Paul Cutlan's High 5

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

Paul’s career as a versatile multi-instrumentalist spans many different styles encompassing contemporary classical music, world music and jazz.

Paul graduated from the Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music in 1987 with Honours in Composition. After freelancing with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, he moved to Sydney in 1989, where he worked with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra. Notable jazz artists/ensembles with whom Paul has played include Jann Rutherford, Original Otto Orchestra, Ten Part Invention, James Morrison, Judy Bailey, Steve Hunters’ Nine Lives, Craig Scott Quintet, Clarion Fracture Zone and Wanderlust. International acts with whom he has performed include Lou Reed, Bobby Previte, Jim McNeely, James Newton, Jerry Lewis and Michael Bublé.

In 1997 Paul joined world/jazz group and is featured on their ARIA winning album Live in Europe. With them he has been on numerous European, North American and Asian tours and for Musica Viva he frequently performs school shows Australia wide. Paul is a member of the Australian Art Orchestra, having recorded three albums. With this band his has played with Danish Trumpeter/ Composer Palle Mickkelborg, a quartet of Indian musicians, and played in Sandy Evans’ Testimony. Other projects include Ruby’s Story featuring Archie Roach and Ruby Hunter, with which Paul has travelled to Mexico City, Auckland and Malaysia, and Meet me in the Middle of the air featuring Paul Kelly, Vicka and Linda Bull.

Cutlan’s own group Coltrane Project has been frequently recorded by the ABC in the studio and live in concert. In 2003 he composed the music for and performed in the acclaimed theatre production Birth of the Cool for the Sydney Festival, celebrating the lives and poetry of the “Beat Generation” of American poets of the 1940s and ’50s. Subsequent seasons were at the Seymour Centre and Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2005.

Since 2007 Paul led a trio at the Paris Quartier d’été, has co-produced the album Simpatico with fellow saxophonist Andrew Robson, and played in various shows such as Guys and Dolls and Wicked.

Most recently he performed in Neil Armfield’s farewell production of Diary of a Madman featuring Geoffrey Rush in Sydney and New York seasons, and is studying for a Masters Degree in Composition at Sydney Conservatorium.

1. JAN GARBAREK WITH THE HILLIARD ENSEMBLE

I had been underwhelmed by the conservative music presented at Jan Garbarek’s quartet appearance at the opera house and thought this would be similarly ‘soundtrack –like’. I ended up overcome by a sense of how beautifully delivered this music was. The Hilliard Ensemble – a male a capella quartet sung with the most exact intonation and supernatural blend I have heard live. To add any other element to this should have diminished their complete sound, but Jan Garbarek matched their tone, their intonation, appeared from within their notes, soared freely across their ensemble and managed to merge just as mysteriously back into the texture. As a cameo, Garbarek performed a solo version of Albert Ayler’s Ghosts.

2. AUSTRALIAN OPERA BERG’S LULU

I had been trying to digest Alban Berg’s second opera Lulu on CD – 3 discs of dense, serial composition with lots of German words. On stage, Emma Matthews brought out the passion and aching desire from extremely tricky 12 tone melodies and the orchestra was overwhelmingly expressive. The sets featuring huge mirrors helped to make this a transforming experience. Over 3 hours of Berg left me feeling very affected and eager to study the score.

3. ORNETTE COLEMAN – Sydney Opera House, 2008

This was the big year of Ornette making his appearance, followed soon after by Sonny Rollins. Both were amazing and inspirational, knowing that one was witnessing performers who are pioneers, survivors and a big part of jazz music history… still going strong. Andrew Robson and I attended the Ornette concert together and had the honor of meeting him at the after show party.

4. PHIL WOODS – GLASGOW, 1992

With Hal Crook? Trumpet, Jim McNeely piano, Steve Gilmore bass, Bill Goodwin Drums, this gig stays with me as the first international group I saw. I was backpacking the U.K. and Europe and happened to be in Glasgow when Phil Woods was there - a superb concert.

5. ABORIGINAL GRADUATION CEREMONY - Maningrida, N.T. 11th Sep, 1997

I witnessed the graduation ceremony of a group of students at the Maningrida Community after the Mara band performed there. It was a big deal for each student, surrounded by their family in the shape of a boat in a ritual which combined the slow procession with their own song, declaimed by the men in high lamenting voices. At the end of each ‘stanza’ the group would pause, exclaim and stamp the ground, before continuing, then eventually opening up for the student to leave the group and claim their certificate.