Gary Daley & Phillip Johnston: Chasin’ The Bird @ Pigeon Lane

Take a stroll down Beverly Place and find two of Australia’s top jazz artist playing in one of Katoomba’s best-kept secrets, Pigeon Lane.

‘Music in the Mountains’ & ‘Pigeon Lane @ Gallery ONE88’ have teamed up to bring you the Blue Mountain’s newest monthly jazz series – ‘Chasin’ the bird’. It’s home, Pigeon Lane, is one of Katoomba’s best-kept secrets – it’s not big, and you wouldn’t know where it was unless someone pointed it out to you, however, it’s got all the makings of a New York basement jazz club. The vibe is cool, it’s intimate (you won’t quite be knocking elbows . . . but it will be close) and you will be there to be absorbed by the music. Soak in the magic on the last Thursday of the month at Katoomba’s very own ‘Birdland’.

For this performance, regular series fixture and Mountains jazz legend, Gary Daley, has invited ex-New York-based saxophonist, Phillip Johnston, in for a session.

Date: Thursday, February 27th, 2020
Location: Pigeon Lane @ Gallery ONE88 (186-188 Katoomba St)

Doors Open: 6:00 pm
First Set: 6:30-7:15 pm
Intermission & Dinner Break: 7:15-8:00pm
Second Set: 8:00-8:45 pm

Tickets: $15
Book online or call Chris on 0411 954 826

Gary Daley:
Gary Daley is best known as a musician playing in some of the elite bands of Australian jazz; currently James Greening’s band Greening from Ear to Ear and the jazz-world music band The catholics. He leads the quartet Bungarribee which features his own compositions and interpretations from the classical repertoire. Gary plays acoustic and electric piano, organ and also the piano accordion. Another side to Gary is his appearances week days on the ABC TV children’s channel in the pre-school show Lah Lah’s Adventures.

Gary graduated with honours from the Sydney University Music Department where he studied with Peter Sculthorpe. He then studied with the late Roger Frampton who was a significant mentor.

In home town Springwood, just west of Sydney, he is the artistic director of the music concert series Live at the Village which has presented leading musicians in a variety of improvised music since late 2009.

Sanctuary is the recording of the latest album which was supported by the Australia Council. Psalm from ‘In the Palm of Your Hand’ is a five part gospel-jazz work was commissioned by the St Paul’s Grammar School, Cranebrook in 2004. Performed by Gary Daley, Steve Clisby (solo voice), Toby Hall, Jess Ciampa, Richard Maegraith, Ben Waples, Ben Daley, Voice Mail (choir of St Paul’s Grammar), Cathy Jarman.

In 2002 Gary’s then band Heavy Weather recorded World View, which was sponsored by ABC Jazz Track.

Among the unrecorded works are compositions for the Bungarribee quartet. Some of this music was written in 2014 while Gary was artist in residence at Bundanon.

One extensive piece, Willow Tree was premiered at the first Live at the Village concert, October 2009 by Sandy Evans, Kristin Berardi, Lloyd Swanton, Nic Cecire and Gary Daley. A beautiful evocation of landscape this multi-layered 14 minute work left the audience stunned by its beauty and complexity.

Phillip Johnston:
“You’ll dream about being like Bugs Bunny, and then you wake up, and you’re Daffy Duck.” – Chuck Jones

Phillip Johnston is an American composer/saxophonist who lives in Sydney, Australia. His interests include jazz, contemporary scores for silent film, the history of film music and comics. His work includes jazz and contemporary composition, and music for film, silent film, theatre, musical theatre, dance, songs, and a variety of ensembles.

“Saxophonist/composer Phillip Johnston’s music embodies all that’s good about jazz. It’s honest, original, and inspired, above and beyond the typical. It’s also some of the very smartest and best-humoured music to have found a home under the jazz banner.” Chris Kelsey, Jazziz.

What else do I need to know . . .

How do I find Pigeon Lane?:
You don’t enter through Gallery ONE88 – every good journey starts with the unexpected. Take a stroll down Beverly Place in Katoomba, a.k.a. Art Street, and whilst you’re enjoying the everchanging street art, you will find the entrance behind Gallery ONE88.

Will there be food & drinks available?:
There is a full cafe just upstairs in Gallery ONE88, so dinner, coffee, cake & soft drinks will be available on the night. When you arrive, head upstairs to the cafe and put in an order for dinner, and your meal will be ready and waiting for you during the intermission. There will also be an opportunity for coffee and cake after the show.

What about a bar?:
Pigeon Lane does not yet have a liquor license, so alcohol is BYO. There is glassware however so no need to bring wine glasses with you.

Will there be seating?:
Everyone will be seated and there is no standing room. There is no reserved seating so seating is on a first-come, first-served basis – so get in early.

Is there parking nearby?:
You can park on Waratah & Lurline Streets and you’ll only be a few minutes walk away. If you would like to first drop off your family & friends at the door, you can drive down Beverly Place and drop all your guests at the door.

Accessibility @ Pigeon Lane?:
There is wheelchair access however call Chris on 0411 954 826 to make your booking as entrance and drop-off will be explained over the phone, and seating will need to be rearranged in Pigeon Lane to accommodate (which we are happy to do – we just need some advance notice).