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French & Jazz Inspired Music from Jo Abbott’s Sanfona Ensemble
Melbourne based composer, arranger and Piano Accordian player Jo Abbott visited the Bent Notes Studio to chat about her musical development from Classical to Jazz inspired music. Early in her musical education Jo discovered the beautiful French music from classical artists such as Debussy. This music has served as a basis for Jo’s more recent works blending French and Jazz music to develop the repertoire of her 5-piece ensemble – SANFONA. Sanfona will be touring Central Victoria (Bendigo, Castlemaine, Ruffy, Bright) in late January – all the details, including a GoFundme campaign from the Sanfona website Hear Jo talk about her musical development and her joy of creating Sanfona, in this podcast from Bent Notes on JOY 94.9. Jo Abbott was guest of Bent Notes on Sunday December 7, 2025 Bent Notes – 2 hours of Jazz and Improvised Music – 7 o’clock every Sunday night JOY 94.9 – Out.Loud.Proud – Your Voice – Your Radio Station Support this podcast, Donate to JOY; Become a member The post French & Jazz Inspired Music from Jo Abbott’s Sanfona Ensemble appeared first on Bent Notes.
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Hetty’s Four Seasons kicks off with Spring
International Jazz Vocalist Hetty Kate spoke with Bent Notes about her brand new album – the first in a series of four, being released on November 7, 2025 at The Jazzlab in Brunswick. The series is called JAZZ IN FOUR SEASONS, with Volume 1 being the SPRING edition, recorded in the Spring in Prague, and being released in Spring in Australia. In her chat with Bent Notes presenter David Moyle, Hetty talks about the skills of her chosen musicians – both as players – and as arrangers, and her intention to record each of the four albums in different cities, with Jazz musicians each time selected from those cities – Four Albums, Four Seasons, Four Cities! The musicians on Jazz In Four Season’s Vol 1: SPRING are Jiří Levíček on piano, Libor Šmoldas on guitar, Tomáš Baroš on bass, and Tomáš Hobzek on drums, with three guest musicians: Robert Fischmann on flute, Rob Millet on cimbalom, and Jan Brádač on violin. The album is released on Friday November 7, 2025 on Bandcamp Hetty also spoke of her recent experiences with golf-ball sized hailstones in Brisbane, and Gongs in China! See Hetty’s Touring schedule around Australia on her Facebook page. In Melbourne Hetty will be launching the album at The Jazzlab on Friday and Saturday November 7 and 8 2025; playing with her B2 Quintet on November 19, 2025 at The Count’s: and playing with her Quartet on November 20, 2025 at the Uptown Jazz Cafe Hetty Kate was guest of Bent Notes on Sunday November 2, 2025 Bent Notes – 2 hours of Jazz and Improvised Music – 7 o’clock every Sunday night JOY 94.9 – Out.Loud.Proud – Your Voice – Your Radio Station Support this podcast, Donate to JOY; Become a member The post Hetty’s Four Seasons kicks off with Spring appeared first on Bent Notes.
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Adam’s First Rhythms
Composer, percussionist, painter, educator and proud Kamilaroi man Adam Manning spoke with Bent Notes about his growing up with music and rhythm and their becoming then a key feature of his life. He said that his decision to work with these skills was essentially an evolution rather than a specific decision. Adam discussed how our society seems to have forgotten how to feel and know the rhythm of the land, and how his work brings these rhythms to the forefront, with work recently in collaboration with groups such as the Melbourne and Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s; and in his brand new work – First Rhythms – with artists from the Australian Art Orchestra (AAO). First Rhythms was commissioned by the Melbourne International Jazz Festival, the Australian Art Orchestra and Songlines Music Aboriginal Corporation and will be featured in this years Melbourne International Jazz Festival. The commision is culmination of Adam’s appointment as the First Nations Artist in Residence at the Melbourne International Jazz Festival for the 2024/25 year. In this work, Adam reimagines clapsticks — not just as instruments, but as vessels of memory, movement and deep connection to Country. The work is described as weaving “traditional percussive language with modern instrumentation, visual art and a fluid interplay of improvisation and notation”. Adam will be performing First Rhythms with the AAO in the Primrose Potter Salon at the Melbourne Recital Centre on Sunday October 19, 2025. Full details from melbournejazz.com Adam Manning was guest of Bent Notes on Sunday October 12, 2025 Bent Notes – 2 hours of Jazz and Improvised Music – 7 o’clock every Sunday night JOY 94.9 – Out.Loud.Proud – Your Voice – Your Radio Station Support this podcast, Donate to JOY; Become a member The post Adam’s First Rhythms appeared first on Bent Notes.
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Darcy’s World of Cello
Emerging Melbourne based Cello player, composer and educator Darcy Gilkerson spoke with Bent Notes about his Debut album – Acteon, and his music which works to build a bridge between contemporary classical composition and the jazz improvisatory tradition. His first memory of music is of playing some very basic piano at around 4 years of age – likely to be a sliding up and down the keyboard! Darcy is a trans man who uses his music to explore themes of self-discovery, empowerment, trans love and the ever-present ebb and flow between pain and joy. Darcy talks about how some of his compositions reflect his life experience at various times and how some of these compositions have made it onto his debut album. More details about the album – Acteon – are available on Bandcamp. Darcy will be performing at the Kew Courthouse on Friday October 11 with his Jazz trio. More details from the City of Boorondara. Darcy Gilkerson was guest of Bent Notes on Sunday October 5, 2025 Bent Notes – 2 hours of Jazz and Improvised Music – 7 o’clock every Sunday night JOY 94.9 – Out.Loud.Proud – Your Voice – Your Radio Station Support this podcast, Donate to JOY; Become a member The post Darcy’s World of Cello appeared first on Bent Notes.
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The Village Square – Live from Studio A
Guitarist Robbie Melville, Cello player Zoe Knighton and Actor Richard Piper performed excerpts from Robbie’s latest creation – The Village Square – LIVE from Studio A at JOY 94.9. Robbie talked about his writing a short story in response to a request from Zoe, but that it became somewhat bigger and more complex than he had originally thought; and the joy that he, Zoe and Richard have experienced themselves and from their audiences to date when performing the work. The Village Square is a work that combines live music and storytelling – with a story that is set in an imaginary town. The work presents stories of love and loss, misfortune and mirth, the graceful and grotesque. Robbie has produced a book and an album of the work, featuring the artwork of David Frazer. Robbie spoke about the images from the story that have been created by David Frazer in his hand made engravings on end grain wood, hand printed on an antique printing press. Robbie, Zoe and Richard will be performing The Village Square as part of The Melbourne Fringe Festival. For more details about Robbie, The Village Square, and to see David Frazer’s artwork for the project, head to the website of Robbie Melville. Robbie Melville, Zoe Knighton and Richar Piper were guests of Bent Notes on Sunday September 21, 2025 Bent Notes – 2 hours of Jazz and Improvised Music – 7 o’clock every Sunday night JOY 94.9 – Out.Loud.Proud – Your Voice – Your Radio Station Support this podcast, Donate to JOY; Become a member The post The Village Square – Live from Studio A appeared first on Bent Notes.
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