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Steve Barry's High Five
Steve Barry's High Five Since moving to Sydney from New Zealand in 2009, Steve Barry has quickly made a name for himself as an accomplished pianist,…
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Since moving to Sydney from New Zealand in 2009, Steve Barry has quickly made a name for himself as an accomplished pianist, improviser and composer. Demonstrating a natural creative flair, technical facility, and artistic maturity, Steve forms a part of the new generation of young Australasian artists exploring both the jazz tradition and modern approaches to improvisation and creative music.
Steve released his debut album in December 2012 through Sydney’s Jazzgroove Records. Featuring his longstanding trio of bassist Alex Boneham and National Jazz Award winning drummer Tim Firth, as well as special guest Carl Morgan on guitar, the album has already been gaining critical acclaim.
Steve is currently undertaking a PhD in solo piano performance at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.
He is also in high demand as a sideman, having worked with many prominent Australasian and international artists including John Hollenbeck (USA), Theo Bleckmann (USA), George Coleman Jr. (USA), Arun Luthra (USA), Chris McNulty (USA), Tricia Evy (FRA), The Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra, Dale Barlow, Simon Barker and James Muller (AU).
Steve is the recipient of numerous awards including a University of Sydney Australian Postgraduate Award (APA), and the Sydney Conservatorium of Music Diane Fisher Award. He has also received the Most Outstanding Musician, Best Pianist, Best Composition and Band of Festival awards from the Tauranga International Jazz Festival.
“…equally onvincing building irresistible momentum into convoluted rhythms, or shaping the wistful melody of Ambulation with the softness of a watercolourist.”
- Sydney Morning Herald
My 5 Top Gigs - Easier said than done!
1. CHICK COREA - solo - Auckland Aotea Centre 2007.
This was an incredible gig, it was great to see Chick live rather than just on record. Chick has a beautiful touch and approach to solo piano and covered a few standards, a few pieces from Children’s Songs and a few Chick classics like Spain and La Fiesta. He’d also set up some percussion next the piano and would do this little comedic jump up mid-song to add something tasteful on Marimba or drums. At the end of the two set show with the lights up and people slowly filing out, Chick came back out on stage and told the audience he felt like playing a for another half an hour or so, and we could stick around if we liked. Talk about humility!
2. DAVE HOLLAND QUINTET - Wangaratta Festival 2007.
This was one of those mind-blowing gigs that happen every so often, and part of the initial stimulus for me moving to Australia. I was going through a big Dave Holland phase listening to albums like Prime Directive and Not for Nothin’ but as always seeing the band live was something else - both in terms of their individual virtuosity and the seamless unspoken communication between them, especially between Chris Potter and Robin Eubanks. The whole festival that year was a big eye opener, in particular to size and quality of the Australian scene and the opportunities we have here.
3. BRAD MEHLDAU TRIO with Larry Grenadier and Jeff Ballard - The Basement, Sydney 2009.
I remember leaving this gig and wandering down to Town Hall for the train home in a total musical stupor. Brad is a total monster musician and one of my biggest influences, and it was something pretty special to see him live for the first time. The gig closed with a 3rd encore - No Moon At All - and Brad playing this line in the last chorus of his solo which had the whole audience spontaneously exploding in applause. This was still in the relatively early years of that band and it seemed like everything was still new and exciting for them - I saw them at North Sea Jazz Festival in 2012 and it seemed like that initial energy has faded a bit. But they were still monstrous!
4. TERENCE BLANCHARD QUINTET - Melbourne Jazz Fest 2012.
This was another great gig, with Terence’s current band of Brice Winston - tenor, Fabian Almazan - piano, Joshua Crumbly - bass and Kendrick Scott - drums. The band ebbed and flowed around the occasional short excerpt of a post-Hurricane-Katrina interview with the philosopher Dr. Cornell West, which gave the gig a deeply emotive vibe. Fabian Almazan really blew me away - he has this really unique, sophisticated sense of harmony and it was great to hear him stretch out with such a supportive and creative rhythm section.
5. ARI HOENIG QUARTET - Smalls Jazz Club, New York 2012.
With Johannes Weidenmueller, Shai Maestro and Tivon Pennicott. This gig was one of the best things I saw over the month I was in NY. The band danced around a range of standards and originals in a plethora of odd times with total fluidity and musicality. It was great to see Ari’s playing facials in real life (check it out), and it was also the first I’d really heard of Shai Maestro - an unbelievable improviser and piano player and another guy to keep an eye on!
