CURATED BY JAMES MORRISON FRIDAY 6–SUNDAY 8 SEPTEMBER 2024
COLLABORATION
‘It simply means to work together, mostly towards a common goal. Collaboration requires cooperation and the whole is nearly always greater than the sum of its parts. I read that studies show with increased collaboration we can expect increased output – does that mean an orchestra gets louder when they cooperate?
Musicians collaborate every time they play together, it’s an essential part of making music in a group. But that doesn’t mean the motivation for choosing your collaborator is always the same. We may choose based on familiarity, the comfortable choice. We may choose based on adventure, on perceived benefit to the overall sound, or even to deliberately make ourselves a little uncomfortable – just to see what happens…
I believe a perfect performance is not when the notes are executed exactly as planned, or when the performers are completely satisfied with their handiwork, but when the audience and performers share an experience, such that there is very little difference between the two. What does it matter who is holding the trumpet when what inspires us is not the ‘listening’ or ‘playing’ but the sound that we both hear?
In this concert series I want to explore the more ‘edgy’ of the reasons for collaboration, to get out of my comfort zone, to realise a dream and to go further than this trumpeter has gone before. Are you ready for an adventure?’
James Morrison AM Curator
James Morrison Trumpet / Trombone
Rai Thistlethwayte Vocals
Marian Petrescu Piano
Southern Cross Soloists
Australia’s pre-eminent classical ensemble of eight virtuosic wind and string soloists.
James Morrison Quartet
James Morrison Trumpet / Trombone
William Morrison Guitar
Harry Morrison Bass
Patrick Danao Drums
UKARIA honours our First Nations by fostering a shared sense of respect for this land, and we acknowledge and pay our respects to the Peramangk, traditional custodians of the land on which the Cultural Centre stands.
OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE
FEATURING JAMES MORRISON WITH SOUTHERN CROSS SOLOISTS
FRIDAY 6 SEPTEMBER 7.00PM
As primarily a jazz musician, the disciplines of so-called classical music are viewed with caution… how will I fit in? Is there a meeting ground where the framework of the written note and the freedom of improvisation can co-exist in harmony? Will this place restrictions on both, or will we create an experience that inspires in a way that couldn’t be reached without this extraordinary collaboration? It’s an uncomfortable thought… and one that may just produce something sublime.
James Morrison Quartet
James Morrison
Trumpet / Trombone
William Morrison
Guitar
Harry Morrison
Bass
Patrick Danao
Drums
with Marian Petrescu
Piano
Southern Cross Soloists
David Silva Flute
Dr Ashley Smith*^
Clarinet
Celia Craig
Oboe
Natalia Edwards
Horn
Margaret Blades* Violin
Duration | approximately 2 hours (incl. interval)
Concert only | Adult $95 | Concession $90
Friday package | Concert + post-concert soirée with the artists (includes a glass of wine and canapés) Adult $145 | Concession $140 – see Weekend Overview (page 14) for event timings.
Antipasti platters are available to enjoy before this concert from 5.30pm (from $30; serves two).
A separate booking is required.
Courtenay Cleary
Violin
James Wannan
Viola
Gemma Kneale
Cello
* denotes Acting Co-Artistic Directors
^ denotes the ensemble leader
REALISING A DREAM
FEATURING JAMES MORRISON WITH RAI THISTLETHWAYTE
SATURDAY 7 SEPTEMBER 6.00PM
I’ve been blessed to have performed with many of my idols – Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Brown. Ray Charles, Herbie Hancock and many more. But as honoured as I am to have had these opportunities, they are not surprising from a musical point of view – these are all jazz greats who any player of that music would aspire to join. So, what dreams have I not realised? The dream to make music with a performer who, whilst supremely talented, does not move in the same circles as myself – someone who has had fame in another world entirely. But I’ve watched him, listened to him, and always thought… what if? Now we find out.
Duration | approximately 2 hours (incl. interval)
Concert only | Adult $95 | Concession $90
Saturday package | Concert + post-concert twocourse dinner: Adult $175 | Concession $170 – see Weekend Overview (page 14) for event timings.
TAKE ME FURTHER
FEATURING JAMES MORRISON WITH MARIAN PETRESCU
SUNDAY 8 SEPTEMBER 2.30PM
It is a well-documented phenomenon that humans placed with others of greater ability can experience sudden ‘gains’ in performance. Who hasn’t been for a jog with someone who is faster than them, and then achieved their best time? (Well, me… but you know what I mean). My great friend and mentor Don Burrows said, “You’re only as good as the company you keep” and my experience is that I always play ‘better’ when my compatriots are challenging me – technically, harmonically, or in any way. There is a musician who is able to challenge just about anybody I’ve ever heard, in any way he wants. His technical prowess is almost beyond belief and his creativity is other worldly – all while playing the most swinging jazz one could hope to hear. If Marian Petrescu doesn’t take you further, then you’re already off the edge…
Duration | approximately 2 hours (incl. interval)
Concert only | Adult $95 | Concession $90
Sunday package | Concert + pre-concert twocourse lunch: Adult $175 | Concession $170 – see Weekend Overview (page 14) for event timings.
ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES
JAMES MORRISON
Curator / Trumpet / Trombone
James Morrison is, by anybody’s standard, a virtuoso in the true sense of the word. Besides the trumpet, this multiinstrumentalist also plays trombone, piano, saxophone and double bass.
At the age of six he started on piano, at seven he took up brass, at nine he formed his first band and at thirteen he was playing professionally in nightclubs. His international career developed just as quickly with a debut in the US at the Monterey Jazz Festival at age sixteen.
Following this were performances at the world’s major jazz festivals, including Montreux, North Sea, Nice and the Hollywood Bowl, playing with many of the legends of jazz – Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Hancock, Dave Brubeck, Chick Corea, George Benson, Quincy Jones, Ray Charles, B.B. King, Ray Brown and Wynton Marsalis to name a few. James also frequents the world’s most famous jazz clubs – Birdland, The Blue Note and
Village Vanguard in New York, the New Morning in Paris, the Tokyo Blue Note and Ronnie Scott’s in London.
James has been appointed a member of The Order of Australia, has won countless awards and has been inducted into the Australian Jazz Hall of Fame. He has received several honorary Doctorates and was an Adjunct Professor at the University of South Australia, leading his own music Academy.
Now in his 60s, James Morrison’s career has included much more than just jazz… He has recorded with The London Symphony Orchestra, rock legends INXS and the European Brass Ensemble, performed at the Royal Albert Hall for the BBC Proms, written the opening fanfare for the Olympic Games, played for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and for US Presidents Bush, and Clinton. He has played classical trumpet at the Kremlin, broken a Guinness record conducting the World’s Largest Orchestra, was TV presenter on Top Gear Australia and in 2016 James was a guest of President Barack Obama at the White House. He’s a pilot, rally driver, sailor, author and even a builder of Tiny Houseboats.
RAI THISTLETHWAYTE
Vocals
Rai is a one of Australia’s most respected musical talents: a highly accomplished pianist, guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. As a songwriter, he has been nominated for APRA Song of The Year. His band, Thirsty Merc, has sold over 250,000 albums in Australia, and has been nominated for 5 ARIA awards (Australian Grammys). Since 2002, Thirsty Merc has released 4 studio albums and a string of hits in the Australian Music Charts.
Rai was taught to play the piano by his mother from the age of 4. He started writing songs around the age of 15. After finishing high school he was awarded a full scholarship to study at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music where he commenced a Bachelor of Music in jazz piano. Enjoying heavy airplay and touring extensively, Thirsty Merc have become a household name in Australia and still work regularly to this day. Rai’s composition In The Summertime has been featured as the theme song to internationally acclaimed Aussie TV series Bondi Rescue for 17 consecutive seasons since 2004. Rai’s composition San Francisco Street has clocked up over 92 million views on YouTube.
Aside from his work in Rock and Pop, Rai performs as a solo artist, based around his love of Jazz, Soul, and Groove music, sometimes under the artist name ‘Sun Rai.’ He has released 1 full length album entitled Go Nuts, 4 Solo EPs and has
toured Australia and the US since 2012. Some of his notable collaborations have been with ARIA award-winning guitarist James Muller, Trumpeter James Morrison, and Grammy Nominated US jazz bassist Christian McBride (Sting, Wynton Marsalis band). Currently based between Sydney and Los Angeles, Rai records and tours globally with US Funk/Jazz/ Electronic band KNOWER (Louis Cole/ Genevieve Artardi) and New York based guitarist Oz Noy. In 2020 Rai joined guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani’s touring band as keyboardist, played on 13 tracks on Joe’s new album The Elephants Of Mars, and has played over 120 shows with Joe in the USA and Europe between 2022 and early 2024. In 2024, Rai is scheduled to perform a headline show at the Java Jazz Festival in Indonesia, and in July 2024 he will join a supergroup of Sammy Hagar (Van Halen/Montrose) Michael Anthony (Van Halen), Joe Satriani, and Jason Bonham on drums, (son of the late great Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham), where Rai will play keyboards, backing vocals, and rhythm guitar for their US Best Of All Worlds Tour.
ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES
MARIAN PETRESCU
Piano
Marian Petrescu was born in Bucharest in 1970, and comes from a large family of musicians. He began to play the piano at the age of four and studied in the classical and jazz conservatory in Sweden, followed by the Sibelius Academy of Helsinki. With his background of solid classical training, dazzling technique and dynamic interpretation, Marian Petrescu then got passionately interested in jazz, and the adventurous world of improvisation.
He made his debut at the Pori Jazz festival at the young age of fifteen. Since then his career has been characterized by international success; in the Martial Solal Jazz piano competition (second prize in 1989) and Bucharest jazz festival (first prize in 1992). Festival appearances include Montreux, Paris, The Hague, Copenhagen, Pori in Finland, April Jazz, Baltic Jazz, and many more.
Marian has played with many stars such as; Arturo Sandoval, Toots Thielemans, Al Jarreau, Didier Lockwood, Jon Larsen, Richie Beirach, Tony Williams, Ulf Wakenius, Ray Charles band, Lars Danielsson, Riccardo Del Fra, Ron McClure, and Hot Club de Norvege.
Today Marian has his own music school, which provides both classical and jazz training, and teaches at the conservatory. Marian’s style is eclectic, and he enjoys all styles of jazz, from ragtime to modern.
Marian loves the piano. He treats the piano as a friend, a sparring partner and mistress. His mentor in Paris, Martial Solal, said ‘his touch is distinct and clear as glass, obviously inspired by Oscar Peterson.’
SOUTHERN CROSS SOLOISTS
Since 1995, Southern Cross Soloists (SXS) have been the shining stars of Australian chamber music. Firmly established in Brisbane, Queensland, as one of Australia’s pre-eminent classical music ensembles and a company in residence at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre, SXS delivers programs filled with dazzling virtuosity. In its 29th year of excellence, SXS continues to reach new heights globally and nationally. Composed of leading virtuosic soloists from across Australia, SXS provides dynamic, unique, and world-class musical experiences for audiences of all ages.
JAMES MORRISON QUARTET
No matter how familiar you may be with James Morrison, you haven’t heard him play until you’ve heard him with this group. It is a testament to their energy and sheer brilliance that James says his favourite way to play is with his quartet – this coming from a man who has played with many of
the greats of jazz, including Quincy Jones, Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Hancock, Ray Brown, Wynton Marsalis and many more. What makes the quartet so special is the joy they create when they perform. James says, ‘This is what can happen when you have four musicians who all have a will to swing and are of one mind when it comes to the reason they play.’
‘Patrick is one of the most exciting drummers on the scene today – inventive, virtuosic, and always so musical. Harry is a powerhouse on the bass, reminiscent of the Ray Brown approach, swing at all costs – his energy underpins everything the band does. William not only plays beautiful classic jazz guitar, but also writes much of the original material performed by the group and this compositional aspect is always present in his playing.’
With his three colleagues covering guitar, bass and drums, James plays anything from trombone, flugel horn and saxophones to piano, and of course the trumpet.
WEEKEND OVERVIEW
Fri 6 September
5.30pm Bus departs Hutt St
Antipasti platters
7.00pm Out of My Comfort Zone (2 hours with interval)
9.00pm Post-concert soirée
10.45pm Bus departs UKARIA
Sat 7 September
4.30pm Bus departs Hutt St
6.00pm Realising a Dream (2 hours with interval)
8.00pm Post-concert two-course dinner
10.00pm Bus departs UKARIA
Sun 8 September
12.00pm Pre-concert two-course lunch
1.00pm Bus departs Hutt St
2.30pm Take Me Further (2 hours with interval)
4.45pm Bus departs UKARIA
Notes
Separate booking required
Separate booking required
Book with Friday package or single ticket
Book with Friday package
Separate booking required
Notes
Separate booking required
Book with Saturday package or single ticket
Book with Saturday package
Separate booking required
Notes
Book with Sunday package
Separate booking required
Book with Sunday package or single ticket
Separate booking required
PATRON INFORMATION
HOW TO BOOK*
1. Purchase a concert + meal package per day
Friday package concert + post-concert soirée
Adult $145 | Concession $140
Saturday package concert + post-concert dinner
Adult $175 | Concession $170
Sunday package
pre-concert lunch + concert
Adult $175 | Concession $170
2. Choose your preferred concert(s) without meals
All single tickets
Adult $95 | Concession $90
BUS SERVICE*
UKARIA will offer a bus service all weekend. The bus will collect patrons from the corner of South Terrace and Hutt Street and will return to this location afterwards.
Cost $20 return for each day.
See Weekend Overview, noting timings around meals.
ANTIPASTI PLATTERS*
FRIDAY 6 SEPTEMBER 5.30PM
Start the weekend with an antipasti platter and enjoy the sunset ambience with a glass of wine.
One platter serves two.
In order to finalise numbers with our catering team, bookings will close at 5.00pm on Wednesday 4 September 2024, unless sold out prior.
Tickets | From $30 per platter (serves two)
Note | Antipasti platters are not included in the Friday package. A separate booking is required.
MEALS*
Post-concert soirée (Friday)
Post-concert dinner (Saturday)
Pre-concert lunch (Sunday)
Due to limited capacity in the Garden Terrace, the post-concert gathering on Friday, post-concert dinner on Saturday and pre-concert lunch on Sunday are only available to patrons who purchase as a DAY PACKAGE.
*Please note conditions of sale on pages 16 & 17
Book online at www.ukaria.com/events or by phone on (08) 8227 1277
PATRON INFORMATION
EASY-ACCESS SEATING
As always, we will be facilitating access requests across the weekend. If you require easy-access seating, please let our team know in advance by phoning the office on (08) 8227 1277.
CONDITIONS OF SALE
All sales are non-refundable once the order has been finalised, except as required by law, or as outlined in the Live Performance Australia Ticketing Code of Practice (if an event is cancelled, rescheduled or significantly re-located).
PACKAGES
Please note that when tickets are purchased as a package, the package cannot be split into its various concert/ meal components if a ticket transfer is requested. A credit may only be issued for the entire package, and the cancellation request must be made by email/ phone at least 14 days prior to the event. It is not possible to credit for only select concerts/ meals within the package.
If you find you cannot attend a select concert or meal within your package, you are welcome to organise a friend or family member to attend in your place.
TRANSFERS AND CREDITS
Your ticket is transferable and can be given to friends or family if you are unable to attend.
If you wish to request a credit for tickets, meals or light meals the request for credit must be made by email/phone at least 14 days before the date of the event.
REFUNDS
We do not offer refunds except as required by law, or as outlined in the Live Performance Australia Ticketing Code of Practice (if an event is cancelled, rescheduled, or significantly re-located).
VARIATIONS TO PERFORMANCES OR EVENTS
UKARIA reserves the right to change artists, programs, venue opening and/or performance times should this become necessary.
FILMING AND PHOTOGRAPHY
We welcome photography inside the main hall before or after the concert, or at interval if applicable. During performances, all unauthorised photography and recording of the artists is strictly prohibited.
BUS SERVICE TERMS & CONDITIONS
• The cost of the ticket is a flat fee of $20 return for each day.
• We do not offer a reduced price for one-way travel.
• If you arrive after the departure time and miss the bus, your concert and bus ticket are non-refundable.
• Tickets for the bus service will be taken off sale at 5.00pm on Wednesday 4 September 2024.
Please contact us on (08) 8227 1277 or at info@ukaria.com if you have any further queries.
BAR SERVICE
The bar will be serving savoury and sweet treats across the weekend. Please note the opening times:
Friday 6 September: 5.30pm – end of interval for Concert One (remains open for Post-concert soirée ticket holders only)
Saturday 7 September: 3.30pm – end of interval for Concert Two (remains open for Post-concert dinner guests only)
Sunday 8 September: 12.00 – 1.30pm – open for Pre-concert lunch guests only
1.30pm – end of interval for Concert Three
EXTERNAL FOOD AND DRINK
To abide by SA Health regulations, consumption of food and drink that has not been purchased on our premises is not permissible.
To view UKARIA’s full Terms & Conditions, please visit www.ukaria.com/tcs
UKARIA Cultural Centre 119 Williams Road Mount Barker Summit SA 5251 Australia
UKARIA Head Office & Postal 911, Level 9, 147 Pirie Street Adelaide SA 5000 Australia
P +61 8 8227 1277 E info@ukaria.com www.ukaria.com
Photo: Bronwynne Kidson