! It's original! It's... quirky PETE MITCHELL QUARTET Pete Mitchell - alto/baritone/soprano saxophones Jack Pantazis - guitar Andrew Albanis - double bass Michael Rochford - drums joined by special guest artists : David Jones - drums Enio Pozzebon - organ/electronic piano A debut album featuring an up and coming young Melbourne Australian Saxophone player, his quartet and guest musicians playing ten original compositions varying in style, mood and tempo. Styles range from groove oriented funky jazz, through haunting atmospheric, to easy listening modern jazz with often a comical quirky twist. A beautiful ballad with delicate improvisations, a crazy fast wild tune, some eastern influences, and even a trick or two! " Thank you for your beautiful music. I wish I could have stayed for more. As an avid jazz fan it was great to hear such a fantastic live performance. Thank you!" (Note handed to venue owner after a recent performance at the Stamford Plaza Hotel.) Pete is supported here by some of Melbournes leading musicians and music educators. The quartet regularly includes the fantastic guitar artistry of Jack Pantazis, the precise percussiveness of a very creative drummer Michael Rochford and the smooth warm tone of Andrew Albanis on double bass. On this album Pete is fortunate enough to have on four tracks, the added advantage of playing with renowned jazz pianist Enio Pozzebon and the brilliant internationally celebrated drummer David Jones. YOU WILL BE DELIGHTED AND PERHAPS SOMETIMES EVEN AMUSED BY THIS WONDERFUL DEBUT RECORDING. ABOUT THE ARTISTS... Pete Mitchell was born 27th January 1978 in Melbourne Australia. He began learning piano at the age of six, taking up saxophone and guitar when he was ten. During his school years Pete took every opportunity he could to be involved in music, playing in orchestras, concert bands, soul bands and jazz big bands. He also performed on guitar in heavy metal and hard rock bands. The highpoint of this period was soloing on centre stage in big band at the Melbourne Concert Hall on school speech night. Outside school Pete was actively involved with the "Melbourne Youth Music Council" attending music camps and performing with the "John Antill Youth Band" as part of the "Saturday Music School" program. Peter completed a diploma in jazz performance in 1997 having passed VCE Musicraft on guitar in 1995. During the diploma course he co-formed "Take Four", a sax lead jazz / funk quartet which played over a hundred gigs in a year and was a huge success at the 1997 Merimbula Jazz Festival. Recently Pete's various duos, trios and quartets have played at many corporate, private and public events around town. He also plays with various other bands on saxophone and guitar as required. Pete has played on a number of occasions with "Bomba" (Nicky Bomba's funky reggae outfit) and over the last twelve months has occupied the baritone sax chair in the house big band at Dizzy's Jazz Bar on Wednesday nights. A highlight of Pete's activities was spending time and attending a private lesson with one of his all time jazz heroes, Branford Marsalis. Jack Pantazis has been on the professional music scene for almost twenty years. His versatility and strong guitar skills have enabled him to effortlessly move between genres, from jazz to latin to rock and anything that has been required of him. He has played with the "Australian Pops Orchestra", the original group "Black Taxi", musical productions such as "Rent", "Sweet Charity" and "Les Miserables", his own group "J.Company" (jazz / groove material), TV appearances on Bert Newton's "Good Morning Australia", the ABC's "The Art Show" and numerous pick up groups over the years. A strong love for improvisation is very apparent in Jack's playing, especially in the jazz style. His daytime commitment is with the Northern Melbourne Institute of Tafe, Music Department, where he lectures in guitar, improvisation and runs a variety of performance groups. He is responsible for the ANZCA Modern Guitar Syllabus which he co-wrote eight years ago and for which he is also an examiner. In 2000 Jack had the great pleasure of performing with Mike Stern in a workshop situation at NMIT. Since then Jack and Mike have kept in contact. Jack was in New York in 2001 to attend the IAJE Jazz Educators Conference and caught up with Mike at his ongoing Wednesday night gig at The 55 bar. "....I like spreading myself around to experience as many elements of the music business as possible (performing that is) so that every gig is a challenging learning experience working with different musicians...." Recent work has included performing in the orchestra pit for the stage spectacular "Mama Mia" and the "Jack Pantazis Trio" has been playing every Thursday night at a new Melbourne night spot, "Scarlette". Andrew Albanis. During a career that has spanned a decade, Andrew has played electric and double bass in major venues throughout Australia. This includes numerous television appearances and major music events like the Melbourne Fringe Festival and the Apollo Bay Festival. He has also been part of opening acts for international performers like The Waifs and Nick Cave. Andrew is a versatile musician with an ability to adapt to a range of musical styles. He has lent his talents to big band ensembles and duos as well as solo performances. He has recorded in major studios playing country, blues, jazz or avant garde. Most recently, Andrew has been studying at the Victorian College of the Arts as well as finding time to play with "Ashley Davies and Mighty Servant". Through this association, he has become involved in the "Ned Kelly Project". Aside from performing, Andrew is a talented composer writing music for various ensembles and short films. He also teaches electric / double bass at Northern Melbourne Institute of Tafe. It was there, when they were both students, that Andrew met Pete Mitchell. Their musical collaboration has been fruitful, taking them through countless performances at various venues and culminating with this CD. Michael Rochford. After completing his Bachelor of Music at Melbourne University in his early 20's, Michael has continued to perform in a range of musical settings. Extensive playing in small and large jazz groups, tours with orchestras and international rock / cabaret acts and performances on all the major television stations has helped broaden his musical horizons. Michael currently teaches at Australia's largest musical institute : Northern Melbourne Institute of Tafe, as well as continuing to perform regularly around Melbourne. Michael is endorsed by Pearl Drums. GUEST MUSICIANS. Pianist Enio Pozzebon has been a composer, performer and teacher in Melbourne's vibrant music scene for over fifteen years. He has performed throughout Australia in a variety of genres and settings. David Jones is one of the world's great drummer/percussionists and one of Australia's virtuoso musicians. He is taking the art of drumming and percussion to a new level. Wherever David travels throughout the world, audiences are blown away with his playing, and his reputation is rapidly spreading on the world scene. Some quotes regarding debut album PETE MITCHELL QUARTET "quirky". "a sense of fun...carries through on all the numbers, even as the instrumentation changes,...Pete Mitchell has developed his own style, one based on audience involvement, technical mastery and personal musical statements." Bill Donaldson, (Cadence Magazine, New York USA) "an impressive debut ... Pete is clearly a talented composer ... has a great baritone sound ... a fine CD ... which very effectively demonstrates his substantial playing, writing and arranging skills." Simon Moodie, (Australian Clarinet & Saxophone Magazine) "a gutsy and funky debut album ... a refreshing 10 track collection of original works ... Great energy!" Debra Lea Morrice, JazzEnews.com "strong melodies ... vibrant solo work ... 4/5 Chris Copas, (The Star) "it's got a very nice sound to it." "He has a very, very nice big sound!"....Mark Freeman 3PBS 106.7 FM (Grits n' Gravy show) played 2 tracks. "a very good band doing very good things..."Roy Johnston 3 PBS 106.7 FM (Bitches Brew) "great music to bonk to" Justine Jones 3 PBS 106.7 FM (Groovoire show) during live to air interview played 3 tracks. "brilliant!"...Martin Lesley 3MBS 103.5 FM (Jazz Rivers show) during first 30 minutes of show, played 4 tracks. "A great CD!" Owen McKern 3RRR 102.7 FM (Deliverence show) played 1 track "A very very good CD" Roger Clark (Dizzy's Big Band leader) "A tight debut album." "An interesting, well played and produced CD. Comprehensive sleeve notes give the background to the compositions which adds to their overall enjoyment." Don Brow (Melbourne Jazz Scene Magazine) "A debut album by the Pete Mitchell Quartet boasts a diverse range of jazz numbers, many with comical deviations that will amuse listeners." "Jazz with a twist to tickle senses" Monash Journal Newspaper "Thank you for your beautiful music. I wish I could have stayed for more. As an avid jazz fan it was great to hear such a fantastic live performance. Thank you!" Note handed to venue owner after a recent performance at the Stamford Plaza Hotel. Also has had airplay on the following shows : Jazz Perspectives ABC 105.9 FM (Jim McCloud) Jazz on Saturday 3 PBS 106.7 FM (Steve Robertson) Bitches Brew 3 PBS 106.7 FM (Len Davis, Roy Johnston, Simon Bonney) Jazz & Blues Review 3 PBS 106.7 FM (Neil Stoneman) Something Else Show 3 PBS 106.7 FM (Rohan Parkes) played 2 tracks. Fiesta Jazz 3 PBS 106.7 FM (Saul Zavarce) Stick It In Your Earhole 3 PBS 106.7 FM (John Idem) New & Groovy 3RRR 102.7 FM (Johnny Topper) The Village 3RRR 102.7 FM (Jessica Nicholas) The Evening Show ABC 774 AM Performed 3 Tracks live to air and interview (Derek Guille, Jeremy Lee) CD REVIEW : "CADENCE MAGAZINE, New York USA" September 2003 Pete Mitchell Quartet Quirky Pete Mitchell's quartet attacks the tunes on Quirky without apparent restraint and with a sense of fun that carries through on all of the numbers, even as the instrumentation changes. From the very start, Mitchell's outpouring of groove on baritone saxophone, based upon a repeating lick complete with slap - tonguing, makes evident Mitchell's indebtedness to Charlie Hunter, as expressed in the liner notes. Pete makes unpredictability an essential part of his music. Even though "Hey Groover!" starts with an inviting amble of, once again, repeating licks, its promise, even from the start, doesn't disappoint as Mitchell plays alto, baritone and soprano over Enio Pozzebon's organ funk and then combines with Jack Pantazis' wah guitar. Then, just as the listener expects conviviality throughout the project, Mitchell digs into "Song Without Words," based upon two chord progressions, but which he plays with a sensitivity on the baritone sax reminiscent of Nick Brignola's. Still, Mitchell's puckish irrepressibility eventually wins out again on the appropriately named "Running Rampant,", a whirling, feverish improvisation over racing, controlled percussion. At first, it appears that Mitchell's approach is similar to James Carter's on baritone sax, wherein anything goes, the chord structure or melody becoming less relevant than the statement of performance. But then the ultimate inspiration for Mitchell's work evolves on "Egyptian Albino," as he plays both the alto and baritone saxophones first as a call and response and then at the same time as did Rahsaan Roland Kirk. The tune itself is understated on alto and then baritone with an allusion to Middle Eastern modes, albeit with an implicit Westernized swing. The final chorus, though, is left to Mitchell's saxophone self-harmonization for a final impression. Based in Melbourne and gaining the attention of Jazz notables like Branford Marsalis as they visit Australia on tour, Pete Mitchell has developed his own style, one based on audience involvement, technical mastery and personal musical statements. Written by Bill Donaldson. CD REVIEW : Australian Clarinet and Saxophone Magazine.(March 2003) Quirky Pete Mitchell Quartet Pete Mitchell - Baritone, Alto and Soprano Saxophones My first exposure to Pete Mitchell's music was from Jim McLeod's JazzTrack on ABC FM one weekend evening. I heard some great alto and baritone sounds and the name Pete Mitchell, but nothing else since I was in a rush. So later that night, I checked out amazon.com and a few other websites but there was no trace of whom I imagined to be an American player. The trail went cold until a month or so later when I was (very) idly flicking through the pages of the local suburban, throw - away paper and there I spotted a photo and an article about Pete Mitchell and his forthcoming CD launch. I then learnt that Pete is a 25 year old Melbournian with a music background that not only covers the saxophone in a variety of jazz, band and orchestral contexts but also includes heavy metal and rock guitar. Quirky is Pete Mitchell's first album and it is an impressive debut, which very effectively demonstrates his substantial playing, writing and arranging skills. On the album, he receives excellent support from his rhythm section of Jack Pantazis (guitar), Andrew Albanis (double bass) and Michael Rochford (drums), with Enio Pozzebon (piano) and Davy Jones (drums) guesting on several tracks. "Big Kid" is the first of the album's ten tracks and it's a funky, up-tempo piece for baritone, but Pete doesn't rush into the solo at breakneck speed, as might be anticipated. Rather, he starts out with extended notes for a large chunk of the first chorus, dragging out the time and building up a degree of tension before digging into the solo and matching the groove of the rhythm section. Mitchell has a great baritone sound (he plays a vintage 1940's Conn baritone for those who care about such things), but the sound is not static - he plays with considerable edge on some tracks but gets a more mellow tone (reminiscent of Gerry Mulligans's "Age of Steam" phase in the 1970s) on other tracks, such as "Song Without Words" where he plays with just acoustic guitar accompaniment. Pete is clearly a talented composer, having written all but one of the tunes. These tunes have melodies too - the sort you can whistle or hum (on the first hearing) when the head is repeated at the track's conclusion. The arrangements, too, are uncluttered and effective. The track I enjoy most is "Egyptian Albino", the one I first heard on ABC FM. It starts unusually with a few bars of orientally - inspired alto, then a few of baritone and then alto and baritone together in the style of Rahsaan Roland Kirk. After this brief intro, the melody is stated on alto and then follows a simple, understated organ solo above an insistent, swinging bass line. Pete then solos and his alto sound is intriguing; to me it is reminiscent of Paul Desmond's but with a late twentieth century (rather than early 1950s) sensibility. The solo alternates between a middle-eastern modal form and a more conventional blues structure. He then finishes with a few bars of baritone alternating with alto, followed by a brief alto/baritone coda a la Kirk. I think that this is a fine CD, but it's not just my opinion. I lent it to a discerning friend, baritone aficionado and racing cyclist, who was also very impressed.; - Simon Moodie CD Review... JazzEnews.com (Deb Morrice June 2003) ALBUM: Quirky ARTIST/S: Pete Mitchell Quartet * Pete Mitchell - alto/baritone/ soprano saxes + wurlitzer piano/electric bass * Jack Pantazis - guitar/s * Andrew Albanis - double bass * Michael Rochford - drums Guest Artists * Enio Pozzebon - wurlitzer piano/organ * David Jones - drums/percussion/rain stick __ REVIEW The Pete Mitchell Quartet release 'Quirky', is a gutsy and funky album debut. There's no standards of the past jazz era in this mix, Pete and his unit deliver a refreshing 10 track collection of original works. Its commendable! The overall project would certainly attract the attention of the nu-jazz dance crowd and even win over the late night jazz listeners who like their selection 'funked' up to laid back. Big Kid is a suitable piece to kick start the Cd. A nice groove and inviting mood are provided by the simple riffs that unfold. Then there is an apparent mood swing, an almost haunting extreme in the second track as Mitchell's soprano tells you about The Prowler. Romance and the samba beat fill the air with the Flute Song. It's a beautiful tune written by Pete's Dad Vic and a charming album highlight! The cheeky low baritone honks are noticeable in Hey Groover and the studio mix of several saxes produce an interesting bed of music. Subdued sounds a little sophisicated and if the sax could talk in this instance it would most likely be saying, 'hey Cats lets loosen up a bit! The Cats response would be, 'Yeahhhhhhhhh!' In the following piece it is possible to visualise Pete swaying in time with the alto sax and see Jack Pantazis caress the nylon stringed classical guitar, together they create a special space for the ballad Song Withouts Words . For those who dare to close their eyes and go with the tune a moment laced with a touch of sweetness, a sense of spirituality and an undertow of melancholy is there to be experienced. It's impossible to escape the fast pace of Running Rampant , drummer David Jones gets a chance to cut loose on the sticks, Enio Pozzebon works out the wurlitzer in a gentle yet driven way and it feels as though Andrew Albanis is twirling with the double bass. Great energy! The final three tracks wind up this creative and spontaneous album project . Firstly, Egyptian Albino unleashes a relaxing, ancient egyptian vibe that's wrapped up with an enchanting melody and surrounded by mystery like a mummy sealed in a tomb. Then Surgeon Hookey sets up an excellent Jam session for the Quartet to enjoy the ' thrill of the chill' and finally drummer Michael Rochford and Pete Mitchell ride out the sombre, 'oh no it's the end of the show' mood in Termination. A complete project! Top debut! Deb Morrice June 2003 JazzEnews.com CD REVIEW : (Melbourne Jazz Scene, Volume 3. Issue 3. Nov. 2002) "quirky" - Pete Mitchell Quartet 10 tracks - TPT 56:45m:s The quartet of Pete Mitchell, soprano, alto & baritone saxophones, Jack Pantazis, guitar, Andrew Albanis, double bass and Michael Rochford, drums have put together a tight debut album "quirky". Pianist Enio Pozzebon and drummer David Jones join the group on 4 tracks. All tunes but one were composed by Pete Mitchell ('Flute Song' was composed by his father Vic Mitchell) with styles ranging from the groove oriented funky opening tune 'Big Kid' with Mitchell on baritone, to an atmospheric feel of 'The Prowler' on soprano before changing to alto for the samba, 'Flute Song', which includes a tasty guitar solo from Pantazis. The New Orleans funk inspired 'Hey Groover' is followed by a more reflective 'Subdued' before a duo on the ballad 'Song Without Words', on baritone, with Pantazis on classical guitar. On the up tempo 'Running Rampant' Mitchell is joined by Enio Pozzebon on Wurlitzer who changes to Roland VK7 organ for the middle eastern influenced 'Egyptian Albino' with Mitchell "doing a Roland Kirk", playing intervals on both alto and baritone, together, using some unconventional fingering to good effect. It's then back to a funky 'Surgeon Hookey' (a painkiller influenced composition after a trip to the dentist) before an appropriate tune, 'Termination', overdubbed, with Mitchell playing baritone sax, piano, and electric bass and Rochford on drums, finishes an interesting, well played and produced CD. Comprehensive sleeve notes give the background to the compositions which adds to their overall enjoyment. Reviewed by Don Brow. CD REVIEW : Quirky (Pete Mitchell Quartet) Publication : The Star Appeared : 13 February 2003 Reviewer : Chris Copas THE NEW MUSIC. Melbourne jazz combo the PETE MITCHELL QUARTET generates a captivating sound on QUIRKY. The 10 originals cruise with a patient ease, giving composer Mitchell the chance to showcase his work on alto, baritone and soprano sax. With drums, piano and double bass reinforcing his sound, the session delivers strong melodies with some vibrant solo work. The Prowler, Running Rampant and Termination are among the high points. RATING : 4 out of 5. JazzEnews talks to Pete Mitchell. Debra Lea Morrice is the founder of the online jazz news service, JazzEnews. Recently, she interviewed jazz artist Pete Mitchell about his album, Quirky ...Debra Lea Morrice: I love the name of the CD project - Quirky; the name alone really takes you in. I would love to know why you chose that particular name? Like do you feel your music is quirky, or do you feel the whole project is? I sense it must have just sat right with you emotionally when the name settled in your mind. Would you care to elaborate? Why "quirky"?Pete Mitchell: I won't go into too much detail here (a bit like trying to explain a joke) but really the name started like this. My band has played many gigs where we have performed lots of standards and known jazz compositions, and when I first wanted to try my originals in public, a band member said "Aren't they a little bit er quirky to play here?" The idea stuck in my head and then later it became clear that some of the ideas in improvisation, tune endings and even the tunes themselves, could be described as "quirky". By that stage I really liked the name anyway.DM: What a brave album debut! All original material! Were you spiritually driven to release such a project? Why all original, insight please?PM: It's just something I always wanted to do, release my own CD. All original material because I had enough tunes to actually do it, and easier to record because I own the copyright. If I wanted to record other people's compositions I would have to get permission from them and have to pay a fee for the privilege.DM: Okay how about a track-by-track analysis? Hope you don't mind? It is great to see you took the time to share a little background to each piece inside the CD sleeve of your recording.(1) Big Kid has a nice pace and groove. When you close your eyes it takes you to a few places in your mind. Where did it take you as you were getting the piece together? Jack, Andrew and Michael seemed attached to it too! Did anything exciting happen in the studio during recording of that piece?PM: Big Kid came together very quickly and naturally. It was recorded only about 4 or 5 months after I bought my baritone sax and I was so happy that I had actually found one. The main part of the tune just came out when I was playing one day. I was not trying to compose, it just happened. The B section riff I had had for a while but had nothing to put with it, so when the main riff came it was basically written. I think it was the first tune recorded, and there had not been much rehearsal. We just went into the studio and jammed on it. It was pretty spontaneous.DM: (2) The Prowler was actually inspired by a prowler lurking around the your neighbourhood! Wow! What an encounter for you as you anticipated confronting the prowler. Sounds like you'd know what to say to him and show him/her the err of their ways, followed up with a little compassion and hope. That's the vibe I got from your piece. How was my read?PM: Pretty good. I just wanted to write something strange and haunting whilst I was feeling the fear of confronting this person. There was one night when I had some friends over. It was very late at night, and there was an enormous bang in the backyard. Sounded like a rock hitting a piece of metal. We went out and had a look, but couldn't find anything.DM: (3) Flute Song - Dig the beat! Jazz Samba! You must tell me all about your Dad's composition. Where was he at when he wrote the piece? It has a romantic flavour, like he was in love - "dancin' and romancin'". Mmmm ... sounds like Dad won someone over. The piece has a nice vibe and Jack and Michaels' sound was so inspired by it too. The bassist was tidy and tight, nice to hear. It must be a special piece for you to include on Quirky?PM: My dad wrote this just a few years ago, he plays the flute a bit and was doodling around with this tune and decided to write it down. I think it is one of the best tracks on the CD. I had originally planned to make it a funky jazz thing, but there were already plenty of tunes in that style, so we made it a jazz samba. My father has always been so supportive of my music and even got me started at age 6 when he thought I had something. It is great to have a tune by him on the CD.DM: (4) Song without words - I visualised the deserts sands and faraway places when I absorbed the sound of the ballad. I was touched by a sense of loss of some sort, or longing and real sadness, perhaps wasteland. Jack's guitar work added a real warmth to the piece, a compassionate element in a sense. Would love further insight to this piece!PM: Song without words was not originally intended to be on the CD. I had meant to have 12 tracks on the recording and the 4 tracks that were supposed to be recorded during the final session did not happen. One reason they did not happen is because they were the most complicated of my tunes, and were going to take a bit of time to get up to scratch. I already thought I was taking way too long with the project so I decided to record two other tunes, Song without words and Termination.Song without words was originally written on the soprano sax but just felt right and I believe has more impact on the baritone. It is the only ballad on the CD and also the only track, which is recorded as a duo. Jack and I do lots of work as a duo, so it made sense to demonstrate some of that on the quirky release. The melody came pretty easily but deciding what to do with chords was a little more difficult. Two chord progressions were written, a fairly safe normal sounding one that I came up with, and a much darker more challenging one created by Jack. We rehearsed both progressions and the end product is actually a combination of the two.DM: (5) Hey Groover! You can chill out to this piece but then it again it sort of has a real air of confidence and its kinda cheeky in places. I love the ending! What a blow out! (laughing out loud) Have you anything to add?PM: Hey Groover! came about after I had been listening to a band called "Galactic". I wanted something funky with really low baritone honks, and all the other instruments playing in unison. To fatten the sound up a bit I added an alto and soprano sax part. I would have added a tenor part too, but I didn't own one at the time. (I do now.) With this tune I just wanted something to jam on with the solos over a simple groove, and something people might dance to by having the New Orleans funk beat vibe.DM: (6) Subdued - a complicated emotional piece to start with then you have a sense that you know you have to loosen up a bit. Where were you at during the process of this piece making it to the studio? PM: Subdued is how I was feeling when I wrote it. I wanted to force myself to write something when really I was not in the best of moods and see what came out of me. I did start to loosen up a bit though as I got closer to completing the tune.DM: (7) Running Rampant - yeah a little racey, you had plenty of energy and I noted that it said on the album sleeve it was first piece for the album so when you were in the Now with that piece did you know it was bound for your album project?PM: Yes. I always knew it had to be on the CD. It's the fastest tune on quirky and features some great playing from everyone, especially David Jones, although it was also the hardest to record out of the whole project. There were no rehearsals for the session with David Jones. We just went into the studio and came up with what we could.DM: (8) Egyptian Albino is the longest track on your album with interesting flavours: bass excellent, and [hammond] b3 wow and yes an ancient Egyptian vibe too! A Clever piece that is sort of relaxing too. Would you care to share further?PM: I had just seen the most recent version of the film The Mummy and had really enjoyed it and I felt inspired to write something with eastern sounding influences. It's a pretty simple tune really, but with its repetitiveness you can really build some tension improvising. It took a while to write, it just sort of sat there in different pieces before I stuck it all together. I was also listening to Medeski, Martin & Wood at the time which was influencing the composition to a certain extent. The tune was not intended to go on for so long but that's just how it happened. The intro and outro of the piece are inspired by Roland Kirk. My father made me aware of Roland several years ago. He was a blind musician who used to play several Saxophones all at once producing strange harmonies and sounds. My father had seen him play live at "Ronnie Scott's" in London sometime in the mid 60's. He said "Roland Kirk plays tenor as well as anyone you ever heard but also at times gets a strange Sax section effect by blowing three instruments together (Tenor, Stritch and Manzello). He also played wild but exciting Flute. He was amazed at what Kirk could do and once I heard about it I had to try it out myself and found I could play some interesting different sounding stuff with the Alto and Baritone together. It seemed appropriate that this strange eerie sound would be a great intro and outro for this piece. When we play the tune live, I usually play more of the multi horn trick. Sometimes the tune can go for ages. The title is dedicated to a crazy Egyptian drummer friend of mine who has strange eyes and long curly white hair.DM: (9) Surgeon Hookey - dig the cool flavours to this piece great guitar ... and nice sax work ... chillin' ... seems a very together piece with purpose! Insight please?PM: This one was written during the recovery stage after the extraction of all four impacted wisdom teeth. I composed it under the influence of a general anaesthetic and heavy pain killer drugs. I wanted a tune that was easy to jam on and had a simple cool funky feel and beat. Jacks guitar solo is fantastic! I always enjoy performing this one. I don't know where the musical influence came from. To me it does not sound like anything else I have listened to. It must have been the drugs!DM: (10) Termination - Interesting name for final track of the project ... kept thinking of The Doors when I heard this piece ... the sombre (melancholy) sound sat well too. Care to share insight?PM: I wanted a simple groove thing to play over and gradually fade out with as an outro for the album. Also I wanted to have some fun in the studio and record every instrument myself apart from the drums. I can hear The Doors influence you suggest although I am not a Doors fan nor do I choose to listen to them. Once the electric keyboard and electric bass parts had been recorded, Michael and I played along together and mainly just improvised. I did not have a main melody or anything, I just wanted to play along and see what would happen.DM: I felt the overall CD project suits the late night jazz scene. Was this your intention? You can almost visualise a perfect little club setting and you and the Katz getting into the groove as well as the audience too.PM: Other people have said they think the music would suit the late night jazz scene and I think it would, but this was not specifically my intention. I think it also would suit funky nightclubs where people could get up and dance to the groovier material. I am keen to play this music anywhere with the band, anywhere I can find work. Festivals, private functions, weddings, clubs etc.DM: So I assume you took the time to write these pieces especially for the project? How long did the process take ... ? Write, record and release ... I am interested in the time span taken. PM: I did write the pieces especially for the project. Most of them were written on my keyboard hooked up to the computer with MIDI. I would make up bass lines, program some drums, and jam along on the keyboard. Only two tunes, Big Kid and Song without words were actually written with a saxophone in my hands. I think it probably would have taken about a year to compose the material. About 15 tracks that is, 10 of which are on quirky.Recording took a bit longer, although the actual sessions themselves did not. The gaps of a few months in between slowed it down a bit. There were three sessions. The first session (Big Kid, Flute Song, Subdued, Surgeon Hookey) happened around mid 2001 and it was all done in about 3 hours! Second session which featured special guests David Jones - drums and Enio Pozzebon - organ/keys (The Prowler, Hey Groover!, Running Rampant, Egyptian Albino) happened around late July 2001 I think, and the final session (Song without words, Termination) was March 2002. Mixing and mastering had to happen next, and with Bomba (recording engineer) having international touring commitments of his own with his funky reggae band delayed things further. So quirky, if you include all time taken with writing, recording, mixing, mastering, designing artwork, getting photos taken, and releasing, took about two-and-a-half to three years.DM: Congratulations, Debuts are always so exciting! May you continue to grow in the love of your music. Thank you for sharing your jazz/life journey with me.PM: Thanks very much Deb, I really appreciate your interest. Article (c) 2003 Debra Lea Morrice. Reprinted with permission. "JAZZ WITH A TWIST TO TICKLE SENSES" (Monash Journal Newspaper Article Oct. 2002) JAZZ buffs will know how it feels to listen to a piece of music that has a sudden quirky twist. Some listeners raise their eyebrows, some frown and some burst out with laughter or applause. A debut album by the Pete Mitchell Quartet boasts a diverse range of jazz numbers, many with comical deviations that will amuse listeners. Mr. Mitchell, a saxophonist from Wheelers Hill, leads the quartet which includes Jack Pantazis on guitar, Andrew Albanis on double bass and Michael Rochford on drums. Each song is original and styles range from groove oriented funky jazz, through haunting atmospheric, to easy listening modern jazz. "It moves from a beautiful ballad with delicate improvisations, to a crazy fast wild tune, some eastern influences, a samba and even a trick or two," he said. "On this album, I'm fortunate enough to have four tracks playing with renowned jazz pianist Enio Pozzebon and the brilliant, internationally celebrated drummer David Jones." Mr. Mitchell began learning piano at the age of six and took up saxophone and guitar at ten. In his school years, he took every opportunity to be involved in music, playing in orchestras, concert bands, soul bands and jazz big bands. He has played at many corporate, private and public events around Melbourne including gigs with Bomba and the big band at Dizzy's Jazz Club in Richmond. A CD launch is set for Thursday, October 24 at 10pm at Scarlette, 185 Smith Street, Fitzroy. "DREAMS CAN COME TRUE" (Waverley Leader Newspaper article, October 15, 2002) Wheelers Hill saxophonist Pete Mitchell is about to fulfil a lifetime dream. The jazz buff has put the finishing touches to his band's first CD, which is due for release later this month. The Pete Mitchell Quartet's debut album presents a diverse range of jazz numbers, many with "comical" twists. "Some of the songs can move from a beautiful ballad to a crazy wild tune, with some eastern influences, a samba and even a trick or two," Mitchell said. The CD will be launched in Fitzroy, on Thursday, October 24.