Dr Leigh Carriage

This is the second release by songwriter Leigh Carriage, ten songs from her award winning album Weave, set to rich and beautiful piano accompaniments. An important addition to the anthology of Jazz vocal compositions by Australian composers, this book of songs also includes detailed transcriptions of some of Leigh’s stunning vocal improvisations.

In addition to the elegant piano arrangements, the scores feature Heidi Minchin’s beautiful album artwork on each title page - making the book a unique work of art in itself.

Weave: Complete transcriptions for piano and vocal is ideal for jazz vocalists pursuing new Australian repertoire, secondary and tertiary teachers seeking educational repertoire, or for any musician looking to expand their vocabulary.

Wagtail Books is very proud to release this collection of songs from the album Mandarin Skyline by the inimitable Leigh Carriage. These beautiful songs are transcribed exactly as Leigh sings them, set to rich but simple piano accompaniments.

In a world where the popular song is adhering ever closer to a formula of repetitive harmonies, predictable structures and banal lyrics, it is extremely gratifying to discover Leigh's beautiful art-songs. She layers memorable melodies over rich harmonic movements, stretching the norms of structure to brilliantly support the profundity of the lyrics, yet all the while the songs remain deeply engaging. In these pages performers will find wonderful new repertoire with simple but beautiful piano accompaniments, students of songwriting will find endless inspiration and edification, and music lovers will find beautiful music to play.

The field of research includes composition, music performance, and recording in the context of contemporary jazz ensemble. The ten new compositions represent an investigation of creativity in musical composition, and this research serves as a model for pathways in composition, creative practice, improvisation and studio composition.

The recording also reflects a focus on creative practice, in particular the collaborative interactions that occur spontaneously within ensemble performances. This practice-led research serves to illustrate creativity within fundamental human interactions, such as collective brainstorming, real-time interactions of productive studio/rehearsal environments, and international collaborations related to engineering, mixing and mastering.

The research interrogates differing ways in which collaboration takes place and molds the recording and production of a work. These collaborations, in effect a group of case studies, range from dyadic interactions through to work involving up to fourteen participants, from partly improvised pieces to entirely notated work.

Weave contributes to the body of contemporary music with a high quality recording of original compositions and several collaborations with leading composers. This has established new benchmarks for the discipline through creative strategies for collaborative composing, the intersections of improvisation and composition, impromptu interplay and interconnection within live musical performance.

This research is significant because it practically demonstrates innovative methods of researching creative practice and collaboration in contemporary composition, and directly informs my current research. It serves to augment the ongoing research in practice–led–research and its value is attested via invitations to perform these works at leading venues and festivals.

This recording of ten original music compositions represents an investigation of creativity in musical composition, recording and performance, which is understood as the formation of meaning that becomes apparent through the act of performance. This research serves as a model for the pathways in composition, creative practice and studio composition.

The recording also reflects a focus on creative practice, in particular the collaborative interactions that occur spontaneously within ensemble performances. This practice-led research serves to illustrate creativity within fundamental human interactions, such as collective brainstorming, real-time interactions of productive studio/rehearsal environments, online national compositional collaborations and international collaborations related to engineering mixing and mastering.

The research interrogates differing ways in which collaboration takes place and molds the recording and production of a work. These collaborations, in effect a group of case studies, range from dyadic interactions through to work involving up to nine participants, from partly improvised pieces to entirely notated work.

Mandarin Skyline contributes to the body of contemporary music with a high quality recording of original compositions and several collaborations with leading composers. This has established new benchmarks for the discipline through creative strategies for collaborative composing, improvisation, impromptu interplay and interconnection within live musical performance.

This research is significant because it practically demonstrates innovative methods of researching creative practice and collaboration in contemporary composition, and directly informs my current research. It serves to augment the ongoing research in practice–led–research and its value is attested via invitations to perform these works at leading venues and festivals.

It is standard practice for contemporary vocal performance in a Jazz and improvisational context to explore the area of rearranging and reinterpreting of key pieces so that they remain in the repertoire as well as add to the core repertory. Get Out Of Town contributes to current research comprises nine tracks, arranged for rhythm section.

The research was undertaken in the areas of arranging, scoring new interpretations and arrangements of existing works, including a broad literature search and transcriptions of music for supporting works. The artwork also features within the reseach context as the album is designed by myself in collaboration with a graphic artist, reflecting the influence of Rosalie Gascoigne’s work on my music from a very young age.

This recording of my arrangements also serves to further address, the paucity of Australian female composers and arrangers in this genre thereby contributing to Australian cultural identity, the work contributes by creating a platform whereby the albums success and critical acclaim, acts as a scaffolding mechanism for fostering innovative future collaborations via an extended network.

This research is significant because it has produced a high quality recording that serves to reinvigorate and add to the core repertory of modern Jazz standards. Examples such as Keith Jarrett’s Standards album and Sonny Rollins comment that ‘jazz and standards are forever locked in loving embrace’ (Gioia, 2012) support this. The work also serves to augment the ongoing research in collaborative practice–led–research. Its value is attested to by the invitations to perform these works at leading venues and festivals: Brisbane Jazz Festival, Venue 505 Sydney and Brisbane Jazz Club.

Research Background: Standard practice for contemporary vocal performance in a Jazz / improvisational context is to work with a rhythm section comprising drums, bass, guitar and or piano (keyboards). Often these live performances, even with a solid foundation in vocal pedagogy, can be very taxing to the vocal mechanism, causing strain and injury. Working without a drummer largely solves this problem, but introduces other difficulties regarding maintaining rhythmical energy. Research was undertaken in the areas of composition, new interpretations and arrangements of existing works (including a broad literature search for supporting works), personal technical development, and development of rhythm section strategies. Research Contribution: On Impulse comprises ten tracks, three of them original compositions, that set new benchmarks for the discipline through improvisation, impromptu interplay and interconnection within live musical performance, and arranging strategies for rhythm sections in the absence of a drummer. This live recording also serves to further inform aspects of interpretive narrative perspectives and repertoire selection. Research Significance: This research is significant because it produced a high quality recording of original material and innovative reinterpretations of pre-existing songs, that clearly addresses the ‘drummer-less band’ issue. Its value is attested to by the invitations to perform these works at leading festivals: Melbourne International Women’s Jazz Festival 2006, North Coast Jazz Festival 2006 and the Brisbane Jazz Festival 2008.

A rich and soulful jazz vocal album. Leigh is tied to a powerful storytelling instinct. She is known for her beautiful voice and mastery of a unique jazz and R&B styling. 65 mins. duration.
Contents:
Until 3:46
Memphis 6:01
So Many Stars 3:31
I Feel So Smoochie 2:16
When Morning Come 5:30
If I Should Lose You 3:14
End Of The Line 5:08
Long As You're Living 2:21
Upside Down 3:12
Velvet 4:32
Silent Tears and Roses 5:42
New York Minute 5:20
With Each Beat Of My Heart 4:45
You Can Let Go Now 4:56
Stolen Moments (Bonus Track) 4:18

"Fatherhood" is a musical celebration of fatherhood - having and being a father. It’s a mix of songs by well known artists, such as Paul Kelly and Archie Roach and newly unearthed talent. Contents: Little one / Neil Murray -- Ngura Watipilpa/ Frank Yamma -- You to me to mine / Steve Davies -- Splendid lie /Tex Perkins -- As little chief / Mike Rudd -- Spring / John Butler -- Madeleine's song / Paul Kelly -- Rage / Colin George -- Fathers clamness / Tidas -- Father's day / Mick Thomas -- Don't cry / Shane Howard -- The day you were born /Kutcha Edwards -- First born / Karl Farren -- Beautiful child / Archie Roach -- Sins of the son / Soulman -- Dear father / Lez Beckett -- Anthem / Leigh Carriage -- My father / People in the park -- My dad said / Mike Rudd. "Totally glorious, original, strikingly different, these songs tap into a vein of male creativity that has long been hidden. Each artist leaves you wanting more, and feeling that the music you've been hearing on the radio is just so much McDonaldized pap." Steve Biddulph author raising boys and manhood