Four skilled performers played entertaining and complex jazz in an old church in Annandale in an excellent concert and launch of some new compositions that are to be recorded later this year. Pianist Casey Golden was joined by Yutaro Okuda on lead guitar, Callum Eggins on six string electric bass, and Ed Rodrigues on drums at this week’s Johnson Street Jazz gig.
Casey describes his music as modern jazz. This term can be worrying as it could include anything ranging from the sublime to self-indulgent, incomprehensible avant-garde. Fortunately, this quartet played well crafted compositions with sensational musicality and exceptional skill and emotion. They were clearly enjoying themselves.
Casey opened with a composition, GROUNDHOG, that will feature on his forthcoming album. A very mellow opening subtly transformed, via Yutaro’s spritely guitar work, into an engaging and impressive number. Their next work, SERIOUS, had a laid-back feel but was always pushing a pleasing mixture of creativity and expression. THE STRUGGLE opened with some very cool bass and drums, giving Callum and Ed space to impress with their skills, before piano and guitar kicked in. Next, BLACK AND WHITE DREAM, which had never been performed to an audience featured piano and guitar impressively playing the same melody in sync before branching out into complementary lines. The first set finished with STILL LIFE off Casey’s 2018 album Atlas. This melodious track featured complex layering and cleverly alternated between periods of frenzy and serenity.The second set opened with SUBTERRANEAN, a lyrical piece with some delightful brush work by Ed on drums. The quartet moved onto ONE DAY which gave the musicians ample opportunity to display their awesome skills. UNBROKEN reminded me of the Mark Knopfler’s LOCAL HERO, not for any melodic similarity but perhaps for the intricate finger picking mixed with a relaxed ambience. THE GOOD FIGHT had a great sense of urgency which was nicely balanced by some wonderfully hypnotic passages. The quartet closed the night with a very chill number which featured precision drumming and masterful bass, and again their sweet signature melodies overlaid with an orchestral atmosphere – an excellent end to a fantastic evening.
The Casey Golden Quartet played at the Annandale Creative Arts Centre. Their music is available on Bandcamp and other music streaming services.
