Walkabout

WALKABOUT: a place for visions

Commissioned by David Theak (leader of the Sydney-based Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra), Dave Lisik wholly embraced the opportunity to write a suite for one of Australia’s most vital jazz ensembles.

The icing on the cake was the addition of US jazz giants, Bob Sheppard (saxophone) and Alex Sipiagin (trumpet) as principal soloists.

The ten movements of Walkabout form a unified suite that follows the original storyline yet work well as individual pieces, from the dramatic opening track (which establishes the core themes of the work) through to the complex but coherent closing piece, the rhythmically hypnotic, Ritual Dance. Here, Sheppard’s tenor saxophone interacts with the raging ensemble until he gradually, effectively, disappears.

Produced by Dave Lisik and David Theak, recorded by Stewart Long and Dave Lisik with assistance from Simon Todkill, mixed by Dave Lisik with assistance from Ryan Brake, mastered by Steve Garden, designed by Carolyn van Hoeve of UnkleFranc, packaging design and printing by Dave Trotter of Studio Q