SOCO CARGO CLUB; 2008 Adelaide Fringe Festival
29 March 2008
Independent Weekly; Melissa Mack
In the red evening glow of the SoCo Cargo club Etypejazz played their first show back in their hometown Adelaide to a sell-out crowd. It was easy to see why. Playing mostly new songs from their upcoming album, the band opened with the upbeat songs "Phoney" and "Let the good times roll", getting the audience into the mood. Lead singer Katrina Ryan captured the audience with her smooth voice and warm smile, while the highlight of the show was "Half the man", a mellow song written by double bass player Mike Haynes.
Ryan and saxophonist Beth Lyon engaged the audience with tales of their recent travels, which clearly influenced their music and style with a sexy New York feel. Pianist Matthew Carey on the keyboard and charismatic Barnabas Smith on the drums complete the five-piece band. Etypejazz has incredible stage presence with their incredible talent displayed through solos. Already critically acclaimed, Eytpejazz will continue to win over audiences. Watch out for their new album or see them at SoCo Cargo until March 9.
HOHO VOLTWO
"...Ho Ho Volume Two', a collection of twelve classic Christmas tunes given a cool swing and groove emphasis, and a follow up to 'Ho Ho', I can state that all of the material chosen was admirable and none of the execution was questionable.
That said, given the plethora of Christmas releases that come out each Yuletide, competing with the previous seasons' releases, it takes a different approach to cut through what is some pretty crappy stuff in the C or X section of your local music store. etypejazz have done that with orchestration that is not all choirs, organs and thundering crescendos, but with brush drums, laid-back sax, grooving double bass and well executed piano.
Stand-outs include a sexy and sassy Santa Baby, a swinging Jingle Bell Rock and a funky syncopated Little Drummer Boy with what sounds like Arab pipes, while O Little Town Of Bethlehem is given a great lounge treatment. Katrina Ryan tackles band favourite O Holy Night and carries off this standard admirably.
This disc received high rotation on December 25 at Chez Liebelt in the company of what is still an outstanding Christmas album - Phil Spector's 'A Christmas Gift For You'. You might have missed 'Ho Ho Volume Two' for playing in 2006, but if you've got any money left, now is a good time to get in early for Christmas 2007. Very enjoyable indeed."
HOHO VOLTWO
"This album of 12 Christmas songs could be up there with the best of them all (Phil Spector's Christmas Album from 1963). Its just chock full of the sheer joy that is the Festive Season, with elements of praise combined with snowbells, gifts under the tree and happy children.
Santa Baby has echoes of Eartha Kitt, while Oh,Holy Night is pure Katrina with a glorious arrangement by Ritsuko. A touch of Sergio Mendez on Oh,Little Town of Bethlehem, followed by Away in a Manger with an entriely fitting backing that includes Adelaide Symphony Orchestra Cellist; Chris Handley. Damien does a funky arrangement that adds a new dimension to the inherent pathos of Little Drummer Boy, with Ritsuko adding the right Hammond B3 effect before the song moves into the Casbah. Mike pushes We Three Kings along as it collects momentum into a fenetic finale that will have the audience on their feet in live performances.
Throughout all of these songs, Beth adds touches of elegance behind the vocals and injects some great jazz solos; Damien is supreme on the cymbals; Ritsuko swings mightily; Mike is by turns subtle and strong; and Katrina treats the lyrics with respect.
Ok, I like this band; so will you. Oh, com all ye taithful.....and buy the CD."
Ron Spain; JazzScene December 2006
THE LATE SHOW - 2006 Adelaide Fringe Festival
Congratulations to etypejazz, "Simmo" and Chris Edser on an amazing show! Way, way off the beaten track - this is one for the history books...
Brilliant sounds, unique beat-boxing and colourful imagery made for a thoroughly funky evening - thank you for opening my eyes and reviving my soul!
Mandi Whitten (Audience)
UNDER THE INFLUENCE
Like the exciting 1960s E-type Jaguar sports car, South Australian jazz quintet etypejazz accelerates through the tracks of its latest CD, Under the Influence, with flair, charisma and soul. In this seventh CD, recorded with new vocalist Katrina Ryan, the band has gone to another level of sophistication. Ryan has one of those warm, sexy voices that glides and purrs thorugh material as diverse as Do You Want to Know a Secret, I've Got You Under My Skin and Wives and Lovers.
Motivating this fine vocalist is interplay with the four instrumentalists - Beth Lyon on Saxohone, Ritsuko on piano, Mike Haynes on bass and Damien Eldridge on drums - who have written their own arrangements of these favourites by songwriters from Cole Porter and Burt Bacharach to the Beatles.
Anne Lim, The Weekend Australian; May 2005
UNDER THE INFLUENCE
This is the seventh CD by etypejazz, but the first to feature Katrina Ryan, whose provenance as a singer of personality and style is unquestioned. While still retaining their jazz feel in arrangements and solos, this recording explores their influences from the wider field of quality composers in the popular music genre, mainly from the second half of the 20 th Century. From Gershwin and Porter, through Bacharach, Manilow and Jobim to Lennon and McCartney, the Gibb brothers, Elton John, Paul Weller and Sting, these songs are timeless in the strong tradition of mood music.
Beth continually breaks out from behind the vocal chorus with the facility of Sonny Stitt and the lyricism of Stan Getz, building her solos with intelligence and tone that is hers alone. Ritsuko is a keyboard player with the lightness of touch that comes from Teddy Wilson through Horace Silver, incorporating the meaningful spaces of Count Basie. Her considerable arranging skills are featured here, as on their other albums. Damien is a stylish "filler" behind the soloists, whether on brushes or sticks across the kit, while his rare solos are classics of restrained power. His modern New Orleans street parade beat on 'No Aphrodisiac' propels the tune right up to the fade. Mike is so unobtrusive much of the time that its easy to miss much of the interest stemming from his mind games on the upright bass. Listen to his duet with Katrina and following solo on the two and a half minutes of Stevie Wonder's ' You Are The Sunshine Of My Life', then the lightning attack on ' S'Wonderful'. Katrina's way with a lyric is rare amongst vocalists but not among singers, as she displays a complete understanding of the lyricist's intent without losing the inherent mood of the music. The nuances of Neil Diamond's 'Play Me' are never neglected (with a splendid guitar solo from Vincennzo), nor does she miss the lax morality of Lola in the storyline of 'Copacabana'.
So different from their previous Cds, exploring their greater potential in Beautiful tunes, beautifully played and sung, this one will certainly draw the listerner under the etypejazz influence.
Ron Spain; Jazz Scene July 2005
ETYPEJAZZ NEW ERA TOUR >> WAGGA WAGGA JAZZ FESTIVAL 2004
My wife and I are etypejazz 'groupies' and we travelled from Adelaide to Wagga Wagga to see them perform. This was the first time we heard Katrina Ryan. What a gem! Etypejazz has been great with Lisa, but Katrina has taken the band to another exciting dimension. The boys seem to have 'come alive' through Katrina involving them during songs. Beth and Katrina also obviously click together.
The chemistry in the band is perfect to the audience.
We didn't think etypejazz could get any better but it has! -Richard and Suzanne Hancock 2004
NOOSA JAZZ FESTIVAL + ALBUM > DOUBLE LIVE
At this years Noosa Jazz festival, amongst the talent featured, I was pleased once again to catch up with etypejazz, who as always, presented a polished performance to enthusiastic audiences.
This is a young group of artists who are doing their bit to keep our music alive and well. Individually they are all first class soloists that blend together with a flair that makes their sound tight.
Their CD - 'Double Live' was brought together by recording three concerts at the venues listed in the credits under which must have been exceptional conditions, because the sound produced is such an excellent quality.
etypejazz have a policy of showcasing their versatility with a range of styles in their music, featuring numbers like 'Fever', 'Crazy', 'Perhaps', to a hot an funky 'Joe Thursday' with some of the hottest solo's I've heard in a long time.
Spread thoughout the music, the big band sound with our special guests added a new dimension to this concert. They were an asset with their input to supply just that extra variance, working very well.
You won't be sorry. - Ron Jobe; Personal Jazz Photos VIC
Double Bay Woodfire Cabaret Show - October 2003
I adored several of your arrangements; not least among them Summertime. Very fresh and innovative. You managed to give, in many cases, new leases of life to standards I hear often.
I could wax lyrically about each and every member of the band, but especially you girls out front. Vocals, sax, and piano are all superlative. You are gifted, joyful, and to say smooth is to underplay your silken effect entirely.....
Thank you for what you do, with such obvious enthusiasm and enjoyment; qualities entirely, and happily, contagious from your brilliant performances.
Lloyd Bradford (Brad) SYKE, Presenter, Braddo's Brekky Serial, Triple R FM 88.5
"MORE THAN YOU ASKED FOR"
It is not hard to recall the striking form of the e-type Jaguar as etypejazz accelerates smoothly into and through its act. More Than You Asked For offers 15 of the band's frequently requested "your favourite songs".
The "more" offers two originals, Shine Again by pianist Ritsuko Dalton and alto saxophonist Beth Lyon and A Mirror Journey by Ritsuko, vocalist Lisa Michelle and Lyon.
The requests are for the classics that the band plays so well. They are introduced with a jaunty My Baby Just Cares for Me followed by a wind-in-the-hair Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps and burning Fever.
The program is delivered with a clarity of lyrics from Michelle (Lisa) and a singing sax with backing that never misses a swinging beat. The quintet is completed by Mike Haynes on bass and Damien Eldridge on drums, which is as they will appear in Jazz at the Cross on October 2.
On the CD there is some hardly necessary supplementation by other instrumentalists and by electronics. They offer torchy and raunchy reading of favourites given another life by young people who have brought them out.
Shock Records has just been signed to distribute etypejazz, although the band will continue to produce its own material.
Michael Foster; Canberra Times - September 2003
"MORE THAN YOU ASKED FOR"
This album is a brilliant mix of toe tapping 40s and 50s nostalgia tracks splashed with a slightly contemporary feel.
While many of the tracks stick to the original music score, which many were featured on the original Ocean's Eleven film, there is definite evidence that the Australian jazz group who perform on this compilation of songs has offered its own flavour for the tracks.
The contemporary versions of such tracks like, 'Fever', 'Moonriver' and 'Fly Me To The Moon'' offer a refreshing take on tracks that are classics in their own right.
The ambience that this album exurbs is amazing, with the unusual salsa sounds found on a version of Doris Day's 'Perhaps, Perhaps' being a stand-out for the album.
So if you're craving some cool jazz without the Hollywood glamour, then this album is a must.
7 ?
Kate Kachor; Eleven Magazine - www.elevenmagazine.com - August 2003
"MORE THAN YOU ASKED FOR"
Some fine talent(s) from "Down Under" is "Up & Over"......
No 'culture' gap here musically, relating to the quality of this group's artistic renditions. Music is a universal language, & as you listen to vocalist Lisa Michelle's fine rendition of "Summertime" contained within, you will be warmed by her unbridled expression of deliberate & artistic interpretation for such a wonderful song. Carrying this thought a little further, one gets some insight into how important the interplay is between musical group and singer..... in that a group of this quality can only motivate a vocalist to transcendent appasionata. Thus, a performer like Lisa can vent her emotional state for our edification, skillfully & successfully following the composer's intent, and we are all the better for it.
George W.Carroll / The Musicians' Ombudsman; Florida USA
ejazznews.com - July 2003