ALISTER SPENCE // KEYNA WILKINS // VERMILLION TRIO

//ALISTER SPENCE//

Pianist and composer Alister Spence has established a strong reputation as a creative force in jazz and improvised music in Australia. The Alister Spence Trio has enjoyed critical acclaim, being nominated twice for Best Australian Jazz Album at the ARIA Awards (2004/2007). Their 7 th release, Not Everything but Enough was voted in "˜Top 10 Jazz Albums
2017' in Music Magazine, Japan, and received "˜Honorary Mention, Best of 2017' in the New York City Jazz Record.
His solo piano CD/digital Whirlpool received a 5-star review in Jazz Journal (UK: "˜superb'), and also appeared in the Best of 2020 lists in New York City Jazz Record.

Alister has also established creative collaborative relationships with internationally recognised improvisers in Japan, Scotland, Sweden, and the US. Since 2008 he has toured and performed with acclaimed Japanese pianist/composer, Satoko Fujii in Japan, Australia, the US and Canada. In 2018 they released three CDs together, including Bright Force (Libra Records), which was described as "˜awe-inspiring music' 4.5 stars (allaboutjazz.com). Alister has also recorded and toured for many years in Europe, Australia and Japan, with Raymond MacDonald (saxophone, Glasgow). They have released two improvised music albums as a duo, and three as "˜Sensaround,' an electro-acoustic open-improvisation trio which includes guitarist/electronic musician Sia Ahmad. In 2014 Alister's improvised piano-duo album,
Everything Here is Possible with US pianist Myra Melford received an APRA/AMCOS Art Music Award, and his improvised music trio with Swedish musicians Joe Williamson and Christopher Cantillo was nominated for the same award in 2015.

"˜This is the sound of genuine discovery, founded upon decades of experience but unfettered by habit.' Bill Meyer, Dusted Magazine, US
"˜I've always been impressed by Spence's playing - in fact I can't think of an album of his that's less than excellent. His work is melodic, expressive, thoughtful and cerebral.' Andy Hamilton, Jazz Journal, UK

//KEYNA WILKINS//

Keyna Wilkins is a pioneering Australian/British composer-musician. She was one of three finalists in the Australian nation-wide APRA/AMCOS Art Music Awards for Individual Excellence 2018. Her compositions are performed internationally and published by Wirripang. An innovative solo artist and leader of cutting-edge chamber groups, her music is characterized by a fascination with astronomy, First Nations culture, jazz, dance forms and intuitive improvisation.

//VERMILLION TRIO//

Vermillion Trio is an all female trio centering on experimental and improvised music, combining modern electronic elements with traditional acoustic sound. The three members, Alia Josephine on tenor saxophone, Julia Magri on double bass, and Lehra Karmazina on piano/synth focus on connection: the connection between eras of time, between each other as musicians of both modern and classical repertoire, and between the audience and the music. Flicking quickly between fast paced aggressive styles, atmospheric ambient landscapes and funky rhythmic feels is central to Vermillion's musical ideology, acknowledging the listener's ability to actively participate in fast changing sensory input in a globalised modern context.

The group formed in early 2019 with a key target of developing a unique brand. In June the band embarked on a short trip to begin writing an EP in what would become a highly developed project. The trio began performing and debuting both original and music by unknown composers in November of 2019, with an initial performance at Louis Hotel and a major work of an audio-visual interactive performance-meets-experience at Green Square library, both to incredible success.