Above: Joining the Ibid duo for a giest stream of consciousness spot was violinist from the ‘Quart-Ed’ quartet, Sarah Fei. Photo: Paul Nolan.
Last weekend’s double-duo gig at Marrickville’s slick, salubrious 21 Shepherd St venue’s Living Room Theatre offered a chilled specialist musical kaleidoscope and shelter from yet again another Sydney storm.
The publicised treat (including being treated to free chocolate) mentioned two prolific Sydney duos dished up for us at the chic, cabaret styled venue.
dos + (flutist Laura Chislett with vibraphone player Brad Gill ) were to play an opening set for Ibid’s Keyna Wilkins (piano/flutes) and Shane Carpini on drumset.
When injury prevented percussionist Brad Gill from performing, the remaining recorded and live extemporising artists did what they do best-they improvised, developing the available textures and rose to the occasion.
Ibid offered us a range of undulating stream-of-consciousness vistas, flowing with seamless ease and sophisticated shared gesturing. The synergy between ibid duo’s Wilkins and Carpini, fostered since 2021, was svelte, layered and smooth.
Above: Keyna Wilkins on flute and Ibid drummer Shane Carpini. Photo : Paul Nolan.
One of the meanings if ‘ibid’, or the full Latin academic referencing term, ‘ibidem’, is “coming from the same source.
This is a perfect moniker for the duo’s accessible, comfortable and clever joint journeys spiralling out from each other, which then always bounce boldly as well as with beautiful subtlety off each other.
Shane Carpini’s intricately nuanced drumming – which has impressed on Ibid’s two previously released albums – was once more present and well balanced with Wilkin’s flute filigree and evergreen pianistic sheets of sound.
The woodwind and drums or acoustic keyboard and drums duetting uses eclectic influences and inimitably breaks new ground. at this gig Ibid’s musical architects stretched possibilities for their featured pastiche even further, inviting Sarah Fei (of string quartet, ‘Quart-Ed’ fame ) to join supply a violin voice to the already colourful conversation.
Thos and other Ibid offerings were of substantial length and well-contrasted in segmenting, receiving grateful, voiced reactions from the crowd when each pieced ended.
Above: Keyna Wilkins at the piano and Laura Chislett on flute. Photo: Paul Nolan.
This guest spot was a highlight, illustrating that the recorded, tried-live duo blend is admirably flexible, and accommodating of yet another extemporised layer journeying out from the same referenced source.
Violinist Sarah Fei sounded like this was not the first gig enhancing the collective Ibid piano and drum voices. The violin trajectory had a pleasing amount of space in it and extended techniques as it spoke assuredly, adding bold timbre and textural effects.
Keyna Wilkins returned to piano to improvise beside Laura Chislett. This modified bracket, using piano in place of the vibraphone, was well supported on piano. The joint improvisation was full of colour and shape.
Laura’s three works presented included an atmospheric statement from a pictorial score stimulus showing a broken ancient artefact. It gave rise to an exciting use of the flute, with modern breathing plus keying techniques. The piano, as explored by Wilkins, also continued a range of articulation, sonic washes and commented ably alongside her
The middle work from this eloquent exponent of the flute was a soulful, meditative expression on bass flute alone. Its measured flow in this space brought a stream of consciousness stillness and an innovative promotion of the flute which was both welcoming and stunning.
There will be more interesting improvisation, as well as delivery of scored music (and more complimentary chocolate) at 21 Shepherd St this coming Sat at 7.30pm.
Ephemera Ensemble, including Keyna Wilkins will present music inspired by and combined with the sounds and sight of planets and stars, accompanied by elements from NASA satellite s. This promises to be another recording genre-blending adventure.
