By |

The City Lights album launch in Canberra was filmed with the help of talented videographer, Matt Ong. We’re going to release the videos in the same order as the tracks on the album.

City Lights is the first, we hope you enjoy watching it on YouTube and give us a like and share 🙂

Song background

The song City Lights, title of the Bella Groove album, was conceived about 8 years ago!

I wrote the main chorus of City Lights after seeing Dan Sultan perform at the Sydney Opera House.

It was exciting seeing a live band at The Opera House Studio. The Studio theatre, “with its capacity to transform, is a space where the edges of art are not only reached but explored”. I have been fortunate to see a few “bizarre and beautiful” acts perform at the Studio.

So, I was buzzing… walking down the promenade at Circular Quay, heading back to my inner West abode. Suddenly the tune just came to me, beginning with the lyrics:

Come down now, come to the city tonight

There you’ll find brighter skies than you’ll ever see

A full moon out there, full moon out there

Come take a risk with me…

The rest of the lyrics came later. The melody was fixed!

Piano player and arranger, Hugh Barrett, played some cool chords and I figured out the intro! Hugh went away and worked on a horn arrangement, then we had a tune!

Thanks to Matt Ong and James Robinson who assisted Matt with filming the launch.

 

 

 

By |

It is said that bass players provide the link between the rhythm and melody of a song.

The amazing Eric Ajaye and the talented John Burgess are the bass players on the Bella Groove debut album.

I was so excited when Eric agreed to play on my album. Not only is Eric deeply respected amongst fellow musicians in Canberra, he is a widely respected player worldwide!

Eric has toured many parts of the world with acclaimed musicians such as; Freddie Hubbard, Taj Mahal,  Nancy Wilson, James Morrison, Bob Sedergreen, Paul Grabowsky and Sandy Evans. He has also worked as a session musician on several film and TV projects in the U.S. and recorded for artists such as Chaka Khan and Bill Cosby.

John has been playing bass for 20 years. Eric was his teacher and mentor at the ANU Jazz school. According to Eric, John is the “poster boy” for the upright Steinberger electric bass. He produces such a unique tone and plays awesome solos too!

John has been my ‘go-to’ bass player in Canberra since Bella Groove formed in 2012. So it made sense for John to play on my debut jazz album!

By |

Woo hoo! The album is now ready for mastering!

Thanks to Greg Stott and Mark Sutton, of Hi Hat Music Studio for doing a fabulous job editing and mixing the album!

Thanks especially to Greg Stott for the amount of hours dedicated to mixing 12 tunes!

I thoroughly recommend anyone to Hi Hat Music Studio. Greg and Mark are the loveliest guys to deal with, they’re so easy going! The quality of their work is paramount.

Now I’ll be handing over the tunes to be mastered by Andrew Edgson, from Studios 301. Thanks to Bob Scott‘s recommendation.