Jeremy Rose is driven by a relentless creative curiosity. Deeply respectful of history, he has immersed himself in the music of the jazz greats, from Charlie Parker to Ornette Coleman. However, like many of these renowned artists, Rose is not content to rest within the parameters established by tradition. Apart from his contemporary jazz band, the Jeremy Rose Quartet, his many projects include Afro-beat group, The Strides; reggae-South American influenced quartet, The Vampires; and classical-jazz saxophone quartet, Compass. In 2009, Rose won the prestigious Young Australian Jazz Artist of the Year at the Bell Awards.
Banff International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music
Suite 101 caught up with him to talk about his group, The Vampires, who were selected to attend the Banff International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music in Canada in May last year. “We went over for a three week intensive workshop,” he explains. “It was a fantastic opportunity to work with some of the top jazz musicians from New York. We’ve learnt a lot from that. It’s expanded our horizons as a band, as well as hopefully opening up some international touring opportunities.”
Jazz-Reggae-Latin American Fusion
The Vampires include trumpet player, Nick Garbett; bassist, Alex Boneham and drummer, Alex Masso. All versed in jazz, they started playing together around 2006 when they discovered a shared interest in reggae and Latin American music. “We were trying to get away from the standard jazz sound,” explains Rose. “There was one album in particular, called Groundation, which had a lot of old Jamaican rustafarians playing with the horn section. It really opened my ears to the idea of playing reggae and jazz, in particular free jazz, so it was something new that we could explore. Also, the absence of piano and guitar in the ensemble added a new element to that fusion of styles.”
The Vampires' New Album
Five years later, The Vampires are currently recording their third album, which, according to Rose, explores some new territory. “Some of the compositions are a little more challenging. Since our time in Banff we’ve realized that we have to approach the different genres that we draw from as seriously as we take our jazz. So if we’re playing a reggae groove, we have to know as much about the style of reggae as we do about jazz. The same goes for when we’re playing a Latin groove – is it a Cuban groove or is it Peruvian or does it come from Chile? So we’ve been trying to get into a deeper level and understanding of the different styles…we’ve also got guest percussionist Fabian Hevia and Shannon Barnett, a trombonist from Melbourne, on a few tracks.”
The Vampires will release their new album in March, 2012, with a national tour. Meanwhile, they’ll be playing Sydney and Wollongong in August, appearing at Yours and Owls, Wollongong, on Friday, 19th and The Sound Lounge, Sydney, on Saturday, 20th.
Jasmine Crittenden - Jasmine Crittenden (B.A.)(Hons.)(First Class) is a writer and editor specialising in music, literature and travel.
