Concert & Published Reviews

Simple messages by Neville Myers

Reviewing Janet Seidel & William Galison at Brisbane Jazz Club

Sydney singer Janet Seidel and New York harmonica player William Galison have been delivering a simple message to Queensland jazz audiences: two distinctive voices can ignite and fire each other.
Seidel and Galison have been touring South-East Queensland, performing for the Noosa Jazz Action Society, the Toowoomba Jazz Club and the Brisbane Jazz Club to launch their CD (Love Letters, La Brava Records).

Their tour culminated with their final Queensland performance on Monday night for the Gold Coast Jazz Action Society.

The swinging duo had the added advantage of tight and expert backing from Seidel's regular working band (bassist brother David Seidel, guitarist Chuck Morgan and drummer Adam Pache) for Sunday's performance at the Brisbane Jazz Club.

Seidel now has eight CDs, several prestigious ARIA endorsements and years of paying her dues behind her. Galison has recording credits with Peggy Lee, Sting, Les Paul and Astrid Gilberto.

He also records his own CDs on Verve (including Overjoyed, voted No. 6 in the US contemporary jazz charts), and regularly gigs around New York as a jazz and session player.

About her own success, which will soon include a lucrative tour of Japan, and widening exposure to her growing US audiences, Seidel has an easy explanation: "I gave up on Elton John, found the best material I could from the great American songbook, and learned one very important thing - there is still a place in the musical world for a melody singer," she said.

"That's where my present and future directions will lie: to sing simply, respect the melody and continue to improve the way I play the chords and harmonies."

Always ready to experiment, Seidel was keen to give Galison equal billing on her new CD as well as on-stage.

"I've always sung and played with horn players, yet I discovered that the harmonica touches people in places that other instruments don't," she said.

The professionalism of both performers rarely flagged in their three generous sets.

Seidel's lyrical understatement consistently shone, beginning with her opening number (a loping, languid, medium-paced And The Angels Sing). It was also carried through on ballads as well as up-tempo numbers, as she accompanied herself on piano.

Galison, alternating with both diatonic and chromatic harmonicas, expertly showcased the instrument's rich timbre behind Seidel on several ballads and delivered on the instrument's lusty capacity to swing (Lucky's wedding and Some Blues).

They capped their performance to a standing ovation, delivering on their salute to trumpeter Chet Baker (Every time we say goodbye), offering Them There Eyes as an encore.