Guy Strazzullo's High Five (aka Guy Strazz)

Historical article recovered from a Wayback capture dated 2018-02-24.

Guy is recognized as a distinguished guitar master, composer, and educator. He has performed extensively at National and International jazz festivals. His long list of associations includes: Sandy Evans, Vince Jones, V M Bhatt, Furio di Castri, Martin Taylor, George Golla, Slava Grigoryan, Don Burrows, Roger Frampton, Dale Barlow, Mike Stern, and Matt McMahon. A recipient of the Australia Council Music Fellowship, Strazz also received APRA Nominations and a Jazz APRA Award. His 2@1CD, released with Matt McMahon, was nominated for ‘best jazz album of the year’ AIR Awards 08. He has released ten critically acclaimed albums as leader. He is currently a PhD research scholar at Macquarie University completing his creative thesis about Improvisation. New projects include: The release of Eastern Blues CD in May 2012, the reforming of the Passionfruit Trio with McMahon and Hevia, and the forthcoming recording of the Silk Road double Concerto for Guitar, Piano and World Jazz Orchestra in July 2012.

Eastern Blues is downloadable from CD baby & iTunes or hard copies from Rufus Records and selected CD stores.

1. RENAUD GARCIA FONS – Seymour Centre Sydney, 9th June 2012

A true genius! Half hour of pure bliss is how I can best describe hearing Fons. His solo work portrays the sounds of Mediterranean cultures; his palette of colours and techniques covers Flamenco, Taquam, Hindustani classical, Ravel, and Debussy. His hand drumming on the double bass confirms the depth and brilliance of the rhythms he applies to his melodic lines. There are chord, counterpoints, and bowing techniques used as compositional devices executed with ultra-virtuosic flair, and that is before he brings a discreet assortment of self-made sounds from his loop pedal board to deliver a fulfilling and rare musical experience.

2. REMEMBER SHAKTI – Central Park West NYC, June 2001

Inspiring! This was a free concert on a warm summer evening; unbeknown it would be on the same night, I had previously purchased tickets to see Chick Corea Trio and Wayne Shorter Quartet at the Lincoln Centre. Shakti started later than I had anticipated It took three tunes to make me forget about Chick and Wayne. A tall order for anyone, but John McLaughlin exploded that night; I had seen him before and since. This was the start of their Remember Shakti World Tour, and the band was pumped up in front of a three thousand-strong crowd. Electric mandolinist, U. Shrinivas made gamakas (South Indian melodic ornaments) sound like watching Aurora Australis; Indian aesthetics juxtaposed with John’s scorching, yet spiritual bluesy lines. Zakir Hussain (tabla) and V. Selvaganesh on kanjira (south Indian frame drum), also on fire.

3. MILES DAVIS – Sydney Entertainment Centre, 1990

A treasure! Probably not one of Miles’s most memorable concerts, but I am not that choosy when it comes to witnessing history. In a moment of total silence, frustrated by the interesting, yet theatrical aspects of the performance, and Miles minimal blowing, a member of the audience shouted: ” Hey Miles! I (or we) have been waiting twenty-five years to hear you play the trumpet, please play! The Dark Prince looked up, pondered, and then unleashed some, which was a gift for all to witness.

4. WOODY SHAW QUINTET – Jazz Yatra, Bombay, India, 1984

Spiritual! I was playing at this festival with my early mentors, Roger Frampton and Phil Treloar. What a treat to hear this magnificent and legendary trumpeter/composer and musical geniuses in the history of jazz, a few years before his untimely death in 1989. I have not heard a trumpeter as good since that day. Close friend, and trombonist, Steve Turre was also thrilling, as he filled Bombay Cricket Stadium with the earthy, yet ethereal sounds of his conch shells.

5. SCOTT TINKLER – Wangaratta Jazz Festival, 2004

Folkloric! I’ll call this one: “Tinkler’s Good Night Blues”. As it happened, I had played with my group Passionfruit at the Festival. There were several highlights at the festival, but the most remarkable for me happened at 2 or 3 AM. All the shows had finished and I was about to go to bed, when I heard this distant sound of a trumpet coming from the street; it was punctuated by fairly long pauses, and then the sound would reach me from a different angle, still quite far away though. It took me a few seconds to recognise Scott’s sound the feeling still lives with me.