With a weekly slot at Cobbler and an upcoming show at the Brisbane Jazz Club, Brisbane’s own The Gingerbread Boys are helping keep the spirit of jazz alive.
Unofficially forming around five years ago, the Brisbane sextet have been playing together, with various line-ups, at an assortment of jazz and blues festivals up and down Queensland. Bringing together their mutual love of all things swingin’, they cite influences such as John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown and Miles Davis.
That’s not to say the collective are predictable, not by any stretch of the imagination, as drummer and band leader Dan Hirsh explains. “There’s six people on stage and they’re all having a conversation together and the audience becomes a part of that … sounds that will happen in the audience will influence us as we’re playing. There’s been a few occasions where random rhythmic ideas have happened, perhaps from the bartender making the drinks or audience members laughing or something like that will get incorporated into the music as it’s happening.”
The majority of their sets comprise a range of jazz and blues standards harking back to yesteryear — but recently they’ve begun writing their own material.
However, those intent on attending the group’s show at the Brisbane Jazz Club this weekend might not be able to bop along to the Boys original work, but may at least discover something fresh and hitherto unheard. “With this gig there’s probably not enough original stuff that we’re going to be doing. The thing behind this gig is to play some slightly lesser known music from the jazz tradition.
“There’s a lot of freedom in the music and there’s a big focus on improvisation and creativity which I find very attractive and inspiring. The thing that really turned me on to the music was that it’s not something that you finish. It’s not like one day you wake up and say ‘good, I am now finished learning this instrument’ … you’re always discovering new things.”
A recent graduate from the Queensland Conservatorium, Dan is a busy man. And he takes his music seriously. His weeks are spent studying a diploma in education and working, until Friday hits and he’s out with The Gingerbread Boys for a three-hour slot at Cobbler, the speakeasy-styled West End bar.
Of the Brisbane scene, Dan has this to say: “I think culturally at the minute Brisbane is in a really exciting and rich time. Even in the last four to five years it’s really grown and developed and there’s a lot of venues popping up that are supporting live music and cultural artistic events that maybe weren’t doing so in the past.
“I think it’s a really exciting time as a musician … people should support this and embrace it – people always talk about Sydney and Melbourne, but I think Brisbane’s starting to show that it can do it as well.”
Although in his element within the Brisbane jazz scene, Dan is getting itchy feet and plans to head off to Europe next year to learn more about the craft. “[I’m getting] some lessons with some musicians and some composers in England and the Netherlands. I’m looking forward to it. It’ll be exciting to get a chance to listen to some traditional folk music and Scandinavian jazz and stuff like that.”
The Gingerbread Boys play the Brisbane Jazz Club on Sunday 5th October. They also perform at Cobbler, West End, every from Friday from 7pm.
