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A meeting of Japanese, Iranian and jazz music....Join us for a thrilling adventure, featuring four innovative musicians, as they celebrate friendship and the magical power of spontaneous musical dialogue.
Sandy Evans - Tenor and soprano saxophone
Satsuki Odamura - Koto and bass koto
Steve Elphick - Double bass
Sohrab Kolahdooz - Tonbak, percussion, voice
“remarkably compelling and beautiful." Shane Nichols
“World class is world class, pandemic or no pandemic.” John Shand, Sydney Morning Herald
The trio of Satsuki, Sandy and Steve have performed to enthusiastic audiences at the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney International Women’s Jazz Festival. The premiere performance of their collaboration with Sohrab Kolahdooz in June 2024 was enthusiastically received and the quartet are thrilled to present this exciting new collaboration at Johnston Street Jazz.
Sandy shares her excitement about the event, highlighting the unique qualities of these musicians: "Their inventiveness, musicality, sensitivity, responsiveness, and depth of sound and feeling open doors to magical musical places... One note...can bring a complete sense of peace and calm - or a dark mystery - or a ray of sunshine."
The ensemble boasts remarkable credentials. Satsuki Odamura, a master of the Koto and Shamisen, has significantly influenced the appreciation of these traditional Japanese instruments in Australia through her performances and teaching. Sohrab Kolahdooz, renowned for his percussive prowess, brings a rich tapestry of sound that complements Sandy Evans' inventiveness as a saxophonist and composer. Steve Elphick is one of the treasures of Australian improvised music, known for his distinctive double bass playing.
This concert will be a magical evening that transcends cultural boundaries and celebrates the freedom of the human spirit. It is an essential experience for enthusiasts of cross-cultural music.
Satsuki Odamura
Satsuki is a master of the Koto and Shamisen, both traditional Japanese stringed musical instruments. She has pioneered awareness of these ancient Japanese instruments through her performances in Australia, and through teaching her students around the country. She is the Director of the Koto Music Institute of Australia. Satsuki has performed extensively in Australia and internationally. She leads the Satsuki Odamura Koto Ensemble. Their recent CD ‘Pearl of May’ is a landmark recording that features works by Australian composers including 4 pieces by Sandy Evans.
Sohrab Kolahdooz
Sohrab is a dynamic percussionist, educator, and performer with a passion for music education. He is a virtuosic and experienced musician who was born in a musician family. He was enchanted by the sound of the Tonbak since age 4 and went on to win first place for solo playing in Iran’s Tonbak Festival. He studied a B.A in Music under Ali Radman, Keivan Saket and Keyhan Kalhor at Art and Architecture Shiraz Azad University, Iran. He has 20 years of professional experience, including over 300 collaborative performances with well-known musicians worldwide. He is widely recognised for his solo achievements and contributions to diverse musical projects. Sohrab is dedicated to inspiring students and fostering musical creativity.
Sandy Evans
Sandy is an internationally renowned saxophonist and composer with a passion for improvisation and new music. She has played with and written for some of the most important groups in Australian jazz since the early 1980s and has toured extensively in Australia, Europe, Canada and Asia. She leads the Sandy Evans Trio and co-leads the Evans/Robson Quartet. She co-led GEST8 and Clarion Fracture Zone. She is a member of Hamed Sadeghi’s Empty Voices, austraLYSIS, Mara!, The catholics and Ten Part Invention. Collaborations include work with Freyja Garbett, Andrea Keller, Brenda Gifford, Chloe Kim, Paul Grabowsky, Guru Kaaraikudi Mani, Shubha Mudgal, Aneesh Pradhan, Sirens Big Band, Adrian Sherriff, Sarangan Sriranganathan and Bobby Singh. Sandy is an advocate for gender diversity in music. She has been awarded an Australia Council Fellowship, a Churchill Fellowship, an OAM, Bell Award, a Young Australian Creative Fellowship, APRA Award and three ARIA Awards. Sandy has a PhD from Macquarie University.
Steve Elphick
Since the early 1980s, ARIA Award winner Steve Elphick has been active in groups playing original jazz and improvised music. He plays, records and tours extensively around the world with some of Australia’s most creative groups in a wide spectrum of styles. He has performed with Mara!, Ten Part Invention, the Andrew Robson Trio, Women and Children First, GEST8, The Umbrellas, The World According to James, Greg Sheehan and Mark Simmonds.
https://sandyevans.com.au
https://satsukikoto.com.au
Satsuki Odamura & Sandy Evans - Performing at AWMA 2022
https://www.facebook.com/KotoSydney
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
81 Johnston St, Annandale NSW 2038, Australia, 81 Johnston St, Annandale NSW 2038, Australia,Sydney, Australia, Pyrmont
Tickets
