"Earthiness and sensuality"

Melbourne Jazz Festival, various artists

THE fourth Bailey's Melbourne Jazz Festival ended on a triumphant note last Sunday night as Paul Grabowsky, Deborah Conway and members of the Australian Art Orchestra lined the edge of the Melbourne Concert Hall stage to heavy applause after a stunning excursion into the world of pop music.

But it was only one of a number of successful and sometimes exciting events in the final days of the festival. There was the memorable performance of the trio of Danish bass master Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen at the concert hall last Friday night, vocalist Janet Seidel, warm and polished, was in top form over three nights at Sofi's, and pianist Sam Keevers with a young all-star line-up paid homage to the music of American pianist Mickey Tucker at Benetts Lane.

The use of larger venues this year proved a great success; Bennetts Lane, as always, was the most popular.

Anyone fearful of the prospect of Grabowsky's Art Orchestra giving the music of singer-songwriter Conway an inaccessible face need not have worried. The bravery of the orchestra's repertoire is a given – it has explored eastern European, Indonesian and Indian music with great success, so why should Conway's music be any different?

It wasn't, the result being the most satisfying performance I have heard by the orchestra since its formation in 1994. The arrangements were imaginative – and accessible – but also gave full rein to the band's rich palate of tonal colours.

Trumpeter Phil Slater's restrained arrangement of City of Women was a highlight, as Conway, a mixture of earthiness and sensuality, plumbed the depths of its emotional message. Slater, with fellow trumpeters Bob Coassin and Scott Tinkler, left their mark on Adrian Sherriff's romping arrangement of 3 Love as they traded choruses and breaks in an exciting climax. Mention must also be made of tenor saxophonist Julien Wilson's authoritative solo on Sam Keevers' chart of Gil Evans's Las Vegas Tango.

But all honours to the band. It again showed that no musical genre is beyond its capabilities.

Pedersen's bass dominated as his trio showed its catholic taste in a program ranging from Bach to Ellington, standards, originals and Danish folk songs. He carried the melody, leaving the harmonic and time-keeping roles to guitarist Ulf Wakeniusand drummer Jonas Johansen.

Come Sunday from Elington's suite Black, Brown and Beige was treated with reverence and solemnity before a segue into an extended Caravan, where the mood shifted rhythmically from the Middle East to driving, straight-ahead swing and back again.

It was a stunning performance by a group that proved the sum of all parts, with a remarkable feel and an uncanny empathy for small-group jazz.

Seidel was in rare form in the final of her three nights of jazz and cocktails at Sofi's, as with taste and melody she mined some great American popular songs. Establishing an easy rapport with the packed room, medium tempo proved Seidel's forte as her warm voice added lustre to the lyrics, cushioned by the support of her brother David on bass and drummer Billy Ross, who swung unfussingly.

"Take no prisoners'' seemed to be the message of bass guitarist's Steve Hunter's powerful ensemble Nine Lives, with its no-nonsense approach and great energy and fire at The 9th Ward. Fuelled by passion and good-humoured power, the group blasted furiously through intoxicating originals with its customary vigour to show off its inventive solo roster, the best of whom was trumpeter Phil Slater.