Elements

Steve Barry | Judy Bailey

Available to DOWNLOAD or as a PRINT-ON-DEMAND CD

New Zealand born Steve Barry and Judy Bailey are two exceptional musicians. Both pianists, both with a deep love for and understanding of jazz language, and both drawn to contemporary forms of compositional language that fall outside of existing musical categories. Judy has lived and worked in Sydney, Australia since the late 60s. Steve moved there to study at the Sydney Conservatorium a little over a decade ago, where Judy was one of his tutors. This led to the development of a tight and fruitful creative partnership between the two them.

Their first performance of improvisations for two pianos was in 2011. Subsequent concerts led to the development of a unique improvisational telepathy, not only in terms of the moment-to-moment musical choices they make, but also the broader structural coherence of the musical arcs of each set they perform.

Elements is an example of their approach to composition and performance, where traditional jazz language, improvisation and new music ideas combine to create something wholly original and forward-looking. Recorded live in a one-set entirely improvised concert in August 2018, the album encapsulates the empathetic creative spirit of a longstanding musical partnership between two fearless and adventurous musicians.

Originally conceived as a reflection of the five ancient Eastern elements (in Japanese philosophy, earth, water, fire, wind and void), the music paints a vivid, mystical picture full of cheeky Goblin dances, explosive volcanic activity, poignant meditations, and references to Māori mythology and the Māori god of shimmering air that speaks to Judy and Steve’s shared New Zealand heritage.

“Judy and I discovered a unique rapport at our first freely improvised duo concert at Sydney’s Colbourne Ave in 2011, and Elements is full of the uncanny telepathy that has come to underpin our improvising together. We’re both very proud of this album, and hope you enjoy listening to our music as much as we enjoyed making it!” Steve Barry

Steve Barry (piano)
Judy Bailey (piano)

Produced by Steve Barry and Judy Bailey
Recorded by Ross A’hern at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, 8th August 2018
Mixed by Ross A’hern
Mastered by Steve Garden
Design by UnkleFranc
Printing by Studio Q

Released: 05 February 2020
Catalogue: RAT-D094

Judy Bailey

Judy Bailey (OAM) is a New Zealand-born pianist, jazz musician, and composer who has lived in Australia since the 1960s. She started to learn piano and music theory when she was 10 years old, then graduated from Trinity College in London when she was 16. She moved to Sydney (Australia) in 1960, where she developed a strong and successful career as a musician.

Judy lecturers in jazz composition and jazz piano at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, and is musical director of the Sydney Youth Jazz Ensemble.

Steve Barry

Steve Barry is a pianist, organist, composer and improviser based in Sydney, Australia. He maintains a busy schedule composing, teaching and performing across Australia, New Zealand and East Asia. His doctoral thesis investigates the uses of pitch class sets, serialism and intervallicism as tools for composition and improvisation.

Steve is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Bell Award for Young Australian Jazz Artist of the Year (2013), and was a nominee for the 2016 Freedman Fellowship.