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Lucian McGuiness's High 5
Lucian McGuiness's High 5 Lucian McGuiness completed his Bachelor of Music at the Canberra School of Music in 2001 after spending most of his spare…
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Lucian McGuiness completed his Bachelor of Music at the Canberra School of Music in 2001 after spending most of his spare time hanging around the campus. He lived and studied in Amsterdam for a while and is currently completing a Masters Degree at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. He has studied with, among others, trombonists Dave Panichi, Bert Boeren, Jilt Janmsa, Martijn Sohier, Adrian Mears, Sam Burtis and Nils Wogram.
Lucian performs and records with his own projects: My Goodness McGuiness, the Keijzer/McGuiness Quintet and the Techno Prisoners; all dedicated to new music. He has played or recorded with the Mothership Orchestra, the Holland Big Band (NL), the New Generation Big Band (NL), Reggae Rex, King Tide, Ghanian reggae star Shasha Marley, Dutch hip-hoppers Pete Philly & Perquisite, Aussie hip-hoppers the Herd, Dutch cabaret a la Ellen ten Damme, once or twice with Jackie Orzazcky, once with Erroll Buddle and almost once with Mike Nock.
He has appeared on over 15 albums across many genres, most recently the Mothership Orchestra’s Dream Wheel, and recently recorded albums from the Keijzer/McGuiness Quintet and My Goodness McGuiness.
“I must insert the obligatory disclaimer here; of course it was difficult to choose and all that but more than anything I’d like to point out that just as important as the gigs below are the many wonderful and incredible local musicians who have made their own ever-lasting impression on me through countless gigs and conversations.”
1. ROOT 70/NILS WOGRAM – Wangaratta Festival of Jazz / Sound Lounge Sydney Nov 2007
There was a whole arc to these gigs for me. I had been into Root70 for a while, and spent some time studying their music in 2007, looking forward to seeing them live. I wasn’t prepared for how absolutely engaged and thrilled I would be, and just how astounding these guys were as instrumentalists. Even better, in Sydney I managed to complete the experience by chatting with the group about their music and their processes in performing together. It was an uplifting and hugely beneficial experience.
2. TONY MALABY/MARK HELIAS – Wangaratta Festival of Jazz - 2000
I had no idea who Tony Malaby was at this time, and knew very little about Mark Helias, and to be honest, I don’t remember a lot about what music they played together, only that it was an incredibly powerful experience for me, exhilarating and emotionally very moving. Everything they played seemed to mean something particular and important. I spent most of the gig with either goose-bumps or tears or both.
3. STIAN CHRISTENSEN/FARMERS MARKET – Bimhuis, Amsterdam, 2005
There was a certain theatre element to this gig. Impressive musicality; weaving and dodging through sudden shifts between genres, tempos and meters, as shifting the focus between Christensen on half a dozen different instruments, the fill-in bass player with a permanent grin, who looked like he’d just come from a Metallica audition, the older Bulgarian sax player decidedly unperturbed, and the clownish rhythm guitarist.
4. WORLD ACCORDING TO JAMES – Australia 1999 to present
I’ve seen too many performances to really distinguish them, but I’ve always been so inspired by the clarity and power in their music. James Greening is among the finest of the many amazing musicians Australia has produced and is still producing, and Andrew Robson, Toby Hall and Steve Elphick together with James always blow me away and fill me with such an irrepressible energy and enthusiasm for art and music.
5. HANK JONES/JOE LOVANO – Bimhuis, Amsterdam 2006
I love Joe Lovano’s playing but for me this was all about Hank Jones. I ran to the bar and back in the first break so I could snake myself a seat over on the left side of the room closer to Hank. I thought he had such a beautiful energy in his body and his hands, a really easy, on the money, virtuosic touch without ever being aggressive. I felt satisfied and at the same time hungry for more with every phrase he played; whether it be solo or accompanying Joe Lovano, who for his part played with a beauty and delicacy belying his giant frame.
