Footscray Station by Way Out West Melbourne

" John Clare Sydney Morning Herald October 25th 2003

"The supple seamless vibes they produce easily transcend any glib notions of multicultural kitsch, the album delivering moments of shimmering beauty that have as much to do with ambient grooves as jazz." Kenny Weir Sunday Herald Sun October 2003

As an attempt to integrate instruments and systems of organisation from different musical cultures, [Footscray Station] is as near to successful as any I have heard during a lifetime of listening to sounds from varied sources." Gavin Franklin Music Forum Feb. 2004

"If you still need evidence that the way forward for jazz is to draw on world music for fresh ideas then this album should convince you." Steve Robertson Music Australia Guide

"Full of the sounds and colours that you get at a train station, with the comings and goings and meetings of cultures and musical genres." Leon Gettler The Age October 30th 2003

"A uniquely hybrid form of jazz that makes notable use of Vietnamese traditional instruments... an unusual and beguiling sound." Nate Doward Cadence Music Review (New York) March 2004

The Biography...

Way Out West have developed a unique and alluring sound that blends Vietnamese and African sounds with jazz, and a reputation as one of the most innovative and exciting new groups on the Australian music scene.

In 2003 Way Out West released Footscray Station. From the opening atmospherics of the title track, the listener is taken on a musical journey ranging from the sublimely melodic Maribyrnong Sketch through the driving Middle Eastern groove of Amasya and the haunting spoken word piece Is the Moon Really That Far Away? The album has received superb reviews and was named as one of the top 10 releases of 2003 by Melbourne Herald Sun Arts Magazine critics. Since the release of Footscray Station, the band has continued to develop a solid live following, performing at major Australian venues and festivals including the Melbourne International Jazz Festival.

The Band Members...

The Band Members...

Trumpeter Peter Knight leads Way Out West and composes a significant proportion of the ensemble's material. Peter is a Melbourne based trumpeter, composer and educator. He features as a sideman on over 20 albums in a variety of genres, and on numerous film soundtracks. In 2001 Peter received national recognition for the Peter Knight Quartet's debut release, Between Two Moments (Newmarket), which received excellent reviews nationally. Since then, Peter has appeared with his quartet at the Wangaratta Jazz Festival and toured Australia extensively after receiving major tour support funding from Playing Australia. He has also performed in Hong Kong, New Caledonia, Italy and Canada. In addition to his quartet and Way Out West, Peter leads the 5+2 Brass Ensemble, for which he recently received an Australia Council composition commission to compose a thirty-minute suite.

Dung Nguyen performs on an amazing array of instruments in Way Out West including: the traditional Vietnamese zither called the dan tranh; a one stringed instrument called the dan bao; the dan nhi (a kind of violin); as well as an electric guitar modified to enable him to produce the types of phrasing characteristic of Vietnamese music. Dung is one of Melbourne's leading Vietnamese musicians and is also a jazz guitarist. Among his traditional instruments are the dan tranh, dan bau, dan nhi and dan nguyet all of which he learnt from his grandfather continuing a tradition of many generations. In the last few years he has become increasingly interested in contemporary jazz and other Western improvising guitar traditions, and in the fusion of these and Vietnamese stringed instrument traditions. To that end he is studying a Bachelor of Music (jazz guitar) at the Monash Conservatorium and in 2002 year he won their foundation prize for best performance for a second year student.

Dung is also a composer and recently wrote music for a play by Vietnamese Youth Media called Aussie Biaom. He also composed music for theatre productions, Vietboy from Downunder in 2002 and Coup D'tat by the Melbourne Theatre Company in 2003.

Ray Pereira is one of the most accomplished and best-known percussionists in Australia, he is able to move with ease from African drumming traditions to Cuban and Brazilian and is also a sought after musician in jazz and popular contexts. Way Out West is a project that highlights Ray's virtuosity and musical flexibility and also creates a musical space for many of the different instruments he plays. Ray has performed with a stellar array of local and international artists including: Bongo Fury, Paul Grabowsky, Kate Ceberano, Cristine Anu, Paul Kelly, Yothu Yindi, Archie Roach, Ruby Hunter, David Hirchfelder, Arthur Blyth, Nii Tettey Tetteh, the Kusun Ensemble, Bobby Previt, Ricky Martin, Isaac Hayes and The Africa Boys.

Saxophonist Paul Williamson is famous for his huge, ripping, bluesy tenor sound. He is perhaps best known for his work with his own band: the Paul Williamson Hammond Combo. This group has three residencies a week in Melbourne and has toured extensively including most Australian capital cities. It has also performed at festivals including Monsalvaat Jazz Festival (93,94,95), Wangaratta Festival of Jazz (92,94,96), Manly Jazz Festival, Noumea Jazz Festival and the Byron Bay Blues Festival. The Hammond Combo has released four albums.

Howard Cairns has been based in Melbourne for the last fifteen years and his ability to play in a wide range of styles keeps him one of the most in-demand musicians around. He plays regularly with a variety of artists from the jazz, folk and blues scenes, including: the Michelle Nicole Quartet, the James Sherlock Trio, Ross Hannaford, Allan Browne's Red Onions, Igor Oskolkov's Gypsy Swing and Andy Cowan. He appears on over thirty albums including recently on Judy Jaque's Bell Award winning, Making Wings. Howard has toured widely in Australia, Asia, Europe and America. Notably at home he has appeared at major jazz and music festivals including: Wangaratta, Manly, Melbourne International, Darling Harbour, Noosa and York.

Dave Beck is one of the rising stars of the Australian music scene, Dave is in high demand as a first call session player, theatre pit musician and Jazz ensemble member. Dave is endorsed by Premier drums, Zildjian cymbals (USA), and Vater sticks. He has performed with the cream of Australian and lnternational artists including Keb Mo, Randy Crawford, Vennetta Fields, John Farnham, Anthony Warlow, Olivia Newton John, Don Burrows, Hans Ulrich, Joe Chindamo, Barbara Morrison, Grace Knight, Christine Sullivan and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. He has recorded many sessions and sound tracks for film and television including work on In Melbourne Tonight, Neighbours '98, and Grundy's The Last Of The Ryans. Dave has also played in the Melbourne productions of Sweet Charity, Red Hot And Rhonda, and Crazy For You. In July 1999 Dave completed a tour of Europe's jazz festivals with pianist Joe Chindamo.

For further information and sound samples please visit:

www.wayoutwest.com.au

www.peterknightmusic.com

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