“This offering from Zac’s trio sounds terrific. Well informed with that essential sense of tradition the music stretches and cooks, everyone plays their tails off.
Zac Hurren is one bright light!”
- Bernie McGann
“A stunning debut from one of the foremost young saxophonists around the Australian scene today. Zac's sound is mature and his expression free from cliches and uncluttered by contrivances. All of the compositions are Zac's originals, designed for the creative needs of the band, and relevant to his personal life experiences and thoughts.
It's good honest music as played by good honest musicians who've experienced enough in life to have more than enough to say through music and to give it freely for others to enjoy.
A wonderful tribute from a very talented young man. Listen and enjoy!”
- Dale Barlow
“The quantum leaps made by Australian jazz in recent times continue with this, the debut outing by one of our brightest young stars. With a big, thick sound straight out of the great tenor tradition which he so admires, Zac Hurren has arrived with a clutch of original compositions to rival the best of them. He is joined by Brisbane bassist Eugene Romaniuk, another talent to watch, and on drums the first choice of many, the ever-creative Felix Bloxsom. These are the cream of the new generation, inheritors of a jazz vernacular which we are proud to call our own. Played with joy, energy and understanding, this is a welcome addition to the Ozjazz catalogue.”
- Paul Grabowsky
“The first time I heard Zac play with The Con Artists back in 1999, I knew we had a special player on our hands. Listen to him here and you will hear why I love him so much.”
- Scott Tinkler
credits
released May 21, 2005
I would like to thank these incredibly special people for their profound and wonderful influence on my life: John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Sonny Rollins / Archie Shepp, Elvin Jones, Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman, Eric Dolphy, Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus / McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Tony Williams / Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie / Dexter Gordon, Lester young, Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster / Joe Henderson, Sam Rivers, Eddie Lockjaw Davis, Pharoah Sanders, Dewey Redman, Stan Getz (Yusef Lateef) (Booker Irvin) (Jackie McLean) (Charlie Rouse) / Booker Little, Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan, Clifford Brown, Kenny Dorham, Don Cherry / Roy Haynes, Joe Chambers, Rashied Ali, Papa Jo Jones, Philly Joe Jones, Sonny Payne, Ed Blackwell, Danny Richmond / Paul Chambers, Richard Davis, Reggie Workman, Doug Watkins, (Charlie Haden) / Andrew Hill / Branford Marsalis, Jeff Tain Watts, Kenny Kirkland, Robert Hurst, Keith Jarrett, Joe Lovano, John Hoffman / and a huge thankyou to these GREAT AUSSIES Dale Barlow, Ken Edie, Scott Tinkler, Bernie McGann, Elliott Dalgleish, John Rogers, Mark Simmonds, Ian Chaplin, Paul Grabowsky, Simon Barker, Tom Vincent, Julien Wilson, Jamie Oehlers, Philip Rex (Martin Kay) / Thankyou to my teachers Allan Brown, Col Lougnan and Tony Hobbs / And my GREAT MATES Carl Harvoe, Sam Bates, Eugene Romaniuk, Phil Noy, Laura Kahle, Steve Newcomb, Nick Aggs, Anthony Romaniuk, Michael Rogers, Doni Martin, Jacam Manricks, Domonic Motto (Ceri McCoy) (Shaun the Great) / I would especially like to thank Eugene and Felix for their beautiful playing / and Chris for an oldschool recording yeah man (and thanks to Oscar for his weird ears) thanks to everyone at Jazzhead, namely Andrew, Sheena, Michelle, Joe and Peter / I would REALLY like to thank my FAMILY!!! My mum Jacqueline, my dad John, my sister Kendall, and my sister Emily (words can’t express the love and gratitude I feel for my famiy) / also thankyou Maggie, Brian and Ty / and MOST DEARLY OF ALL thankyou from the bottom of my heart, Katie… my wife, best friend, lover and soul mate. And my little boys Dexter and Jonah. THANK YOU BOYS!!!! Hope you dig the album… zxxx
All compositions written and arranged by Isaac Hurren (Control)
Recorded by Chris Vallejo @ Linear Recording, Sydney – live to quarter inch two-track tape Sept 2006. Mastered by Oscar Gaona @ 301 Studios, Sydney, Feb 2007
Produced by Zac Hurren
Photographs by Nina Atkin and Vijay Pant
Layout by Peter Barrett
Zac is an exceptionally gifted and unique saxophonist, composer and improviser and combined with the incredible talents of
Eugene Romaniuk on double bass and Felix Bloxsom on drums - they create an explosive new Australian sound. The Zac Hurren trio is one of Australia's most exciting young jazz combos...more
Hi Sam. Looking fwd to having you in our house both digitally and in person of course.
Congratulations and very best wishes.
Vicki and Jeff
It’s been so still here. Like it’s waiting for you all to return. Victoriana Gaye
Nock et al prove that you don't need to go beyond pure, traditional jazz techniques to produce some amazing tracks. As long as musicians can produce sounds like this, jazz will never die. Eclecticon