NOMINATION: Work of the Year - Jazz
For an original Jazz work of any instrumentation, including improvisatory composition.
A work is defined as a single complete musical composition, or expression. This includes music with movements or sub-works (i.e. song cycles), installations, and real-time compositions (improvised music).
If you believe your work to be nominated in the wrong category or the details of your nomination to be incorrect, please contact the AMC via email at awards@australianmusiccentre.com.au before proceeding with the nomination.
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Nominee
Chloe Kim 김예지
Title of the work
Music For Six Double Bassists
Performer
Paddy Fitzgerald, Oscar Neyland, Helen Svoboda, Jacques Emery, Harry Birch, Jonathan Zwartz
Performance Date
23/8/2024
Nominator Statement
I would like to nominate Chloe Kim's Music for Six Double Bassists for the Jazz work of the year category because I think this work is unique and exciting while still holding true to the spirit of jazz music that is exploratory, playful and pushing boundaries. This work features five different movements, presented as separate tracks on the album, composed by Chloe Kim with space for improvisation with an additional two bonus tracks which I believe were improvised on the recording session day.
For the recording Chloe brings together some of Australia's best double bassists, Paddy Fitzgerald, Oscar Neyland, Helen Svoboda, Jacques Emery, Harry Birch and Jonathan Zwartz, creating a very unique and rare ensemble. Whenever I listen to this music I am always surprised by the range of the double bass and all the different sounds and textures which can be created from the instrument. Usually double basses dont get to be in the melodic setting but in this work, Chloe puts the bass in the spotlight, highlighting its myriad of capabilities; from playing beautiful melodies to eerie textures to feel good baselines.
I think this music is exciting because it is unlike what Chloe has done before. Unlike her previous work which focused mainly on her drumming, this work has no drumming and she focuses completely on composition. To me these different movements are very cinematic and bring different images into my head as we get to hear contrasting compositional ideas and melodies. Movement II Hunters Dream always reminds me of a gloomy march which heavily contrasts to the playful nature of Movement IV Big Breakfast and I especially love Movement V To Love Music. I think the pizzicato melody along with the voice, is very beautiful over the low drones of the basses in arco. Staying true to her percussive senses, Bonus Track 1 Bass Dance is highly rhythmic, using the bass in a percussive way which I find very playful and fun to listen to.
Although the music is composed, Chloe leaves space for improvisation within a lot of the movements. We hear from all six bassists whose improvisational styles differ wildly between. Like in movement IV we hear solos from every one of the bassists and I like hearing the difference in everyones playing styles.
Jazz music to me has always been open and free with a feeling of exploration, playfulness and inquisitiveness with space to listen, collaborate and interact. I think this work has all these characteristics. This work is new and exciting and unlike any of the music coming out of the jazz scene in Australia. To me it is inspiring that Chloe is always thinking of new ways to challenge herself creatively and working hard to organise new projects and bringing different people together.
Another thing I would like to add is that I think its amazing that Chloe can bring together a group of six double bassists in one room to play and record music. I think it is a testament to her infectious personality and her generosity as a musician and friend.
Additional nominator statement:
This work masterfully embraces a sometimes tricky duality in Jazz, where the composer's wishes meet those of the performers/improvisers. I think it's an excellent example of these two forces being perfectly balanced, resulting in a work of interdependence, where neither could exist without the other.
The uniform instrumentation, as well as the limitations of the Double Bass, must have presented challenges for Kim, but she not only successfully complimented the nature of the instruments but also delivered agile, musically interesting interactions between the performers.
I had a privilege to work closely with Chloe in 2024 on her Music for 50 musicians. Interacting with fifty of Australia's foremost improvisers and musicians showed me just how much her work has an impact on the wider communities of jazz and improvised music in this country. I could see the positive impact that her work for six double bassists had on this community and more broadly. Furthermore, as an educator, I have recommended this work to my students for study as exemplar of excellent and imaginative writing for Double Bass.
For these reasons, I am thrilled to to nominate "Music For Six Double Bassists" as Work of the Year in this category.
Nominee
Chloe Kim 김예지
Title of the work
Music For Six Double Bassists
Performer
Paddy Fitzgerald, Oscar Neyland, Helen Svoboda, Jacques Emery, Harry Birch, Jonathan Zwartz
Performance Date
23/8/2024
For the recording Chloe brings together some of Australia's best double bassists, Paddy Fitzgerald, Oscar Neyland, Helen Svoboda, Jacques Emery, Harry Birch and Jonathan Zwartz, creating a very unique and rare ensemble. Whenever I listen to this music I am always surprised by the range of the double bass and all the different sounds and textures which can be created from the instrument. Usually double basses dont get to be in the melodic setting but in this work, Chloe puts the bass in the spotlight, highlighting its myriad of capabilities; from playing beautiful melodies to eerie textures to feel good baselines.
I think this music is exciting because it is unlike what Chloe has done before. Unlike her previous work which focused mainly on her drumming, this work has no drumming and she focuses completely on composition. To me these different movements are very cinematic and bring different images into my head as we get to hear contrasting compositional ideas and melodies. Movement II Hunters Dream always reminds me of a gloomy march which heavily contrasts to the playful nature of Movement IV Big Breakfast and I especially love Movement V To Love Music. I think the pizzicato melody along with the voice, is very beautiful over the low drones of the basses in arco. Staying true to her percussive senses, Bonus Track 1 Bass Dance is highly rhythmic, using the bass in a percussive way which I find very playful and fun to listen to.
Although the music is composed, Chloe leaves space for improvisation within a lot of the movements. We hear from all six bassists whose improvisational styles differ wildly between. Like in movement IV we hear solos from every one of the bassists and I like hearing the difference in everyones playing styles.
Jazz music to me has always been open and free with a feeling of exploration, playfulness and inquisitiveness with space to listen, collaborate and interact. I think this work has all these characteristics. This work is new and exciting and unlike any of the music coming out of the jazz scene in Australia. To me it is inspiring that Chloe is always thinking of new ways to challenge herself creatively and working hard to organise new projects and bringing different people together.
Another thing I would like to add is that I think its amazing that Chloe can bring together a group of six double bassists in one room to play and record music. I think it is a testament to her infectious personality and her generosity as a musician and friend.
Additional nominator statement:
This work masterfully embraces a sometimes tricky duality in Jazz, where the composer's wishes meet those of the performers/improvisers. I think it's an excellent example of these two forces being perfectly balanced, resulting in a work of interdependence, where neither could exist without the other.
The uniform instrumentation, as well as the limitations of the Double Bass, must have presented challenges for Kim, but she not only successfully complimented the nature of the instruments but also delivered agile, musically interesting interactions between the performers.
I had a privilege to work closely with Chloe in 2024 on her Music for 50 musicians. Interacting with fifty of Australia's foremost improvisers and musicians showed me just how much her work has an impact on the wider communities of jazz and improvised music in this country. I could see the positive impact that her work for six double bassists had on this community and more broadly. Furthermore, as an educator, I have recommended this work to my students for study as exemplar of excellent and imaginative writing for Double Bass.
For these reasons, I am thrilled to to nominate "Music For Six Double Bassists" as Work of the Year in this category.